Youth dominates at the catching position in the NL. The veterans should make way in the AL roster as well, but whether they will or not is far from certain. Even so, there are several worthy candidates to discuss.Â
American League – Had he not been derailed by injuries earlier this year, Jorge Posada probably would have won my vote after his fantastic season in 2007 and the fact that the ASG is taking place at Yankee Stadium (I’m a sentimentalist at heart). However, I’m a big fan of Joe Mauer and he’s had the best season so far of all the AL candidates. He isn’t a flashy player and only rarely hits the ball into the seats, but he is a great all-round hitter and good defensively as well. Joe’s got to go.
In reality, Jason Varitek might pip him to the post instead. His track record and reputation are unquestioned, so he does deserve consideration. What rules him out for me is that he is having a poor season at the plate (.225/.309/.378 as I write this). Pudge Rodriguez is another player who merits consideration on the strength of his past, but he hasn’t played like an All Star for several years now. In both cases, you could make a stronger argument for their selection if there wasn’t a more deserving candidate. There is though, so I wouldn’t want to deny Mauer his place simply to give a veteran the spot.
If you wanted to throw another candidate into the mix, A.J. Pierzynski is having a good year with the White Sox. Then again, the ASG is largely a popularity contest and popular is not a word you would typically use to describe him.
National League – If Mauer is the one youngster challenging the veteran catchers in the AL, the situation in the NL couldn’t be more different. Geovany Soto is really turning heads at Wrigley Field, playing a key role in the Cubs’ excellent first half, while after spending three weeks on the sidelines in May, Ryan Doumit has picked up where he left off (hitting .340/.407/.712 since his return on June 6) in equally impressive fashion. It’s a little early for either to be starting on 15 July though, especially with the two M’s being in their way.
Brian McCann or Russell Martin? Not a bad pair to have to choose from, to say the least. You really can’t go wrong either way, with McCann offering more in the way of power this year and Martin being a rare catcher with base stealing potential. As with the NL shortstop position, a flip of the coin might be the best way to decide either way. So that’s what I’ll do. McCann is heads, Martin tails…
Martin it is!
2 comments
Varitek is not having a poor season at the plate…he is having a poor month at the plate!
He had an .809 OPS in April, and an .913 OPS in May.
Fair comment. On closer inspection he hit .299/.407/.506 in May, which is a bit better than poor! His overall record this season doesn’t look so good, but taking into account his June slump and his performances in previous years, I accept I’ve been a bit harsh on him here. Personally, I still think Mauer should go instead, but it is closer than I originally thought.