Koyie Hill & the black hole that he is offensively

[rabidawg900]

Koyee went 0 for 5 last night with 4 strikeouts. If he can't hit MLB pitching at all, why is he up here?

 

.167/.233/.288

 

.167 AVG is DEAD LAST in the NL for catchers with 80+ ABs

In the AL he is better than KC's backup Jason LaRue (.158)

 

.233 OBP is DEAD LAST in the MLB for catchers with 80+ ABs

 

.288 SLG is DEAD LAST in the NL for catchers with 80+ ABs

In the AL he is better than: Tampa's Dioner Navarro (.285), Toronto's backup Jason Phillips (.278) & Baltimore's backup and former Cub Paul Bako (.273)

 

 

 

Is he really our best defensive catcher? Is Henry Blanco better than him offensively and defensively? Who calls a better game?

 

I know its "Moneyball" to think that a catcher's defense can be a little questioned as long as the guy can at least get on base and get some XBH's. But come on to survive in the NL we need a better guy up here. Soto?

Edited July 30, 2007 by rabidawg900

[Abe Frohman]

I'll take Hill. We are winning, and until a change is needed I think that Lou should keep going with him. I was more impressed with Soto, personally, but that ain't my call.

 

Hill has a nice looking swing, but I think it looks a little long. Gerald, get on that.

[NCCubFan]

He's up because Soto has options and Hill doesn't, and Hendry doesn't want to expose Hill to waivers and losing that .167 average to another team. :roll:

[Banedon]

I've heard it said that Zambrano loves Hill as a catcher, and considering that since Barrett left, Zambrano has pitched magnificently, I'm sure they feel like carrying Hill on the team is a small price to pay if it keeps Zambrano happy.

 

Of course that's all purely speculation.

[Abe Frohman]

I wonder if El Toro gave Hill that catching gear that he had in his locker for Yadier Molina?

[sporrer17]

He's up because Soto has options and Hill doesn't, and Hendry doesn't want to expose Hill to waivers and losing that .167 average to another team. :roll:

 

Once they're sure Blanco is going to be healthy, they'll be okay with Hill "being exposed" because we'll still have Kendall, Blanco, Soto and worst case scenario, Tony Richie and Jake Fox.

 

I have a feeling we won't see Soto until September. It's a shame because after Blanco he's our best defensive catcher, and he's probably our best hitting catcher at this point. Hill hasn't provided much offensively, but he's been an asset behind the plate so far with his game calling.

[TheDude]

Koyee went 0 for 5 last night with 4 strikeouts. If he can't hit MLB pitching at all, why is he up here?

 

Bruce Miles answered this question in a thread back around the Kendall trade. Essentially, the Cubs pitchers are saying Hill's game calling and receiving is making a major difference in their game performance and confidence. Management is listening to them evidently, and accepting whatever meager offense he contributes.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

[RegulusBlue]

Koyie is a terrible offensive hole.

 

Playing him is just giving up 4 outs a game.

 

That's a whole inning by game's end.

 

This team can't keep going with these holes. The whole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theme is asinine. We're not winning because of Hill. I promise. A golden sombrero never helps you win, and he's not even gunning guys.

 

We'll lose the division and miss the playoffs if Kendall and Hill are our catchers with Floyd/Jones in the OF. No OBP (aside from Floyd, but just barely), no SLG, no nothing.

 

Please play Soto/Kendall if you have to. DFA Hill! He's worse than Neifi ever was, for god's sake!

[NCCubFan]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

Very good point. I think they should actually bat Z 8th and Hill 9th.

[TheDude]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

No kidding. He's pretty much locked-up the Silver Slugger already. Among pitchers with 20 ABs or more, only he and Brad Penny have an OPS over .700. But Zambrano's slugging and HRs put him out in front easily.

[jersey cubs fan]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

That's only true if you think Hill not catching would somehow make Zambrano not hit.

[CubColtPacer]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

That's only true if you think Hill not catching would somehow make Zambrano not hit.

 

I think he's saying that offense at catcher is not nearly as important with Zambrano on the mound. Z's bat at pitcher makes up for the loss of putting Hill in the lineup at catcher.

 

I wish they would stop putting Koyie with Rich Hill though. The offense with those two at the bottom is much more likely to struggle. Hopefully Hill just becomes Z's personal catcher and that's it.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

That's only true if you think Hill not catching would somehow make Zambrano not hit.

 

What I'm saying is that relative to a Kendall/Not Z battery, there isn't much of a difference. So if that's the only time he plays...

[JGalt73]

More fuel to the fire on the catching situation, with a Kevin Goldstein update on Soto:

 

Geovany Soto, C, Triple-A Iowa (Cubs)

 

It’s probably wrong to criticize the Cubs at this point, as they’ve turned this around 180 degrees from their awful start and now sit just a half-game out of both the National League Central and NL wild card races. Yet, here I go—Jason Kendall still stinks, Koyie Hill is hitting an unacceptable on any level .163/233/.288, and yet Geovany Soto is left rotting away in Iowa. It makes no sense. Soto went deep on both Friday and Saturday, giving him home runs in four of his last five games, and even with an 0-for-5 night on Sunday, he sits at .335/.408/.602 in 79 games for Iowa. Even those who bleed Cubbie blue should be having a hard time rationalizing why he’s stuck at Triple-A, and why the Cubs even traded anything at all away for Kendall in the first place.

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

He's up because Soto has options and Hill doesn't, and Hendry doesn't want to expose Hill to waivers and losing that .167 average to another team. :roll:

 

The D'backs kept Hill on their 40 man roster over Dan Uggla and then Uggla was selected by the Marlins in the rule 5 draft.

 

Koyie is bulletproof.

[chuckywang]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

That's only true if you think Hill not catching would somehow make Zambrano not hit.

 

He's saying that Hill not catching will make Zambrano not pitch effectively (or at least not as ridiculously good as he has been lately).

 

And I would definitely bat Z 8th and Hill 9th.

[jersey cubs fan]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

That's only true if you think Hill not catching would somehow make Zambrano not hit.

 

He's saying that Hill not catching will make Zambrano not pitch effectively (or at least not as ridiculously good as he has been lately).

 

And I would definitely bat Z 8th and Hill 9th.

 

I don't think he is.

[Warren Brusstar]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

That's only true if you think Hill not catching would somehow make Zambrano not hit.

 

As compared to the offense the Cubs have when the other four pitchers start? No.

[Bull]

Hill catching Zambrano almost exclusively isn't really a hit on the offense with the way Zambrano is hitting this year.

 

That's only true if you think Hill not catching would somehow make Zambrano not hit.

 

As compared to the offense the Cubs have when the other four pitchers start? No.

 

Never underestimate the value of keeping Z happy.