Quote:
Originally Posted by Déjà Bru
By the way, the announcers keep pounding on Sanchez and rightly so. Remember when I said he would go something like 1 for 20 after that grand slam? Sure enough. And seeing what Kratz can do at the plate and behind it, even at 40-years old (snap throw from his knees to 2B to nail a runner today), plus his leadership, means the Yankees waited too long to trade Sanchez.
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I should clarify this. Obviously Kratz is not a long-term solution at 40. (Did you know he did not make it to the big leagues until he was 30?) At some point, he is going to revert back to his mean; he's never been great with the bat.
Over the course of a season, though, with enough at-bats, he seems to hold his own. At 38, he hit .236 in 203 AB's. For a good defensive catcher with leadership skills, that's more than good enough. (My own criterion for decent catchers is the Mendoza Line: .200).
My point, though, is that he is hitting well right now at least, has a much lower catcher ERA than "others" (Sanchez and Higashioka - the difference is striking) and is a mentor to young players. Plus, his defense seems top-notch.
It's the distinction that he is bringing to the catcher position with his bat, glove, brain, and poise that is showing up Sanchez so badly. Not that Kratz means to do so but that's how bad Sanchez is most of the time. Sometimes Sanchez can get hot, and of course his homers are impressive, but most of the time he is in these extended slumps. His glovework and presence are nowhere near where they should be to make up for hitting .130.