Which starter do you want Molina catching?

[primetime714]

Assuming Girardi sets up Molina to catch at least one of the starters on a regular basis who would be your first choice. If you look at the numbers of Pettitte, Joba, and Wang all three have faired better with Molina behind the plate, but all of them have also have faired well with Posada behind the plate. Then Burnett and Sabathia have never pitched to either.

[THEBOSS84]

I would say anyone but Pettitte. He is likely to have the highest ERA which means we would likely need the most amount of runs on the nights he pitches - which means we'd need our A lineup out there for him.

I will vote for Joba here.

[primetime714]

I went with Burnett because with his stuff he has the potential to be dominant night in and night out, but could certainly use the guidance of a great receiver like Molina.

I also thought about Wang though because when he starts we can easily go to an OF of Nady, Damon, and Swisher because OF defense is less important with Wang on the mound.

Then there is also the option of setting up Joba for a good year on the mound or having our prized free agent signing in Sabathia get the extra defensive attention.

Then of course Pettitte could be an option as well to have a bounce back year and adjust to declining stuff much like Moose did last year with the assistance of Molina.

[bigjf]

I would lean towards Burnett or Joba, but I think Girardi should avoid the "personal catcher" route if he can this season. I think it should be more about when does Posada need a day off.

[Rocketbooster]

I would lean towards Burnett or Joba, but I think Girardi should avoid the "personal catcher" route if he can this season. I think it should be more about when does Posada need a day off.

I agree - I hate the personal catcher thing. It's not wise, if it's going to be done, to have Molina catch AJ and CC on a regular basis - if the Yankees make the playoffs, Posada will be catching. That said, I have no problem with Molina getting fairly regular work with all the pitchers, including the new guys.

[themgmt]

Burnett
Joba
Wang
CC
Pettitte

In that order. With the two lefties, Posada's throwing isn't as much of a concern so he should definitely catch those two every time. That alone, is reason enough for me. With those two separated in the rotation there is no concern of a day game after a night game scenario either. Out of the three remaining, I think Burnett and Posada's personalities could clash... Burnett's array of fastballs could also use the best receiver/caller, makes a minimal difference if any but still. I put Joba next since he's still a newcomer and could use any advantage he can get. Wang after that. Posada should catch CC and Pettitte every game and Molina should rotate in with the other 3 as needed- with most of those starts being with Burnett and Joba.


Yankees could conceivably have 5 starters with ERAs under 4.

[grizy]

I voted Andy but I actually think I want Molina to call Andy and Burnett. Because, you know, projected to catch about 110 games, Molina is gonna end up catching 2+ pitchers.

[the_coach]

Any of the righthanders...Pettitte still has a srong move to first...not sure about CC's move but lefties can keep them closer normally...giving Posada a better chance.

[ThunderFan]

Could I answer none?

[bigjf]

Could I answer none?

You prefer Chad Moeller?

[Jay]

I said Pettitte because he said las season that he loves Molina as his catcher. And Molina is a very good defensive catcher so why the hate?

[grizy]

Basically if you just go by the numbers I think Andy should be the choice just because he'll have more runners on base than other pitchers, thereby maximizing Molina's defensive advantages.

That and Andy pitched amazingly well to Molina last year.

[teknetic]

Sabathia and Wang can pitch to anyone. Joba > Pettitte > Burnett.

[ThePinStripes]

CC needs the offensive help the least, so I'd say CC.

[sjb23]

Whoever has the slowest delivery time to the plate with a runner on first. Molina's snap throws to first behind the runner and strong throws to 2nd on attempted steals make him the "catcher of choice" against teams who run alot -- like Tampa, the Angels, and the Red Sox.

[ksison]

CC needs the offensive help the least, so I'd say CC.

On given nights yes, but CC is going against other teams' #1 starter as well

[primetime714]

So far it looks like Molina is taking up the majority of the Spring Training catching duties, so with that in mind it might make more sense to have him catch one of the new guys (likely Burnett) as Posada may not get enough work in with those guys.

In the end my guess is Molina becomes the regular for either Burnett or Joba and will also make starts with each of the other guys when Posada needs another day off. Although last year I was suprised when Moose was paired up with Molina as he had a lot of experience and success in the past with Posada as his catcher, so it could be Pettitte or Wang. I think Posada definitely catches CC unless there is a strain in that relationship ala RJ's first year here.

The personal catcher will be a fairly loose situation as Posada is likely to need and will certainly get more time off than he normally would if 100% healthy.

[Doubleday]

Burnett made the most sense to me. Posada and Burnett never really worked together, so Molina could have a chance work with Burnett on a clean slate.

[justtxyank]

Burnett and Joba both personally for the first half of the season, and if things are going well, mix him in a third guy once every fourth time through the rotation (Andy). Then late in the year Posada should be fresher and you can cycle off the third guy and then put Posada on Burnett every other start until the playoffs where you'll need Posada to start as much as possible.

I want Posada to be fresh.

[Rocketbooster]

Burnett and Joba both personally for the first half of the season, and if things are going well, mix him in a third guy once every fourth time through the rotation (Andy). Then late in the year Posada should be fresher and you can cycle off the third guy and then put Posada on Burnett every other start until the playoffs where you'll need Posada to start as much as possible.

I want Posada to be fresh.

Why Burnett with Molina as opposed to CC for instance?

[BillBuckner]

None. I hate the concept of a personal catcher. Whenever Jorge needs a rest, thats when.

[Mark19]

Wang allows more baserunners than Burnett, Sabathia and Joba. Infield defense needs to be premium when he is on the mound.
We are going to need Jose's arm.

[themgmt]

Wang and Burnett are both around 1.3 WHIP. Burnett 1.28 for his career, 1.34 last year. Wang 1.29 for his career, 1.32 last year. Wang also throws the fastball a little more, giving Posada more of a chance. Minimal difference really.

[BennyTheJetRodriguez]

Posada throws like Piazza's little sister now. Who's to say Molina won't be catching all of them?

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

None. I hate the concept of a personal catcher. Whenever Jorge needs a rest, thats when.

This is exactly how I feel, and I imagine Jorge is going to get more rest than usual this year.

[Rocketbooster]

This is exactly how I feel, and I imagine Jorge is going to get more rest than usual this year.

Ditto.......I hate the idea of a personal catcher.

Jorge is going to be catching in the post-season should the Yankees make it, so he's going to need to work with all the pitchers. I don't see there being a problem - Jorge will start to get to know AJ and CC's tendencies and they'll be fine.

[MissingBillyMartin]

Could I answer none?

Of course, if you want to live in a fantasy world. Molina will probably end up catching 3 to 4 of these pitchers. I do not have a lot of faith that Posada is going to catch 100 games. He can't even catch during Spring training.

[JfromJersey]

Girardi will not go the personal catcher route unless forced to. If after the 1st 2 months, or at the break, it's obvious that 1 pitcher is much better with Molina catching, then they will most likely be battery mates for the remainder of the season.
One guy I don't think will ever have Molina as a p.c. is Andy, who has had success with Jorge and has the best pickoff move.

[delv]

why do people say that they "hate personal catchers"?

[kan_t]

I'm shocked that some people vote Pettitte.

[Janttje]

Burnett.

[Rocketbooster]

why do people say that they "hate personal catchers"?

I don't think it's a good idea at all for a pitcher to use a catcher like a security blanket. If you are a good pitcher, you are a good pitcher no matter who is catching you. I don't like a team being held hostage to Pitcher A having to throw to Catcher B. It severely restricts the options the team has (like if Joba could only pitch well to Molina, then Jose would have to catch him in his starts and we'd be missing Jorge or Matsui's bat). Also, I don't like the idea of a team having to keep a catcher just because he's the caddy for one particular pitcher. That's a misuse of the roster - keeping a black hole on board to make one pitcher happy.

[JfromJersey]

I don't think it's a good idea at all for a pitcher to use a catcher like a security blanket. If you are a good pitcher, you are a good pitcher no matter who is catching you. I don't like a team being held hostage to Pitcher A having to throw to Catcher B. It severely restricts the options the team has (like if Joba could only pitch well to Molina, then Jose would have to catch him in his starts and we'd be missing Jorge or Matsui's bat). Also, I don't like the idea of a team having to keep a catcher just because he's the caddy for one particular pitcher. That's a misuse of the roster - keeping a black hole on board to make one pitcher happy.

While in theory you're right, in practice, situations may dictate that a certain pitcher will fair better with a backup catcher and not just because the pitcher is more comfortable, but because the starting catcher may have problems with a particular pitcher (eg, knuckleballer). Since a team carries more than 1 catcher anyway, and catchers need rest, it's the managers' job to find opportune times to do it. Early on, it might not be necessary to match a certain pitcher with a certain catcher, but by midpoint in the season, it becomes clear that certain battery combos work better than others.

[Rocketbooster]

While in theory you're right, in practice, situations may dictate that a certain pitcher will fair better with a backup catcher and not just because the pitcher is more comfortable, but because the starting catcher may have problems with a particular pitcher (eg, knuckleballer). Since a team carries more than 1 catcher anyway, and catchers need rest, it's the managers' job to find opportune times to do it. Early on, it might not be necessary to match a certain pitcher with a certain catcher, but by midpoint in the season, it becomes clear that certain battery combos work better than others.

Yes, I have to agree with this.

I definitely think Molina should get a chance to work with all of the pitchers, but it's really of prime importance that Jorge get comfortable with our two new guys....

[grizy]

I finally did some digging.

Here are some stats for 2007+2008




So if we're trying to maximize Molina's ability to catch runners and minimize SB attempts, then Burnett is far and away the best candidate with (surprisingly maybe) Andy being close second.

[themgmt]

Thanks for that. That doesn't factor in who was catching for the pitchers but either way it's not even remotely close.

Burnett by a country mile.

[Rocketbooster]

Thanks for that. That doesn't factor in who was catching for the pitchers but either way it's not even remotely close.

Burnett by a country mile.

For what reason?

[Doubleday]

Wang allows more baserunners than Burnett, Sabathia and Joba. Infield defense needs to be premium when he is on the mound.
We are going to need Jose's arm.

Actually that does make the most sense to me. I retract my Burnett vote.

[themgmt]

For what reason?

He's ornery.

[grizy]

Thanks for that. That doesn't factor in who was catching for the pitchers but either way it's not even remotely close.

Burnett by a country mile.

Yeah, CC had the benefit of having J Kendall catching him all year long (what a frigging stud of a catcher.) But otherwise, besides Molina, who probably benefits Andy mostly, the cs/sb ratios are pretty close for all the Yankees/Jays catchers so I don't think it's going to change things much.

Honestly I was surprised by the numbers on Andy. People apparently still try to run on him for some reasons, and they do try to some level of success. This is despite having Molina catch him for just about the whole of last year except a couple starts by Posada.

I mean usually when I pull numbers like this I end up with some ambiguous answer but in this case even accounting for noise and some differences in catcher, I am pretty sure the conclusions are valid. To maximize Molina's defensive abilities, assuming he needs to catch 40~60 games, we should have Molina catching Andy and AJ Burnett.

[primetime714]

Wang allows more baserunners than Burnett, Sabathia and Joba. Infield defense needs to be premium when he is on the mound.
We are going to need Jose's arm.

That's actually a great point and that's why I was torn between Burnett and Wang. I also feel Wang gives us the best opportunity to sacrifice OF defense and go with Damon in CF thus making up for Molina's lack of offense.

However from a familiarity standpoint Wang seems pretty comfortable with Posada and they have worked together frequently and successfully, so when considering the pitcher/catcher relationship that might not make the most sense.

I think either Burnett or Wang is a good choice. Joba also might make some sense as you'd want the better receiver helping him through any growing pains. I guess so long as it isn't Pettitte or CC it is probably a good move.

[grizy]

For what reason?

Because Burnett, per inning pitched, has almost 60% more SB attempts than Joba/CMW, more than double of that of CC, and 30% more than that of Andy. He also has by far and away the highest successful stolen base % against at 85%.

So yeah, the data is pretty unequivocal in saying AJ sucks the worst at holding runners and the league knows it.

[Ynkcpt23]

Because Burnett, per inning pitched, has almost 60% more SB attempts than Joba/CMW, more than double of that of CC, and 30% more than that of Andy. He also has by far and away the highest successful stolen base % against at 85%.

So yeah, the data is pretty unequivocal in saying AJ sucks the worst at holding runners and the league knows it.

I really like the stats you pulled, thanks for that. It shows pretty clearly that Burnett is a good choice. I voted for Joba because he's still so young and could use a strong defensive catcher. I have nothing to back that up, however, and your AJ reasoning is strong...

[elsupremo2]

Looks like it should be Burnett then Pettitte (although Andy may have something to say about that).

[justtxyank]

Why Burnett with Molina as opposed to CC for instance?

Sorry I never answered this, but CC being a lefty has a lot to do with it. He also has better control than Burnett so I don't think he'd be hurt as much by Posada's poor pitch framing. And I'm not sure, but I would imagine he's much slower to the plate.

[justtxyank]

It shouldn't be surprised that people run on Andy. He has the good pickoff, but he's also got a slow, deliberate delivery. If the batter is confident and guesses right they are no more likely to be caught against him than any other pitcher.

[JavyVazquezIsSick]

I'm pretty sure they said Molina will be catching at random and won't have a select pitcher.

[themgmt]

That's actually a great point and that's why I was torn between Burnett and Wang. I also feel Wang gives us the best opportunity to sacrifice OF defense and go with Damon in CF thus making up for Molina's lack of offense.

However from a familiarity standpoint Wang seems pretty comfortable with Posada and they have worked together frequently and successfully, so when considering the pitcher/catcher relationship that might not make the most sense.

I think either Burnett or Wang is a good choice. Joba also might make some sense as you'd want the better receiver helping him through any growing pains. I guess so long as it isn't Pettitte or CC it is probably a good move.

That would be a good point, if it were true. They have nearly identical WHIPS in seasons past.

[Rocketbooster]

Because Burnett, per inning pitched, has almost 60% more SB attempts than Joba/CMW, more than double of that of CC, and 30% more than that of Andy. He also has by far and away the highest successful stolen base % against at 85%.

So yeah, the data is pretty unequivocal in saying AJ sucks the worst at holding runners and the league knows it.

Ok, thanks. I wasn't aware of that, although many power pitchers are lousy at holding runners.

[Rocketbooster]

Sorry I never answered this, but CC being a lefty has a lot to do with it. He also has better control than Burnett so I don't think he'd be hurt as much by Posada's poor pitch framing. And I'm not sure, but I would imagine he's much slower to the plate.

Good points - I'm good with whatever works, but I still think it is imerative that Jorge have a good working relationship with all of the pitchers. If the Yankees make the playoffs, Jorge will be catching, not Jose.