The GM's Almanac...Feast of All Saints
A near-daily check of the Hot Stove League...
Gregg Zaun was the Rangers backup catcher in 1999 and didn't play much. No backup catcher played much back then when Ivan Rodriguez was here, especially in 1999 when he won his only American League Most Valuable Player Award.
Zaun is better known as a Ranger for "calling his shot" in the Hall of Fame game against the Kansas City Royals and pitcher Jeff Austin. Zaun had been playing right field and having a great time with the rowdy fans in right field.
So when he came up to bat - think it was the fourth inning but it doesn't matter - he stepped out of the box and pointed to the right field seats. He then stepped back in and hit the very next pitch into the right field seats.
Babe Ruth couldn't have done it any better and Zaun said afterward, "That's the most fun I've ever had in baseball."
From 1995-2003, Zaun was a backup catcher with the Orioles, Marlins, Rangers, Royals, Astros and Rockies. Then he went to Toronto in 2004 and something unusual happened.
He started playing. Three of his four highest number of at-bats in a single season have come in the last three years, including a career high 434 in 2005.
Last season he had 290 at-bats and hit .272 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI. His .825 OPS was the seventh highest for a catcher with at least 300 plate appearances. Over the past three years he has the 11th highest OPS for any catcher in the Major Leagues.
He's a switch-hitter, he's 35, next year will be his 13th season in the Major Leagues. Over the past three years, he has thrown out 21.1 percent of attempted base-stealers. That's slightly below average. Rod Barajas threw out 29.5 percent over the past three years. Ivan Rodriguez threw out 39.1.
Gerald Laird is still the Rangers No. 1 catcher if they don't re-sign Barajas, which seems unlikely. But Zaun could be the kind of catcher that would be a perfect match for Laird.
Word is the Rangers have expressed interest but expect Zaun to re-sign in Toronto. The Blue Jays must be confident of that because they declined their option on catcher Bengie Molina on Tuesday.
We'll see.
Glad to celebrate the Day for which the prior 'een was Hallow!
If that's not what all this is ultimately about, then God help us!
I like both propsals so far because a 3rd catcher with DH potential saves a roster spot.
The other important principle mentioned in your mailbag (re Mark De Rosa) is Flexibility. With 2 outfield spots and 1 or 2 Infield Spots(Utility and maybe 3B) to fill, finding a guy who could fill EACH of the 4 spots plus DH would be a great start.
But the best start to the off-season might be one that simultaneously involves 2 more principles: Desirability and Speed. Or as one principle, the Speed at which we (who have so many holes to fill or refill) can become Desirable to the rest of the players we want to attract. That's critical.
"There's a hole in the bucket..." when it comes to getting good players in order to attract good players via Free Agency.
If Trey Hillman and Otsuka can attract Matsusaka, then that should nonetheless be done with Tom Hicks' "Special Funds" --the mystery $ with which he would have paid Roger Clemens. The normal funds can't be tied up, causing us to wait on other big signings, causing all big signees to sign elsewhere in the meantime.
The sooner we can become desirable, the longer we're an attractive option, and the better our selection. And the only likely way to do that without a free agent going on blind hope is to TRADE UP.
So, if ever there was a year to trade someone not quite ready in order to get someone who is ready, it's THIS year, when 3/5 of our rotation and 7/13 of our position players are up in the air.
The only sensible way to start getting our team grounded is to trade up, e.g. Blalock, Koronka and Diamond for Ben Sheets. Arias ALLOWS us to do that before re-signing De Rosa. But Re-signing De Rosa first DOESN'T in turn NECESSITATE that we trade Blalock. So either would be fine, as long as we do both (re-sign MD and somehow trade up) SOON!
Cheers,
Mike in St. Helena
Report any abuse or spam
The only question I have is what's the best winery in St. Helena
Report any abuse or spam
' Can't judge whole wineries yet, but my favorite wine is made by the grandparents of one of my students-- Rombauer Zinfandel (El Dorado 1998, if you can find it). In house they call it "The Fruit Bomb". This is the same line of Rombauers as Erma, who compiled and wrote (our mothers' favorite cookbook)The Joy of Cooking.
My favorite point of interest at a winery so far is at Mumm, whose halls are lined with many Ansel Adams original photos of Yosemite.
How this all relates to baseball is beyond... No wait: ... is just another example of doing something (such as baseball) so well that it serves at least as an analogy for heaven, and may well glorify God!
Cheers, TR
Report any abuse or spam