Let Fox Catch

[soapy]

Just for an example, the very first batter he had to throw the batter out at first after a strikeout that he dropped. The pitch was in the strike zone and was actually a called strike 3.

 

that was pretty funny. that was the first time i've ever seen a catcher have to throw to first on a called strike three. hahaha

[CubColtPacer]

i'm fine with fox catching. that's how bad of a hitter koyie hill is.

 

Agreed. Let him catch until he gives you overwhelming reasons why he shouldn't.

 

He already has.

 

I missed the last innings last night. Was he that bad?

 

Yes. He dropped multiple balls and generally seems very awkward back there and we already know guys can almost run at will on him. That's not the kind of player you want in such a vital position for 9 innings.

 

Especially not against Houston who has already attempted over 100 stolen bases this year. I wouldn't be averse to giving Fox a start to rest Hill against a team who is a little more cautious on the bases. That might be against Florida..where if you can keep Bonifacio off the bases (.296 OBP this year) you mostly just have Hanley to worry about.

 

Against the Astros, Bourn, Matsui, and Pence would all run pretty well against Fox (Pence has a terrible ratio so far this year but runs a good amount anyway). That's too many potential basestealers to let Fox play most of a game there.

[soapy]

somewhat off topic, but i'm excited to see what this lineup could do when Soto gets back if Soriano, Ramirez and Lee keep hitting also.

[cardinalsfan]

Any updates on Soto?

[Derwood]

Any updates on Soto?

 

he took BP yesterday and thinks he'll be back in a week

[jersey cubs fan]

Just for an example, the very first batter he had to throw the batter out at first after a strikeout that he dropped. The pitch was in the strike zone and was actually a called strike 3.

 

that was pretty funny. that was the first time i've ever seen a catcher have to throw to first on a called strike three. hahaha

 

Wasn't that actually called a swing by the home plate ump?

[soapy]

Just for an example, the very first batter he had to throw the batter out at first after a strikeout that he dropped. The pitch was in the strike zone and was actually a called strike 3.

 

that was pretty funny. that was the first time i've ever seen a catcher have to throw to first on a called strike three. hahaha

 

Wasn't that actually called a swing by the home plate ump?

 

maybe. i didn't think it was but then Len or Bob asked if it was and didn't seem sure.

[jersey cubs fan]

He already has.

 

I missed the last innings last night. Was he that bad?

 

Yes. He dropped multiple balls and generally seems very awkward back there and we already know guys can almost run at will on him. That's not the kind of player you want in such a vital position for 9 innings.

 

Especially not against Houston who has already attempted over 100 stolen bases this year. I wouldn't be averse to giving Fox a start to rest Hill against a team who is a little more cautious on the bases. That might be against Florida..where if you can keep Bonifacio off the bases (.296 OBP this year) you mostly just have Hanley to worry about.

 

Against the Astros, Bourn, Matsui, and Pence would all run pretty well against Fox (Pence has a terrible ratio so far this year but runs a good amount anyway). That's too many potential basestealers to let Fox play most of a game there.

 

Yes, because last night Houston showed they could and would run at will against the guy when he played multiple innings.

 

Come on, give me a break. Teams don't win by stealing. If it gets out of hand, then replace the guy. But Koyie is playing like his 20th game in a row and he really stinks with the bat. There's absolutely no good reason why Fox can't give it a go for one game. All the crying about his defense this year has been absurd.

[jersey cubs fan]

Just for an example, the very first batter he had to throw the batter out at first after a strikeout that he dropped. The pitch was in the strike zone and was actually a called strike 3.

 

that was pretty funny. that was the first time i've ever seen a catcher have to throw to first on a called strike three. hahaha

 

Wasn't that actually called a swing by the home plate ump?

 

maybe. i didn't think it was but then Len or Bob asked if it was and didn't seem sure.

 

It looked very clear to me that the guy tried to stop his swing on a crazy breaking ball and the ump rung him up. The batter looked at the ump in hopes of not being rung up, then ran.

[soapy]

i wouldn't be against letting Fox start the day game tomorrow, i just don't think he should be back there as the regular starter.

[abuck1220]

jake fox is no worse behind the plate than koyie hill is as a batter.

[jersey cubs fan]

i wouldn't be against letting Fox start the day game tomorrow, i just don't think he should be back there as the regular starter.

 

I don't either. But I don't get all the hand wringing and apocolyptic forecasts for his defense. Teams regularly have to play guys out of position for a game or two. It happens. Koyie's actually at the 17 consecutive game mark, including 1 DH and the ASB. The heat is starting to play a factor, and I would think just for the sake of keeping him alive for the next week+ until Soto comes back, they would want to give him a day off.

[wvcbxl]

He's essentially the walking definition of an emergency catcher.

 

I think he's just about ideal as an emergency catcher, but not good enough to be the backup (every 4 to 5 games, day game after night game, half of a doubleheader version).

 

if Hill needs a rest, I think nobody would even notice if Robinson took his place (skills-wise)

[abuck1220]

i wouldn't be against letting Fox start the day game tomorrow, i just don't think he should be back there as the regular starter.

 

I don't either. But I don't get all the hand wringing and apocolyptic forecasts for his defense. Teams regularly have to play guys out of position for a game or two. It happens. Koyie's actually at the 17 consecutive game mark, including 1 DH and the ASB. The heat is starting to play a factor, and I would think just for the sake of keeping him alive for the next week+ until Soto comes back, they would want to give him a day off.

 

also, koyie hill can't hit.

[jersey cubs fan]

i wouldn't be against letting Fox start the day game tomorrow, i just don't think he should be back there as the regular starter.

 

I don't either. But I don't get all the hand wringing and apocolyptic forecasts for his defense. Teams regularly have to play guys out of position for a game or two. It happens. Koyie's actually at the 17 consecutive game mark, including 1 DH and the ASB. The heat is starting to play a factor, and I would think just for the sake of keeping him alive for the next week+ until Soto comes back, they would want to give him a day off.

 

also, koyie hill can't hit.

 

550 OPS in July, what's wrong with that? It's like Bradley and Soriano levels.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I don't get why we don't have a back-up catcher here either. Just send Blanco down or something.

 

EDIT: Nevermind - does Baker have options? I would guess not. We should just go with 11 picthers.

 

Hoffpauirs the one who should be sent down. I know, hes our lefty power that gets ahold of 1 once in a blue moon between awkword looking strikeouts, but he has options and other than being lefty, he serves the same purpose as Fox, maybe a bit better defensively but a lot worse offensively. The problem is, who is this mythical replacement catcher who can hit? I guess we could bring up Robinson and hope for lightening in a bottle until Soto returns, but his AAA numbers dont look like theyd traslate into big league succes. I guess we could just trade for Greg Zaun or something of the like.

 

dude, i don't mean to be a jerk, but didn't you want Hoffpauir starting over Derrek Lee like six weeks ago?.

 

Yeah, that change of heart is hilarious.

 

If your refering to May when Lee was hitting in the high .100s/low .200s and everyone and there mother was shouting Free Micah Hoffpauir, then yeah, guilty as charged.

 

Bsides, you cant deny that none of us thought that wed ever see this side of D Lee again.

[C.C.]

 

Bsides, you cant deny that none of us thought that wed ever see this side of D Lee again.

 

 

Guilty as charged. The reinsurgence has been a thing of beauty.

[inari]

I think the point is that it doesn't take much of anything for you to form an almost unbreakably strong opinion on a player. Heck, you were spitting venom at Andres Blanco before he even got to Chicago.

[abuck1220]

I don't get why we don't have a back-up catcher here either. Just send Blanco down or something.

 

EDIT: Nevermind - does Baker have options? I would guess not. We should just go with 11 picthers.

 

Hoffpauirs the one who should be sent down. I know, hes our lefty power that gets ahold of 1 once in a blue moon between awkword looking strikeouts, but he has options and other than being lefty, he serves the same purpose as Fox, maybe a bit better defensively but a lot worse offensively. The problem is, who is this mythical replacement catcher who can hit? I guess we could bring up Robinson and hope for lightening in a bottle until Soto returns, but his AAA numbers dont look like theyd traslate into big league succes. I guess we could just trade for Greg Zaun or something of the like.

 

dude, i don't mean to be a jerk, but didn't you want Hoffpauir starting over Derrek Lee like six weeks ago?.

 

Yeah, that change of heart is hilarious.

 

If your refering to May when Lee was hitting in the high .100s/low .200s and everyone and there mother was shouting Free Micah Hoffpauir, then yeah, guilty as charged.

 

Bsides, you cant deny that none of us thought that wed ever see this side of D Lee again.

 

doesn't mean i wanted 36 year old career minor leaguer micah hoffpauir to take his place.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't get why we don't have a back-up catcher here either. Just send Blanco down or something.

 

EDIT: Nevermind - does Baker have options? I would guess not. We should just go with 11 picthers.

 

Hoffpauirs the one who should be sent down. I know, hes our lefty power that gets ahold of 1 once in a blue moon between awkword looking strikeouts, but he has options and other than being lefty, he serves the same purpose as Fox, maybe a bit better defensively but a lot worse offensively. The problem is, who is this mythical replacement catcher who can hit? I guess we could bring up Robinson and hope for lightening in a bottle until Soto returns, but his AAA numbers dont look like theyd traslate into big league succes. I guess we could just trade for Greg Zaun or something of the like.

 

dude, i don't mean to be a jerk, but didn't you want Hoffpauir starting over Derrek Lee like six weeks ago?.

 

Yeah, that change of heart is hilarious.

 

If your refering to May when Lee was hitting in the high .100s/low .200s and everyone and there mother was shouting Free Micah Hoffpauir, then yeah, guilty as charged.

 

Bsides, you cant deny that none of us thought that wed ever see this side of D Lee again.

 

I called out people who were saying Lee would OPS in the low 7s this year. Whether I thought he'd be able to touch 900 again, I wasn't sure, but the shoveling of dirt on his career after April was pretty embarrassing.

[shnsajax]

The Houston annoucers made a good point. Fox trying to catch either Marmol or Guzman would be scary.

[Derwood]

The Houston annoucers made a good point. Fox trying to catch either Marmol or Guzman would be scary.

 

or Zambrano, or Lilly, or Dempster, or....

[Keener98]

The Houston annoucers made a good point. Fox trying to catch either Marmol or Guzman would be scary.

 

While possibly true, its not like a guy like Shark is easy to catch.

[Sammy Sofa]

Or they could have done the smart thing and actually called up another catcher when Soto went on the DL.

 

Y'know, whatever.

[Keener98]

Or they could have done the smart thing and actually called up another catcher when Soto went on the DL.

 

Y'know, whatever.

 

Blasphemy, that would need proper roster management, this is the Cubs.