Welcome My Kid

[MFS62]

John Buck went on paternity leave and my adoptee, Juan Centeno, has been called up my the Mets.
He's a high average hitting fireplug of a catcher with a good arm and no power.
Join me in welcoming him.

Later

[Vic Sage]

sounds like Mike LaValliere. Does he hit LHed too?

[Guest 86-Dreamer]

good luck son. and you weren't kidding about the "no power" - 2 Hrs over seven minor league seasons. he does bat LH

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=centen002jua

[Vic Sage]

At least LaValliere contributed by drawing walks.
This guy better catch like Grote if he's ever going to stick in the majors.

[Frayed Knot]

'Catch Like Grote', the follow-up single to 'Moves Like Jagger'

[MFS62]

Vic Sage wrote: At least LaValliere contributed by drawing walks. This guy better catch like Grote if he's ever going to stick in the majors.

Grote had a 30-something percent success rate of throwing out would-be base stealers.
Juan's is 42%.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Well, it's 0% in the majors.

[Vic Sage]

thank you.

I'll take Grote (purely as a defensive catcher) over nearly anybody you could ever name. In his prime years, he was among the top in CS percentage, and he always was tops in most defensive metrics of the time. The Mets traded him to the Dodgers in `77, and they played the Yanks in the WS that year and the next. Grote didn't play much those 2 years (he was over the hill); he was just backing up steve yeager. But in the WS, he caught a game against the Yanks and i remember distinctly Grote pouncing on consecutive sacrifice bunt attempts so quickly that he got the lead runner at 3b both times. They didn't bother running or bunting thereafter. His last moment of glory.

Bench only WISHES he could catch like Grote did. Of course, Grote wishes he could hit HALF AS WELL as Bench did.