From 'Tools of Ignorance' to 'Fools With Ignorance'

[DOUGHBOYS]

It is still very early in the year. So early in the year that some players over a short span of time are far exceeding fantasy owner expectations.
Hechavaria
Travis
ARod
Cozart
Marisnick
Iglesias
We don't really expect players like these to keep their, uh, pace. At the same time, if rostering them, and better yet, starting them, we are happy with the stats they have deposited into our bank accounts.
There is one position that has hardly any of these type players.

Last year, it seemed like we had a daily loss of a pitcher. Pitchers like Jose Fernandez seemed to be lost to Tommy John every other day.
This year, so far, pitchers have been more resilient from the Tommy John onslaught since beginning the season.
Adam Wainwright being the biggest name lost. His injury having nothing to do with being a pitcher.
Still, there is a position who has taken over the mantra for injuries.
And worse, the survivors or players who are healthy in that position, for the most part, are very bad.
This position is the same position who have few overachievers as talked about, above.
Catchers.

There are two, count 'em, two overachieving catchers.
Stephen Vogt and Derek Norris.
Vogt's numbers come with the asterisk that most of his numbers came while owners could not play him at the catcher position.
Still, both of these catchers have exceeded what owners expected from them.
Better, they have not gotten injured.

Yan Gomes
Dioneer Navarro
Christian Vazquez
Matt Wieters
Travis d'Arnaud
Jonathon Lucroy
Devin Mesoraco
Yadier Molina
They have or are driving their owners crazy. All for differnt periods of time.
Lucroy had the temerity to go 6-45 for a .133 average before hurt
Gomes, 3-20 for a .150 batting average.

There are catchers that we shrug our shoulders at. As if expecting what numbers we have gotten from them.
Sal Perez
Nick Hundley
Wilson Ramos
Owners of these catchers should be happy with what they've received.

Here is a look at the other catchers...

Russel Martin is 9-52 and hitting .173
Highest catcher taken, Buster Posey, has scored five runs...Even Roberto Perez has done that.
AJ Pierzynski has wonderful numbers. Most of them accumulated in FAAB
Miguel Montero has three homers. And for that, he gets to start twice a week.
Avila/McCann
Salty/Realmuto
Pierzynski/Bethancourt
Montero/Castillo/Ross
All serving to make life miserable for their owners.

Then, there is the long list of suckage. These catchers may be on our rosters, knowing darn well they could belong in the junkyard that is FAAB.
Rene Rivera
Ryan Hanigan
Cooch Ruiz
Tuffy Gosewich
Chris Iannetta
Brian McCann
Tyler Flowers
Chirinos
Zunino
Grandal
Cervelli
Castro
Suzuki

Sorry, I wanted to do first names for all, but they weren't worth it.
All have stats that only their Mama's can be proud.
That, that is a lot of suckage.

Some highlights...
Zunino is hitting .140
Iannetta tops that with .100
Salty beats both of them with .069
Ruiz has one rbi and one run
McCann, one homer in 56 at bats.
In 45 at bats, before hurt, Lucroy had one rbi
Mesoraco is still looking for his first rbi, yet he has been played every week by his owners.
Salty has one home run, half of his total hits.
Wil Nievas hit a grand slam, his only hit. Those 4 rbi are more than Grandal, Zunino, and Castro.
Tuffy Gosewisch has no extra base hits.

Those having no catchers in a Draft Championship may have an advantage over those who do.
If catchers wear 'the tools of ignorace' then we are their 'fools with ignorance'. Afterall, we're playing them.
A catcher, Kevin Plawecki, with no major league experience and a job for only three or four weeks went for triple numbers of FAAB in some leagues.
Some owners replacing injury. Some, just sick and tired of numbers received from their catchers.
Will Plawecki be wonderful?
Probably not.
But he does offer something that most catchers seem to have little of for their fantasy owners this year.
Hope.

[Edwards Kings]

True. So true. Weaker than weak this year. I expect the folks who want to change the rules to have only one catcher to start a bonfire out of old tires any time now.

One small defense, however for my boy Russell...

Russel Martin is 9-52 and hitting .173

He has scored eleven runs, same as Cruz, Marte, Martinez, and Santana (though one less than Votto!). He does have ten RBI's., same as Bautista, Fielder, Holliday, and Calhoun. He has three homeruns (sure, mainly from one good game) and a stolen base to. The .173 sucks, but at least he is producing in a few other areas.

[DOUGHBOYS]

True. So true. Weaker than weak this year. I expect the folks who want to change the rules to have only one catcher to start a bonfire out of old tires any time now.

One small defense, however for my boy Russell...

Russel Martin is 9-52 and hitting .173

He has scored eleven runs, same as Cruz, Marte, Martinez, and Santana (though one less than Votto!). He does have ten RBI's., same as Bautista, Fielder, Holliday, and Calhoun. He has three homeruns (sure, mainly from one good game) and a stolen base to. The .173 sucks, but at least he is producing in a few other areas.

I have Martin in a Main too.
I feel no need to 'protect' him though.
He has underperformed. Losing a shot at number two in the lineup in the process.
His rbi and runs can be attributed to his supporting cast as himself.
Like you said, without one good game, he has not been very good.

[Rotties]

Let's give Jaso his due on this thread as well. Thought he was a pretty safe option without having to get behind the plate. Now looking at June (maybe).

[DOUGHBOYS]

Let's give Jaso his due on this thread as well. Thought he was a pretty safe option without having to get behind the plate. Now looking at June (maybe).

Perfect Ante!
For some reason, I left him off my lists of catchers.

[Baseball Furies]

If I missed this one Doughy, my apologies, but Evan Gattis has to be one of the biggest "catcher" busts to date. All the smart guys and experts drafting him about round six to be their catcher who would kill it every day without having to catch. Another one for the list of the bed-shitters to date Thankfully, no shares of him this year and most of the others since I don't invest in catchers early.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Good catch, Mikey!
Gattis joins the list of crud that is catchers.
A non-baseball friend of mine called him 'Gladys'.
Fits.

[BK METS]

Here I am defending my Mets again, but I think d'arnaud was over-achieving before he got hurt, hitting over .300 with a bunch of RBIs and will be back soon enough to be a pleasant surprise for his owners and Mets fans. Plawecki is likely the Mets catcher of the future and wouldnt be surprised to see Mets trade d'arnaud. Either way, I wouldn't call him a disappointment. Get a fill in for a few weeks and confidently insert Travis back in your lineup when he returns.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Here I am defending my Mets again, but I think d'arnaud was over-achieving before he got hurt, hitting over .300 with a bunch of RBIs and will be back soon enough to be a pleasant surprise for his owners and Mets fans. Plawecki is likely the Mets catcher of the future and wouldnt be surprised to see Mets trade d'arnaud. Either way, I wouldn't call him a disappointment. Get a fill in for a few weeks and confidently insert Travis back in your lineup when he returns.

It is amazing what fandom does to folks perceptions!

[BK METS]

Here I am defending my Mets again, but I think d'arnaud was over-achieving before he got hurt, hitting over .300 with a bunch of RBIs and will be back soon enough to be a pleasant surprise for his owners and Mets fans. Plawecki is likely the Mets catcher of the future and wouldnt be surprised to see Mets trade d'arnaud. Either way, I wouldn't call him a disappointment. Get a fill in for a few weeks and confidently insert Travis back in your lineup when he returns.

It is amazing what fandom does to folks perceptions!

Ok then, my friend. My perception aside, please explain how 2 HRs 10 RBIs and .317 BA, in 41 ABs, is a disappointment.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Here I am defending my Mets again, but I think d'arnaud was over-achieving before he got hurt, hitting over .300 with a bunch of RBIs and will be back soon enough to be a pleasant surprise for his owners and Mets fans. Plawecki is likely the Mets catcher of the future and wouldnt be surprised to see Mets trade d'arnaud. Either way, I wouldn't call him a disappointment. Get a fill in for a few weeks and confidently insert Travis back in your lineup when he returns.

It is amazing what fandom does to folks perceptions!

Ok then, my friend. My perception aside, please explain how 2 HRs 10 RBIs and .317 BA, in 41 ABs, is a disappointment.

Alan, HE'S HURT!
THAT is disappointment.
Whether he's a Met or a Yankee.
Four weeks of sitting a catcher is not good!
He had good at bats. They're in the bank.
Now what?
The catcher that replaces him on rosters, with all other catchers that are also out, are really bad.
We now have to add weekly .180/1/0/1/0 like-totals from catchers for at least four weeks because of that injury.
Add d'Arnaud's sparkling numbers with those of his replacement, and owners have little to show from the position.
.317/2/10 after a couple of weeks, turns to .231/3/13 after six weeks.
Some, did not even replace d'Arnaud, preferring to take zeroes and keeping the average.
That, my friend, is disappointing.


I know Mets fans want to cling to his numbers. His owners don't have that luxury.
They have to take zeroes or eke out whatever a Roberto Perez or Bryan Pena can give them while d'Arnaud heals.
Disregarding time of injury, would you be wondering why Wainwright is a disappointment?