The Jason Kendall thread

[And That]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=719995

 

According to Jim Skaalen, Jason Kendall is:

 

a) a fighter

 

b) a scratcher

 

c) a clawer

 

d) a, yes folks, a battler

 

Yes!

[Blancofan1]

craig counsel called--he wants his "gritty" back

[jaybird2001wi]

Tom Haudricourt has published the first "battler" story of Spring Training by featuring new catcher Jason Kendall.

 

Kendall known as battler at the plate

 

"He fits in nice in our lineup, he really does," Brewers hitting coach Jim Skaalen said. "He's a fighter, scratcher, clawer, battler. I like seeing that."

 

[RoseBowlMtg]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=719995

 

According to Jim Skaalen, Jason Kendall is:

 

a) a fighter

 

b) a scratcher

 

c) a clawer

 

d) a, yes folks, a battler

 

Yes!

 

My favorite part of the article from Skaalen: "He's a guy who gets two strikes on him and fouls off five or six pitches. He works a pitcher's count up. We don't have a great number of guys who do that."

 

Last week Melvin said the bullpen was hurt by too many starters throwing 100 pitches in five innings. So the brass knows it's important on both ends and the hitting coach wants it to happen so why is it that more of our young hitters don't foul off pitcher's pitches? Is it a learned process they will get better at as they mature or is it an attitude? Any thoughts?

[RU Rah Rah]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=719995

 

According to Jim Skaalen, Jason Kendall is:

 

a) a fighter

 

b) a scratcher

 

c) a clawer

 

d) a, yes folks, a battler

 

Yes!

I cracked a smile over the "battler" thing, too.

 

[Patrick425]

In the JS (I hate to use the term JSonline. I'm still a daily hard copy subcriber) article this morning, it talked about how Kendell sees a lot of pitches. It got me thinking, is there a stat on this? Is there anywhere that you can find something like average number of pitches per AB for a particular hitter?

[And That]

Is there anywhere that you can find something like average number of pitches per AB for a particular hitter?

ESPN stats page, sorted by pitches per plate appearance.

 

[Dragonbait]

Was wondering how long it would take fot this to get posted....

 

Course... prolly woulda been faster if Nedly said it.

[razzzorsharp]

I love battlers. I love them more in smaller quantities.

[splitterpfj]

Jason Kendall did nothing in game one that will look impressive in the box score, and still, he showed why he is an upgrade over last year's starting catcher.

 

1. He stayed with a foul pop that looked like it would reach the stands easily, turning it into an out in a tough wind....um, the Cubs catcher missed one of those.

 

2. He dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt, to move the eventual winning run to third base.

 

3. He called a great game, after which, Ben Sheets said: "We were on the same page," Sheets said. "I probably shook him off two or three times, and every time I shook him off, I wish I hadn't."

 

Estrada would have failed at all three, there's no doubt in my mind.

[Glennron]

He also had a couple nice blocks on back-to-back pitches by Torres. Sure the average defensive catcher makes those look routine, but with Estrada you'd have to hold your breath, especially with two in a row.

[logan82]

You wouldn't have to hold your breath with Estrada, you would know they were going to the backstop. I was pretty happy with his performance behind the plate today, but it is only one game. He had more pitches in the dirt today than Estrada would have had in a week. Some of that might have been Sheets though. He didn't seem to have his curve working last year, but he sure does this year.

[logan82]

I think Fukudome went down as a caught stealing. Nothing like a base running blunder by the other team to pad your stats. haha

[RoseBowlMtg]

In spring training Simmons posed this situation to Kendall: How do you get both runners out if you're forcing a runner back to an occupied 2nd base. Kendall didn't know the answer at first then he figured it out, where Simmons said he's seen it happened 3 or 4 times only. Force the guy back to the bag tag one guy and talk the other guy off the bag. When Kendall tagged Fukudome it appeared his first reaction was to go to second base and try for the double play----but he was too far off. To see a catcher comfortably block all the pitches in the dirt, to frame pitches and to understand situations is huge.

[craigharmann]

Jason Kendall did nothing in game one that will look impressive in the box score, and still, he showed why he is an upgrade over last year's starting catcher.

 

What? He hustled? He actually seemed to be interested in playing the game? I'm very happy we have Kendall.

[uwisfan]

I've heard it thrown around on a certain Badger board that catcher ERA is a bad stat and there is no proof of calling a 'good game' (which I totally disagree with but dont want to sucked into a time-wasting stats argument). To me, one thing I noticed just from watching Estrada vs Miller is that Miller called a lot more 'setup' pitches and 'finishing' pitches, while Estrada didn't. At least that was my perception. Like Miller would get a lot of low and aways and then finish with the high heat. It really struck me that Estrada rarely used the high heat to finish off a batter that was lost. Was I imagining this?

[Fatter than Joey]

there is no proof of calling a 'good game'

 

Calling a game is a skill, as such, it stands to reason that some players are going to better than others.

 

I think though what the people at the Badger Board may have been indicating -- is that it is statistically hard to show that a catcher calls a good game, -- that is to say, that the skill is hard to flesh out on a spreadsheet. "Calling a good game" is probably the most thrown around phrase in baseball, every newly acquired catcher "calls a good game" it seems.

[JJHardy7]

I've heard it thrown around on a certain Badger board that catcher ERA is a bad stat and there is no proof of calling a 'good game'

 

Is there stats like this somewhere? Can anyone post Estradas vs. Kendall or league average vs. Kendall? I'd find that stat quite interesting. I think Kendall had a good game working with Sheets, but his bigger test will be how he works with CV and Parra.

[Thurston Fluff]

He also had a couple nice blocks on back-to-back pitches by Torres. Sure the average defensive catcher makes those look routine, but with Estrada you'd have to hold your breath, especially with two in a row.

 

It makes you wonder if the pitchers were tenative throwing certain pitches that had a tendancy to hit the dirt with Estrada last year.

 

"Calling a good game" is probably the most thrown around phrase in baseball, every newly acquired catcher "calls a good game" it seems.

 

So true. The phrase is thrown around so much and so many times inappropriatly that it almost makes it seem like there is nothing to it. As Geno pointed out earlier in this thread that seems to be a polite way of saying "can't hit." While it may be a term often used wrong that shouldn't diminish it's value as a worthy trait. It just means we may have a very hard time figuring out if a particular catcher has it. Kenall seems to though doens't he?

[brewcrew00]

Seeing Kendall run down Fukudome on the basepath was a welcome sight. If Estrada would have tried that, a nap and a cold beverage would have been in order somewhere around the pitchers mound on his way out.

[uwisfan]

the only chance Estrada would have had running down FDome is if FDome would have fallen to his knees laughing as the hillarity ensued.

[Fatter than Joey]

the only chance Estrada would have had running down FDome is if FDome would have fallen to his knees laughing as the hillarity ensued.

 

If Johnny had been sprinting, Fukudome could have certainly fallen down with the ensuing tremors.

[Fatter than Joey]

It just means we may have a very hard time figuring out if a particular catcher has it. Kenall seems to though doens't he?

 

Jason's old man, Fred, was a catcher for probably 10+ years, and I think a coach since he retired -- my guess is that Jason has had a lot of exposure to pitchers and catchers that a lot of players don't have (at an early age). I would guess that Kendall is decent at handling pitchers at this point in his career.

[aracko]

I really enjoyed watching Kendall yesterday. He handles the bat so well - that sacrifice bunt out of your catcher was awesome! I dont imagine there are many catchers who can do that with such ease. His work defensively was a real breath of fresh air and the fact that he should be good for at least 130 games back there is a huge boost to this pitching staff. Ben Sheets is happy. Between Kendall, Simmons, Sveum, Yost, and Kapler, this team has all the leadership that it needs to go real deep this season.

[Gobias Industries]

There were a couple things that really stuck out to me.

 

First, foul tipped strike 3's were something Estrada would drop consistently last year. I would love to see what the final number was last year. It was very high. Kendall handled a couple with ease. (As most catchers do)

 

The foul pop he caught (I think in the 10th) was a very difficult play. It wasn't very high so he didn't have much time and by that time in the game the wind was swirling. With Estrada, no chance. He probably doesn't get there in time. If he does he still misses it because he never takes of his mask.

 

It was one game and there were several plays he made that had me very impressed.