i always accepted the trade off that there were limited places i could play for the added advantages at the plate. if i was a pitcher, i think i would have come out ahead.
also, i played a lot of infield right up until high school, and it was way more important to catch securely and throw accurately than it was to be righty or lefty. probably that was true for the majority of high school too.
That's very interesting. (Also ungrammatical! Is that deliberate??)
I'm pretty sure there is very, very little disadvantage to being left handed when catching. Someone (Bill James?) wrote that the real reason there are few lefty catchers is that a lefty with a good enough arm is likely to be more valuable as a pitcher. That doesn't seem like it could be the full explanation, though, does it?
[9] i hope my boy boBBy goes yard a coupla times. he needs 46 to reach 300 and join the 300-300 club. i say it takes him 3 years, if he's healthy and stays within his normal production. i believe he's on a 2-year contract. so, i'm hoping he hits his 15 or so this year and next, then gets another chance or two somewhere...
[15 / 16] i love the fact that heyward's from 'round these parts, too. pretty close to here. i hope he stays healthy and reaches the super stardom levels he can. i'm so glad he's getting to play for Cox for a season.
[3] I had always heard---or thought I heard---that the reason had to do with making throws on stolen base attempt: a LH catcher will have a harder time, supposedly throwing around right handed batters (about three quarters of all batters), especially making the thrown to third base (indeed, a lefty will have a tougher time throwing to third regardless of the handedness of the batter than would a RH). I have no idea of this makes any sense.
thelarmis, you watching King Felix and the Ms now?
AP-wire recap for Cardinals game says something like "Pujols continues where he left off, this time with Mark McGwire prviding the pointers." BAD BAD journalism! There is NOTHING Mark McGwire can teach Albert Pujols.
[20] Greetings monkeypants, long time! As to your point, I believe it's because anyone left-handed with the arm to be a catcher would immediately be turned into a pitcher...
[25] I will see the groundzilla RBI about 16-kookajillion times tonight on J tv.."Matsui's First RBI In LA! Let's watch it again from the Mir Space Station Sky Cam, in infrared!" Yes, Matsui is a big deal here...
[27] :__( I miss Matsui already..and will do even more in July when i wake up to J tv showing Angels vs Athletics live from Oakland/McAfee Concrete Bowlium...
My manager used to have me, a left-handed batter hitting second, stand forward in the box when our leadoff hitter got on and the steal was on. I shielded the catcher from seeing the runner. That worked well sometimes. He also told me to stay in the box after the pitch to make the catcher's throw harder (opposite of the leftie catcher, righty hitter scenario) but I don't think that part worked very well.
That's a long way of saying I don't think the old justification for not letting southpaws catch is very valid.
[36] i'm actually watching stoopid programs i dvr'ed. i really need to get into weather report more. one of these days. my listening has been all over the map lately. we'll have to catch up soon...
enjoy the DVR'd shows, hopefully not those dreadful reality programs that everyone seems to love! or the Dancing with the All-Stars, etc etc..music and baseball only please! (In your case exception can be made for old Baywatch re-runs...)
[38] oh, don't worry, i hate any kind of reality show! actually, that's a lie - for some reason, i dig the gene simmons show. crazy thing is, i'm not even a Kiss fan!
i've never seen american idol, dancing with the stars, or anything like that. babewatch! haha! nope, not that, either... : )
my middle nephew turned 9 last week. my brother makes mix b-day cd's for each of the kids, every year. i got the cd in the mail today. my awesome nephew, was dressed as gene simmons on the cover! he was giving the devil horns and sticking his tongue out! absolutely adorable!!! : )
I tried catching, on a whim... Making the throw to 2b wasn't all that bad, fielding bunts were a bit of a problem. It's a physically demanding position, especially when you haven't trained for it. Glad I don't have to catch.
And congrats to Austin Jackson who had an rbi double in his ML debut.
Greinke's gotta be thinking "get me the hell out of here" as the Royals' bullpen turned a 4-2 lead into an 8-4 loss.
i always accepted the trade off that there were limited places i could play for the added advantages at the plate. if i was a pitcher, i think i would have come out ahead.
also, i played a lot of infield right up until high school, and it was way more important to catch securely and throw accurately than it was to be righty or lefty. probably that was true for the majority of high school too.
sweet painting.
That's very interesting. (Also ungrammatical! Is that deliberate??)
I'm pretty sure there is very, very little disadvantage to being left handed when catching. Someone (Bill James?) wrote that the real reason there are few lefty catchers is that a lefty with a good enough arm is likely to be more valuable as a pitcher. That doesn't seem like it could be the full explanation, though, does it?
Anyway, I do like the painting.
Anyone remember the kids book "The Left-Handed Shortstop"?
giant "matsuiland" cards out in the stands. here's his 1st AB for the halos.
aw, sad.
[4] nope, but i have lefty envy!
i actually do lefty mouse, for the computer, most of the time. my brother, who's a lefty, can't even do that! : )
[5]
beat me to it ....
catch it on Extra Innings ... Time Warner channel 433
matsui's AB:
watched strike 1 go by. (Baker had been wild)
fouled 2nd pitch back
popped 3rd pitched to SS, in shallow left field
[6] Me too, lefty mouse use to keep the right hand free for note-taking!
Angels-Twins on tv here this morning..hope Matsui goes yard a couple times.
[7] i've got it on espn 2. buck showalter is announcing. not bad, either.
halos scrap their way to a 1-0 lead. scioscia = manager of the year!
[9] by "note-taking", do you mean: "guinness imbibing"?! ; )
sooo cool you do lefty mouse, also! : )
[9] i hope my boy boBBy goes yard a coupla times. he needs 46 to reach 300 and join the 300-300 club. i say it takes him 3 years, if he's healthy and stays within his normal production. i believe he's on a 2-year contract. so, i'm hoping he hits his 15 or so this year and next, then gets another chance or two somewhere...
by the way Buehrle's play was absolutely sensational. *must see*!!!
heyward's homer - which was reminiscent of granderson's, gave me the chills. esp after hank aaron threw the 1st pitch out to him.
[11] Glad you said "Guinness imbibing" and not something else...
[13]
that young man is very very special ....
[13] I got to check out mlb.com highlights at lunch time, too cool that he hit a monster tater in his first game!
showalter: "abreu has lost a step, but is still a very good right fielder."
um, lost a step - stole 30 bases last season
still a very good... - never really was (though not quite as horrible as made out...)
Buehrle's play ..... reminds me of a tennis shot ...
http://tinyurl.com/ykojyh5
[15 / 16] i love the fact that heyward's from 'round these parts, too. pretty close to here. i hope he stays healthy and reaches the super stardom levels he can. i'm so glad he's getting to play for Cox for a season.
[3] I had always heard---or thought I heard---that the reason had to do with making throws on stolen base attempt: a LH catcher will have a harder time, supposedly throwing around right handed batters (about three quarters of all batters), especially making the thrown to third base (indeed, a lefty will have a tougher time throwing to third regardless of the handedness of the batter than would a RH). I have no idea of this makes any sense.
[18] Awesome!! What a play by Buerhle!! And Haywards homer just so cool...damn, I missed baseball!!!
Early prediction: Cubs go down in flames, sweet Lou gets canned by June.
thelarmis, you watching King Felix and the Ms now?
AP-wire recap for Cardinals game says something like "Pujols continues where he left off, this time with Mark McGwire prviding the pointers." BAD BAD journalism! There is NOTHING Mark McGwire can teach Albert Pujols.
[20] Greetings monkeypants, long time! As to your point, I believe it's because anyone left-handed with the arm to be a catcher would immediately be turned into a pitcher...
[22] nope. it's the angels-twins.
[22] new injection sites???
groundzilla finds a hole. rbi single gives the halos a 4-3 lead.
boBBy's 0-3
[25] I will see the groundzilla RBI about 16-kookajillion times tonight on J tv.."Matsui's First RBI In LA! Let's watch it again from the Mir Space Station Sky Cam, in infrared!" Yes, Matsui is a big deal here...
[25] Big RBIs for Damon and Matsui on Opening Day...has a familiar ring, doesn't it?
[27] :__( I miss Matsui already..and will do even more in July when i wake up to J tv showing Angels vs Athletics live from Oakland/McAfee Concrete Bowlium...
[28] Maybe the Yankees will call up Igawa to secure the bullpen? That might get you more games on TV.
[29] That'd be great! But, at the cost of many Banterites bloodpressure..is that a worthy exchange?
[27] it sure does. damon and a-jax had back-to-back rbi doubles today. i miss both johnny and mats...
[20] Yes, that is the reason.
My manager used to have me, a left-handed batter hitting second, stand forward in the box when our leadoff hitter got on and the steal was on. I shielded the catcher from seeing the runner. That worked well sometimes. He also told me to stay in the box after the pitch to make the catcher's throw harder (opposite of the leftie catcher, righty hitter scenario) but I don't think that part worked very well.
That's a long way of saying I don't think the old justification for not letting southpaws catch is very valid.
shit, i missed Matsui's homer! dammit : /
[33] Nice! Add another kagoogle-zillion replays of the homer tonight on tv!
check this one out: http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/tmi-mlb/post?id=1744
Pujols is really the best..
[34] actually, music is the best. frank zappa even said so!!! : D
[35] That is indeed true! What you listening to this evening?
I had some Weather Report on this morning, good groove music for a sunny spring day, "Boogie Woogie Waltz"!
[36] i'm actually watching stoopid programs i dvr'ed. i really need to get into weather report more. one of these days. my listening has been all over the map lately. we'll have to catch up soon...
enjoy the DVR'd shows, hopefully not those dreadful reality programs that everyone seems to love! or the Dancing with the All-Stars, etc etc..music and baseball only please! (In your case exception can be made for old Baywatch re-runs...)
[38] oh, don't worry, i hate any kind of reality show! actually, that's a lie - for some reason, i dig the gene simmons show. crazy thing is, i'm not even a Kiss fan!
i've never seen american idol, dancing with the stars, or anything like that. babewatch! haha! nope, not that, either... : )
my middle nephew turned 9 last week. my brother makes mix b-day cd's for each of the kids, every year. i got the cd in the mail today. my awesome nephew, was dressed as gene simmons on the cover! he was giving the devil horns and sticking his tongue out! absolutely adorable!!! : )
btw, how is mr. ok jazz tokyo, jr.?!
[39] Yeah, those shows don't interest me in the least..i'll stick to watching old Mahavishinu Orchestra clips on YouTube!
[40] He's great, and starting to show an interest in Mrs. Jazz' violin..will start calling him Ornette soon?
I tried catching, on a whim... Making the throw to 2b wasn't all that bad, fielding bunts were a bit of a problem. It's a physically demanding position, especially when you haven't trained for it. Glad I don't have to catch.