There are 4 unsung heroes on winning teams that often get no respect or the accolades they truly deserve.
1. The reliable set up reliever. This is the guy that does everything from mopping up a 3rd inning blow out to saving an east coast day game for the team's closer who pitched at 11:00 PST last night. His ERA is usually .275 to .350 and he can keep it in the park.
2. The Utility infielder. He's able to step in for a Troy Tulowitsky and turn the double play after playing for an injured 3rd baseman all week. THEN Make a Willie McCovey style stretch at first to retire the side. Nobody cares about his .238 batting average because his value is in his versatility. He usually makes his offensive living "getting them over or getting them in". Can you say Marco Scutaro and Ried Brignac?
3. The Fourth Outfielder. Truly an unsung hero. If he's used strictly as a bench player his role is being diminished. Ideally the 4th outfielder should play every outfield position every 3rd to 4th day keeping the starting outfield fresh. Guys LIKE Andres Torres are more than just impact players, they enable guys like Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff to keep their level of play at an impact level.
Many teams are now starting to see that the act of starting every game like Gehrig and Ripken did is not exactly a virtue. How much more productive could both of those players have been had they had a day off?
Lastly, and this is for the two Yayhoos at KNBER in the noon to 3 slot, A 5 tool catcher is like the key to the city. It's like the Pink Panther Jewel. The catcher is the true essence of any ballclub. Behind any great staff, you'll find a great backstop. The Craig Biggio experiment in the 80's I felt was a failure. We'll never know what kind of seasons Houston would have had with Biggio behind the plate. But Most great catchers are associated Championship teams. Bench and the Red Machine, Carter and the Mets, Freehan and the Tigers, Steinbach and the A's, Ray Fosse and the A's, Varitek and the Red Sox,etc....
Should the Twins put Mauer in the outfield just to preserve his productivity, it will end up being a mistake. BUSTER POSEY SHOULD BE CATCHING EVERY DAY with Whiteside giving him a day off when Jonathan Chez pitches.
Great first basemen are easy to find. First base is often a "Default Position" (see Albert Puholz, Jim Thome,etc...) But an all-star catcher is truly a baseball blessing. Your caller said Johnny Bench could have extended his career another 3-4 years if he played in the outfield. But who would have been as good a catcher? Would there have been a BIG RED MACHINE?
Right now SABEAN has a serious, yet simple decision to make. He must trade Molina or just eat the 4.5 million. The Giants are winning because the flow of traffic on the base paths are not being obstructed. Had Molina been on first last night when Panda hit the double scoring POSEY from first, do you think it would have looked pretty for anyone?
Buster will be fine behind the plate just as Russell Martin, Brian McCann and Joe Mauer have been. They're not only the "BEST" players at that position; but the "RIGHT" players at that position. Every player represents 1/25th of the active roster. When you start giving leverage to one player over the rest, you end up with non-team players. You have a divided collective.
BUSTER POSEY IS A CATCHER. A DAMN FINE ONE. Tell SABEAN to spend his money on Adrian Gonzalez if he needs a first baseman.
Ace out
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