Ronny Paulino

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mike Nickeas, Hits, Season to Date: 5
Ronny Paulino, Hits, Yesterday: 5

Mike Nickeas, Guys Caught Stealing, Season to Date: 1
Ronny Paulino, Guys Caught Stealing, Yesterday: 2

I say upgrade.

[Ceetar]

Mike Nickeas, Hits, Season to Date: 5 Ronny Paulino, Hits, Yesterday: 5 Mike Nickeas, Guys Caught Stealing, Season to Date: 1 Ronny Paulino, Guys Caught Stealing, Yesterday: 2 I say upgrade.

Brian Schneider, Hits, Season to Date: 4

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Mike Nickeas, Hits, Season to Date: 5 Ronny Paulino, Hits, Yesterday: 5 Mike Nickeas, Guys Caught Stealing, Season to Date: 1 Ronny Paulino, Guys Caught Stealing, Yesterday: 2 I say upgrade. Brian Schneider, Hits, Season to Date: 4

Brian Schneider, Walks, This Past Weekend: 2

Brian Schneider, Intentional Walks, This Past Weekend: 1

[seawolf17]

Brian Schneider, Sucks: Yes

[G-Fafif]

I'll always remember where I was when Brian Schneider sucked.

[Gwreck]

G-Fafif wrote: I'll always remember where I was when Brian Schneider sucked.

At Citi Field, about 40 different times during 2009?

[G-Fafif]

Gwreck wrote: G-Fafif wrote: I'll always remember where I was when Brian Schneider sucked. At Citi Field, about 40 different times during 2009?

It's one to forty of those moments that, as an American, I'll never forget.

[Guest themetfairy]

Even drinking couldn't erase the memory of Schneider's suckitude -

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I'm hoping for more Paulino pinch-hitting appearances.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Anyone besides me concerned that Thole's D game over the course of the year might cost whatever his bat brings?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Certainly. He gave plenty of reason to hope for better last year, but it hasn't really arrived this year at all, and I'm certain the staff's ERA with Thole is about two runs higher than it has been with Nickeas, for whatever that's worth.

I'm sticking with the hope that Paulino will bring some of that veteran k-nowledge that'll give Thole a safe garden to grow in, and maybe that he takes something like 50% of the starts until Thole starts earning them back. The Mets have had a lot of turnover in catching instructor's the last few years --- Sandy Alomar Junior, Tom �ieto, Bob Natal (who Thole moved to Dallas to be near, but isn't part of the uniformed game staff) --- and I wonder if that's hurt the continuity in his development. He's also obviously lost a lot of his older peers in Cancel, Blanco, and Barajas.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I don't what the figures say and not sure I'd trust them for catchers anyway but Eyewitness Defense tells me Thole's one of the worst all around defensive catchers in the game. That's a combo of lack of experience/game-calling, poor control of the opponent's running game, passed balls, etc. I do like having him in the lineup more than most.

[TransMonk]

2011 ERA for starters by catcher

Mike Pelfrey
Mike Nickeas 3.75
Josh Thole 9.56

R.A. Dickey
Mike Nickeas 2.70
Josh Thole 4.10

Chris Young
Mike Nickeas 1.69
Ronny Paulino 0.00
Josh Thole 3.09

Chris Capuano
Mike Nickeas 5.79
Josh Thole 6.75

Jon Niese
Josh Thole 4.71

Dillon Gee
Josh Thole 4.72

2011 Total Catching ERA
Thole 4.97
Nickeas 3.41
Paulino 0.64

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's. What. I'm TAWKIN' about.

Thanks, Monkfish.

[Frayed Knot]

I thought Thole made great strides last year defensively and was much improved over his partial year/first impression season of 2009.
This season he seems to have regressed though it is a small sample still and the full season shouldn't be dismissed while we view April as his lot in life.