Why wouldnt he dh? They would most likey carry a 3rd catcher then. Didnt they do that last year in the playoffs?

TRM said:

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spadilly said:

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Not sure why it isn't embedded, but Juan Soto just fouled one where you don't want to get hit. Ouch.

https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1691291866980081665?s=46&t=aFk0K5tY6OHQxk3jSP5B7A

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Change x to twitter

"Juan Soto grounds one off of Juan Soto, and he goes down hard... That is not where you want it... One replay, please. One and done.... That'll hurt your feelings."- Kevin Brown pic.twitter.com/OKh3jReQnJ

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 15, 2023

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I saw this happen to Gary Sheffield one time and that was when I learned that a lot of outfielders don't wear cups.

Here is why Maldanaldo gets the number of starts he does.

https://hosted.ap.org/republicanherald/article/3560cc5398e0b71443dcc5cbe3ed1929/houstons-pitchers-rave-about-maldonado-after-veteran

Houston's pitchers rave about Maldonado after the veteran catches third no-hitter

HOUSTON (AP) When Martn Maldonado caught Framber Valdez's no-hitter for the Houston Astros against the Cleveland Guardians, it gave him three no-hitters in his career, tying him for third-most in MLB history.

It's no surprise to anyone associated with the Astros that Maldonado's been behind the plate for so many big games.

"He's one of the hardest-working guys on this team ... he's essentially our quarterback," closer Ryan Pressly said.

Tuesday was the first time Maldonado caught a no-hitter thrown by a single pitcher. He made major league history last year when he became the first player to catch two combined no-hitters when Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Pressly combined to no-hit the Yankees on June 25.

That came after he caught a combined no-hitter for Houston by Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski against Seattle on Aug. 3, 2019.

"He's a great person and means a great deal to me," Javier said in Spanish through a translator. "For me, it's almost like God put him here for us, to be able to guide us through these games."

Maldonado, who is in his 13th major league season, is proud to have his place in the MLB record books by catching his third no-hitter. Carlos Ruiz and Jason Varitek are the only catchers with more than him, tied for first with four apiece.

Maldonado noted that his success behind the plate doesn't come easy, requiring hours of work and study away from the field. He spoke of trying to put together game plans at home in the evenings while his two young children seem to delight in trying to distract him.

"It's a lot of sacrifices. I'll be up at night reading reports … and whoever has kids, you know they're jumping all over you," he said. "So, I've got to give them a paper and say: 'Hey just do some work with me.' And they're writing crazy stuff on the paper."

So, he appreciates when people acknowledge all he does to help the team.

"All the hard work I put in all the time, on a daily basis to call a game or to get a game plan together I think it shows," he said. "And it makes you think it's worth every minute."

The 36-year-old Maldonado is Houston's starting catcher, having played 79 games at the position this season. But some have criticized manager Dusty Baker for sticking with him over rookie Yainer Daz because of Maldonado's struggles at the plate.

Maldonado is hitting just .167 with eight homers and 18 RBIs this season, while Daz entered Wednesday batting .276 with 13 home runs and 31 RBIs in 66 games split mostly between designated hitter and catcher.

Baker certainly hears the criticism, but isn't worried about it, because he's far more concerned about what his catcher does on defense than at the plate.

"I've said it before, and it's fallen on deaf ears … but he means a ton to our pitching staff," Baker said.

He compared the situation with Maldonado and Diaz to one in Atlanta when Hall of Famer Greg Maddux was pitching for the Braves.

"I looked it up, that was similar to Atlanta when they had that great pitching staff, and they had Javy Lopez hitting 30 home runs, but Greg Maddox wanted Eddie Prez to catch him," Baker said. "If they don't score you haven't lost, and you've got a better chance to win."

Maldonado's skill was evident Tuesday night when Valdez rarely shook him off, and Javier said he didn't shake him off once in the seven innings of the no-hitter he pitched against the Yankees.

"Maldy and I were a pretty good combination there," Javier said. "I just trusted every single time he put a pitch down."

Along with his dogged preparation, Houston's pitchers love Maldonado's calm demeanor. Neris, who threw the eighth inning of the no-hitter against the Yankees, said no matter what the situation is, he can always count on Maldonado to settle things down.

"That matters a lot," Neris said. "When you have a guy like him that's a veteran, smart he thinks about you versus the hitter, so you don't have to have any frustration. Because you say: 'Maldy's got it, and he can help me in any situation.'"

Maldonado has received a lot of credit for helping aid the development of Houston's young pitchers like Javier, Valdez, Jos Urquidy and Luis Garca. But one of the best things about him, is that he's also always looking for ways to help the team's veterans improve, too.

Neris and Pressly, who are both 34, couldn't stop raving about him, and 40-year-old three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who was reacquired by the Astros Tuesday, never shied away from praising him in his first stint with the team.

"I think for this group we have here to have Maldy behind home plate is the best," Neris said. "It's like the perfect complement for us."

Mathguy64 said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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Most everyone liked the lineup today. Besides no Diaz, it wasn't a bad lineup. They hit the ball hard today. **** happens. It just sucks when you're in a pennant race.

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However your primary "every pitcher wants him and he's amazing" catcher did no favors.

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Huh? My catcher? I have never said he's amazing or anything like that. I've simply repeated what I've been told about why he plays. Goodness.

Ags #1 said:

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Why wouldnt he dh? They would most likey carry a 3rd catcher then. Didnt they do that last year in the playoffs?

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They would DH him most likely at least one game if not both. W has a histrionic flair to him at times

So our path to the World Series likely goes (if we stay in the position we are currently in)

WC: Tampa
ALDS: Baltimore
ALCS: Texas
Not the worst path, but also not as easy as I think some people are presuming.

If we somehow fall to the 6 seed
WC: Minnesota
ALDS: Texas
ALCS: Baltimore

If we win the division
WC: bye
ALDS: Twins/Blue Jays
ALCS: Baltimore/Texas

Wabs said:

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Not getting a bat at the trade deadline is looking like it's really going to hurt us. This will go down as Dana's major mistake in his first year as a GM.

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we have the bat!!! And he's sitting on the bench almost every game!!!

JohnnyTexAg1995 said:

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Wabs said:

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Not getting a bat at the trade deadline is looking like it's really going to hurt us. This will go down as Dana's major mistake in his first year as a GM.

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we have the bat!!! And he's sitting on the bench almost every game!!!

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Uncle Mike?

You're right but it kills me that as advanced as metrics have become in baseball we cannot find a workaround for his being off the field.

If we can track the spin, velo, stuff+ of every pitch, Maldonado could literally read a tablet with the numbers and have a pretty good idea of how a pitcher is "feeling" on any given day. He could then call every pitch from the bench.

BadAggie said:

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Here is why Maldanaldo gets the number of starts he does.

https://hosted.ap.org/republicanherald/article/3560cc5398e0b71443dcc5cbe3ed1929/houstons-pitchers-rave-about-maldonado-after-veteran

Houston's pitchers rave about Maldonado after the veteran catches third no-hitter

HOUSTON (AP) When Martn Maldonado caught Framber Valdez's no-hitter for the Houston Astros against the Cleveland Guardians, it gave him three no-hitters in his career, tying him for third-most in MLB history.

It's no surprise to anyone associated with the Astros that Maldonado's been behind the plate for so many big games.

"He's one of the hardest-working guys on this team ... he's essentially our quarterback," closer Ryan Pressly said.

Tuesday was the first time Maldonado caught a no-hitter thrown by a single pitcher. He made major league history last year when he became the first player to catch two combined no-hitters when Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Pressly combined to no-hit the Yankees on June 25.

That came after he caught a combined no-hitter for Houston by Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski against Seattle on Aug. 3, 2019.

"He's a great person and means a great deal to me," Javier said in Spanish through a translator. "For me, it's almost like God put him here for us, to be able to guide us through these games."

Maldonado, who is in his 13th major league season, is proud to have his place in the MLB record books by catching his third no-hitter. Carlos Ruiz and Jason Varitek are the only catchers with more than him, tied for first with four apiece.

Maldonado noted that his success behind the plate doesn't come easy, requiring hours of work and study away from the field. He spoke of trying to put together game plans at home in the evenings while his two young children seem to delight in trying to distract him.

"It's a lot of sacrifices. I'll be up at night reading reports … and whoever has kids, you know they're jumping all over you," he said. "So, I've got to give them a paper and say: 'Hey just do some work with me.' And they're writing crazy stuff on the paper."

So, he appreciates when people acknowledge all he does to help the team.

"All the hard work I put in all the time, on a daily basis to call a game or to get a game plan together I think it shows," he said. "And it makes you think it's worth every minute."

The 36-year-old Maldonado is Houston's starting catcher, having played 79 games at the position this season. But some have criticized manager Dusty Baker for sticking with him over rookie Yainer Daz because of Maldonado's struggles at the plate.

Maldonado is hitting just .167 with eight homers and 18 RBIs this season, while Daz entered Wednesday batting .276 with 13 home runs and 31 RBIs in 66 games split mostly between designated hitter and catcher.

Baker certainly hears the criticism, but isn't worried about it, because he's far more concerned about what his catcher does on defense than at the plate.

"I've said it before, and it's fallen on deaf ears … but he means a ton to our pitching staff," Baker said.

He compared the situation with Maldonado and Diaz to one in Atlanta when Hall of Famer Greg Maddux was pitching for the Braves.

"I looked it up, that was similar to Atlanta when they had that great pitching staff, and they had Javy Lopez hitting 30 home runs, but Greg Maddox wanted Eddie Prez to catch him," Baker said. "If they don't score you haven't lost, and you've got a better chance to win."

Maldonado's skill was evident Tuesday night when Valdez rarely shook him off, and Javier said he didn't shake him off once in the seven innings of the no-hitter he pitched against the Yankees.

"Maldy and I were a pretty good combination there," Javier said. "I just trusted every single time he put a pitch down."

Along with his dogged preparation, Houston's pitchers love Maldonado's calm demeanor. Neris, who threw the eighth inning of the no-hitter against the Yankees, said no matter what the situation is, he can always count on Maldonado to settle things down.

"That matters a lot," Neris said. "When you have a guy like him that's a veteran, smart he thinks about you versus the hitter, so you don't have to have any frustration. Because you say: 'Maldy's got it, and he can help me in any situation.'"

Maldonado has received a lot of credit for helping aid the development of Houston's young pitchers like Javier, Valdez, Jos Urquidy and Luis Garca. But one of the best things about him, is that he's also always looking for ways to help the team's veterans improve, too.

Neris and Pressly, who are both 34, couldn't stop raving about him, and 40-year-old three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who was reacquired by the Astros Tuesday, never shied away from praising him in his first stint with the team.

"I think for this group we have here to have Maldy behind home plate is the best," Neris said. "It's like the perfect complement for us."

---

I'd like to know how they pulled those quotes...did they go to each of the pitchers and ask them "What does Maldy mean to you behind the plate?" Of course they're going to rave about him and some of it is warranted but I'd like them also to ask them "How do you feel when Maldy strikes out with men on base or hits into a double play costing us a run?"

Besides DH you have to bat at the plate and he's simply hurting the team. If he was still adept at throwing runners out or blocking the plate we could live with it, but he's not. I know for a fact some of his pass balls and inability to throw runners out has cost us runs. So Donkey can take his Maldy = shutout nonsense and stick it up his ass.

tremble said:

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You're right but it kills me that as advanced as metrics have become in baseball we cannot find a workaround for his being off the field.

If we can track the spin, velo, stuff+ of every pitch, Maldonado could literally read a tablet with the numbers and have a pretty good idea of how a pitcher is "feeling" on any given day. He could then call every pitch from the bench.

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I get what you're saying, and I'm not a rules expert or anything by any means, but I would imagine doing something like that in real-time would be considered illegal! HA!
Even if it wasn't illegal, with the pitch clock now, you'd be relying on that technology to be working exactly perfect every single pitch. Any slight hiccup and then your gameplan is totally handcuffed.

tremble said:

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You're right but it kills me that as advanced as metrics have become in baseball we cannot find a workaround for his being off the field.

If we can track the spin, velo, stuff+ of every pitch, Maldonado could literally read a tablet with the numbers and have a pretty good idea of how a pitcher is "feeling" on any given day. He could then call every pitch from the bench.

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Also HPU's are not giving borderline strike calls with the way he frames pitches and to me that's one of the biggest drawbacks that isn't being discussed enough. When you get that borderline strike it not only dramatically alters that particular AB but it alters subsequent AB's for that hitter as now you get him chasing more often.

Bottom line: Diaz is much better at pitch framing, passed balls, and throwing runners out than Maldy and that's at least 60% of defensive metrics. I'll give Maldy 40% of knowing what pitches to call and "comfort level."

When you factor in Diaz's bat against Maldy's it's extremely obvious who should be starting the majority of the time.

I will never root for an injury but sadly that's what it will take in order for things to change.

ETA - Actually we don't really know how well Diaz frames pitches but we do know Maldy is dead last so it's easy to assume Diaz is better. Unfortunately he's not behind the dish enough to accurately measure.

Staying with pitch framing we always complain about the umpire scorecard, rightly so, and I have to wonder if we'd start being on the + side of those report cards if we were getting those borderline strikes.

I'd also like to know many more walks pitchers are giving up with Maldy behind the dish than Diaz because that might have a correlation too. I know Hunter gives up a fair amount of walks but so do a lot of other pitchers on staff who normally pitch to Maldy. JV at least should be able to overcome the framing based on his reputation.

texasaggie2015 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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texasaggie2015 said:

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Most everyone liked the lineup today. Besides no Diaz, it wasn't a bad lineup. They hit the ball hard today. **** happens. It just sucks when you're in a pennant race.

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However your primary "every pitcher wants him and he's amazing" catcher did no favors.

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Huh? My catcher? I have never said he's amazing or anything like that. I've simply repeated what I've been told about why he plays. Goodness.

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Sorry. The "your" wasn't directed at you. It was a global team "your".

Should have a pitching advantage the next two nights. We'll see if it matters.

linkdude said:

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Should have a pitching advantage the next two nights. We'll see if it matters.

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It doesn't

Games aren't played on paper

Cueto has been awful. 2 hit shutout over 6 incoming.

CFTXAG10 said:

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Cueto has been awful. 2 hit shutout over 6 incoming.

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Looking forward to his resurgence tonight

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38196498/appeals-court-rejects-angel-hernandez-lawsuit-vs-mlb


LMAO