1. You have chosen to ignore posts from Bill-806. Show Bill-806's posts

    LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 8:51 AM EST

      AND ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT IS A TOTAL WRONG READ BY BASEBALL OPP'S AND THE EVER $$$ MINDED LUCCIANO'S.......  THIS KID IS A HITTER,THINKER,TOUGH NOSE, CARLTON FISK TYPE MOLD !!!!  BOBBY V. IS GOING TO LIKE THIS GUY FROM DAY 1   !!!!   WHAT SAY YOU ?? ALL YOU WAN-A-BEE G M's & MANAGERS !!!!!
     

  2. You have chosen to ignore posts from Bill-806. Show Bill-806's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 9:32 AM EST

      GIVE THIS ROOK A CHANCE..... HE IS A PLAYER !!!!
     

  3. You have chosen to ignore posts from sday4x4. Show sday4x4's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 9:36 AM EST

    bring back V-tek!!!..........just kidding
     

  4. You have chosen to ignore posts from MadMc44. Show MadMc44's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 9:38 AM EST

    Salty is a pretty good offensive chip that might be able to return a decent player.
     

  5. You have chosen to ignore posts from Bill-806. Show Bill-806's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 9:41 AM EST

    In Response to Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........:
    Salty is a pretty good offensive chip that might be able to return a decent player.
    Posted by MadMc44
    MAC....JUST WHAT I WAS THINKING TOO !!!  I REALLY THINK THAT IF BEN C. CAN GET CREATIVE, THE ROSTER WILL GET MORE BALANCED IN ALL AREA'S !!!
     

  6. You have chosen to ignore posts from never1954. Show never1954's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 9:56 AM EST

    In Response to Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........:
    Salty is a pretty good offensive chip that might be able to return a decent player.
    Posted by MadMc44


    Very Good point.  I think Salty was an Epstein fixation not anyone else.  Not a bad duo with Lavarnway and Shoppach.
     

  7. You have chosen to ignore posts from seannybboi. Show seannybboi's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 9:58 AM EST

    I also think Ben is considering Salty as a trade chip.  We have FOUR catchers on 40-men.  Salty, Lava, Shoppach, Exposito.  Exposito obviously will remain in minors.  If a team offers good return for Salty, Ben won't hesitate to trade him.  I would assume Shoppach will be our starting catcher and Lava backs him up and DHing against lefties time to time. 
    Salty will be drawing lots of interest from small market teams and I expect pretty good return.  If Ben adds few other names floating around, a blockbuster might happen. 

     

  8. You have chosen to ignore posts from Soxdog67. Show Soxdog67's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 10:09 AM EST

    In Response to LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........:
      AND ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT IS A TOTAL WRONG READ BY BASEBALL OPP'S AND THE EVER $$$ MINDED LUCCIANO'S.......  THIS KID IS A HITTER,THINKER,TOUGH NOSE, CARLTON FISK TYPE MOLD !!!!  BOBBY V. IS GOING TO LIKE THIS GUY FROM DAY 1   !!!!   WHAT SAY YOU ?? ALL YOU WAN-A-BEE G M's & MANAGERS !!!!!
    Posted by Bill-806


    Well Bill it is interesting and perplexing how you can come to this conclusion with a sample size of 39 major league at bats? I certainly hope you are right about this, but I am not ready to give this kid Carlton Fisk status just yet.

    If he makes the team (which there is still a chance he won't with Shoppach now here) and avoids getting traded, he will initially be the backup to Saltalamacchia, and that is a good role for him at this time.


     

  9. You have chosen to ignore posts from hodgkinsfl1. Show hodgkinsfl1's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 10:17 AM EST


    Do you people understand that Shoppach, is a career .224 hitter and has regressed at the plate in recent seasons. He hit .176 last season and over the last three seasons is hitting .197 with a .672 OPS.

     

  10. You have chosen to ignore posts from chiefret. Show chiefret's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 10:19 AM EST

    Concur w/all the posts above. His D gets a bad rap, it's more than adequate. He's 6'4" 225, hits for avg and pwr.  Sox need to figure a way to get his bat into the lineup, 25-30 hrs not unreasonable to expect from the kid.
     

  11. You have chosen to ignore posts from Bill-806. Show Bill-806's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 10:22 AM EST

    In Response to Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........:
    In Response to LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER........... : Well Bill it is interesting and perplexing how you can come to this conclusion with a sample size of 39 major league at bats? I certainly hope you are right about this, but I am not ready to give this kid Carlton Fisk status just yet. If he makes the team (which there is still a chance he won't with Shoppach now here) and avoids getting traded, he will initially be the backup to Saltalamacchia, and that is a good role for him at this time.
    Posted by Soxdog67
      BECAUSE, EVEN THOUGH MY EYES ARE DECLINING, I CAN STILL SEE A YOUNG CARLTON FISK IN A SEPTEMBER CALL UP AND HOW COFIDENT HE LOOKED AT & BEHIND THE PLATE.... AND AS DAD WOULD SAY.....  " SON, AND THE REST IS HISTORY" !!!
     

  12. You have chosen to ignore posts from TitleTown11. Show TitleTown11's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:10 AM EST

    I agree Bill...this kid earned his opportunity last year. He has done 2 things every year.

    1) Improve
    2) Rake


     

  13. You have chosen to ignore posts from 111SoxFan111. Show 111SoxFan111's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:28 AM EST

    Bill - I am with you in wanting to see Lava get a shot but I think he's destined to start the year in AAA ... unless of course they Sox get a offered a good pitching trade for Salty.  Shoppach and Salty's L/R splits are perfect for a platoon, so I'd have to assume that's the plan:
    Shoppach career line against lefties: .274/.371/.536/.901
    vs. righties: .201/.287/.360/.647
    Saltalamacchia line against lefties: .207/.263/.342/.605
    vs. righties: .265/.331/.441/.772

    I put pretty good money on this platoon being the plan from opening day up to the trade deadline.  I'd bet the Sox are going to let a lot of the kids see time at the back of the rotation and the middle of the pen along with the usual dumpster dives and if (actually WHEN) this isn't working well enough, I think either Shoppach or, more likely, Salty is a goner as long as Lava's healthy and doing well in AAA.  The FO's best scenario is that Lava gets significant playing time in the second half of the season and rakes ... which gives them a lot of flexibility for 2013 (bye bye Ortiz; hello Middlebrooks or one year 3B rental).
     

  14. You have chosen to ignore posts from SpacemanEephus. Show SpacemanEephus's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:31 AM EST

    In Response to Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........:
    Do you people understand that Shoppach, is a career .224 hitter and has regressed at the plate in recent seasons. He hit .176 last season and over the last three seasons is hitting .197 with a .672 OPS.
    Posted by hodgkinsfl1


    Not a bad platoon vs. lefties though.
     

  15. You have chosen to ignore posts from hankwilliams. Show hankwilliams's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:36 AM EST

    Lavarnway and Shoppach should now take over. Unless Salty is much better than stone hands and black hole splits, Lavarnway should take over by no later than summer.
     

  16. You have chosen to ignore posts from moonslav59. Show moonslav59's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:45 AM EST

    Shoppach and Salty's L/R splits are perfect for a platoon, so I'd have to assume that's the plan...

    I thought the same about VTek and Salty, but they did the "personal caddy" platoon instead and VTek, whos was way better vs LHPs, had over 2/3rds of his PAs vs RHPs.
     

  17. You have chosen to ignore posts from rgmfick. Show rgmfick's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:47 AM EST

    Am going to be bold enough to predict that Ryan Lavarnway, in time, will far exceed Salty's and Kelly's performance as a ML catcher and hitter.  Having said that again, maybe Salty and Kelly will start the 2012 Season as the RS tandem.  Salty does have some value, but I believe it is as a hitter, a switch hitter at that, and Salty may end up primarily as a DH if he remains in the AL and maybe even as a 1B.  If a trade were to occur, Salty has the most trade value right now.  Kelly was used effectively by Eric Wedge and Manny Acta in Cleveland and by John Maddon, all managers who know how to utilize catchers.  I would not even be surprised by mid season to see Salty, Kelly and Ryan sharing some catching and bench duties.  That probably does depend on whether Marc Scutaro, Jed Lowrie and Mike Aviles fit in, how much progress Jose Iglesias has to reach Red Sox and how long Big Papi is the DH, i.e. will Big Papi be signed to 2 year deal or only be the DH for 1 more season, as how the bench is comprised depends some on whether the DH plays other position(s).
     

  18. You have chosen to ignore posts from jackbu. Show jackbu's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:57 AM EST

    Bill, probably you are right, and this kid is another reason why tek should have been gone last season.  Keeping this kid in triple a and then on the sox bench for a month was wrong.  I guess tito is blame for this kid being kept in the minors too long, so probably best that he is gone too.

     

  19. You have chosen to ignore posts from beavis. Show beavis's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 11:58 AM EST

    I would think being a Yale guy would help him "study" opposing hitters and translate that into "calling" a great game...like VTek...
     

  20. You have chosen to ignore posts from 111SoxFan111. Show 111SoxFan111's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 12:00 PM EST

    Moon - Agree on the errors of last year.  But maybe the new boss ain't the same as the old boss.  The day's of personal caddy's and cold brew in the club house are over IMHO ;)

    rgmfick - Salty is still young(ish) for a catcher and I wouldn't be that surprised if he has a decent career.  As things stand now, though, his bat has value at C and not much value at 1B/DH.  If he's traded, it's to a team looking for a catcher who can hit some. 
     

  21. You have chosen to ignore posts from hankwilliams. Show hankwilliams's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 12:33 PM EST

    Salty is like Hermida with a better arm. At best, Salty is a 2nd or 3rd stringer.
     

  22. You have chosen to ignore posts from moonslav59. Show moonslav59's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 1:13 PM EST

    Moon - Agree on the errors of last year.  But maybe the new boss ain't the same as the old boss.  The day's of personal caddy's and cold brew in the club house are over IMHO ;)

    That's one reason I like the Bobby V move. He will do the right thing and doesn't always follow long-standing stale baseball paradigms.
     

  23. You have chosen to ignore posts from moonslav59. Show moonslav59's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 1:16 PM EST

    In Response to Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........:
    Salty is like Hermida with a better arm. At best, Salty is a 2nd or 3rd stringer.
    Posted by hankwilliams


    I agree that Salty should be 2nd string (I'd prefer elsewhere), but I wouldn't tout his arm that much. This is the guy who couldn't even throw the ball back to the mound and has a 25% career CS rate.
     

  24. You have chosen to ignore posts from hankwilliams. Show hankwilliams's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 1:22 PM EST

    Improved arm in 2011, and not touting a decent arm for a still young marginal catcher.
     

  25. You have chosen to ignore posts from Immortal9. Show Immortal9's posts

    Re: LAVARNWAY IS MY STARTING CATCHER...........

    posted at 12/14/2011 1:45 PM EST

    So you want to turn this fat, lazy and entitled rotation over to a kid who has done nothing in The Show? No thanks.