|
2007 Melhuse has only been kicking around the bigs since 2000, so it`s a bit shocking to realize he`ll be 35 when Opening Day rolls around. That`s because he didn`t make it to the Show until he was 28. Because of those 11 homers Melhuse popped as a part-timer in 2004, he gives the frisson of being a bit better than he is. He does have good power for a catcher, but you can`t play five games per week with a sub-.300 OBP unless you`re a defensive wiz--and that`s not Melhuse. 2006 Melhuse has hit the age where he`s no longer likely to qualify as a premium backup catcher. Ordinarily, that would be about as important as buying the name-brand paper towels, but there`s a chance that Jason Kendall`s offense will descend from unpleasant to unplayable this season. We`d be tempted to hedge our bets by adding a Craig Wilson or Matt LeCroy type to the roster. Actually, are there any players of that `type` except for Wilson and LeCroy? 2005 A backup catcher in the old Earl Weaver sense of the word, a guy you insert into the lineup to get some offense, and a good alternative to a catch-and-throw type who isn't hopeless at the plate. No, not Ellie Hendricks or Dave Skaggs; more like Dan Graham or Joe Nolan, as alternatives to Rick Dempsey. A handy bench player, Melhuse is unfortunately older than you might think now that he's here, and with Kendall in town, he won't be getting 257 at-bats.
|