You can help without even moving away from your computer screen by texting "HAITI" TO 90999. It breaks my heart to see so much death and suffering. **On a personal note, please keep in mind the tradegy that has occured in Haiti. So is Gerald Demp Posey III ready for a full season? It looks like the Giants don't have a season to wait and a platoon role might have to do. In an ideal world, Posey would get another season of development in the minors. There is no doubt in my mind that Posey, if given the proper time to develop will flourish and eventually become one of the game's top catchers. This would be the next-best route for the Giants as they do not want to overload their future star at an early stage in his career. Torrealba has already indicated he plans to meet with the Giants once he returns from the Venezuelan Winter League. The Giants are known to be interested in signing free agent catcher, Yorvit Torrealba, who played for the Giants during the Barry Bonds era. Plus, Posey would receive the added benefit of a mentor who has been around the game for a while. This will help keep Posey somewhat fresh when the Giants may need him down the stretch. The Giants would be wise to sign a veteran catcher and platoon him with Posey. It's more the "art of catching" that I think Posey needs more seasoning in. Posey simply needs time to adjust to major league pitching and he will be fine. Bobby Evans, Giants VP of Baseball Operations, believes this is from the "wear and tear" of Posey's first full professional season. This may also explain why Posey was less than exciting during his September call-up.įatigue may have also been a factor in Posey's MLB and Arizona Fall League performances, in which his line read. He endured slumps at the beginning of A and AAA, probably an indication of his adjustment to the pitching. Posey's Fresno stats show a small decline in these categories, but that's mainly because he had 160 less at-bats than San Jose. He skipped AA and was promoted to to AAA Fresno around mid-season. 326 with 13 big flies and 58 RBIs including a. In 291 at-bats with the San Jose Giants (single-A), Posey batted. However, those numbers differ completely from his minor league stats. Posey went 2 for 17 (.118) with the Giants, both singles. Offensively speaking, I think don't think Posey will have too many problems adjusting to major league pitching, despite his quiet stint with the Giants in September. Oftentimes, it takes years to fully grasp catching. Posey, a converted shortstop in college, has minimal professional experience behind the dish. For a team that will live and die by one-run games, Posey will need to quickly learn game calling and defense. The Giants are a team that may be challenged defensively. If a power-hitting, doubles-machine slugger is up to bat, it will be Posey's responsibilities to know the scouting reports and instruct the defense accordingly. This is another component of catching.Īs catcher, Posey will have to take into account the batter's and pitcher's tendencies and tell the defense what to do. Although almost every catcher learns the hard way, Posey will have to learn in an environment where management and fans expect to win, leaving little room for error.Ĭatchers are also considered the defensive captains of the team during the game. Posey, who has minimal experience with the Giant's pitching staff, will have to learn the hard way how to catch each pitcher. A catcher will have trouble with a pitcher they don't really know anything about. What type of hitter is at the plate? Where does does he like his pitches? Is he a low-ball hitter or high-ball hitter? Will the umpire call that low, outside corner? If not, will the umpire give me that curveball? These are just a small handful of thoughts that go through a catcher's mind on a regular basis.Īlso, catchers must become acquainted with the pitchers they catch. While doing this, the catcher must keep in mind several elements. They play the head-nodding game until a pitch is decided. The catcher and pitcher must agree upon a pitch, which does not always happen. It goes beyond merely catching the baseball. One aspect of catching that fans often forget is the art of catching itself. I truly believe catching is the toughest job on the diamond, despite how easy Bengie Molina made it look for three years. The Giants, in my opinion, are asking too much, too soon of the young catcher.
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