September 24, 201412 yr My impression of Pinto's catching abilities dropped some last night, as he walked toward the dugout holding the ball while the batter ran (safely) to first. Did he not know you have to catch a third strike cleanly? Did he not realize he caught a ball that short-hopped his glove? Did he not know that when the batter runs, you throw to first just in case? How often does that happen in the majors- a runner stealing first uncontested while the catcher holds the ball? My money is on "Just about never".
September 25, 201412 yr My impression of Pinto's catching abilities dropped some last night, as he walked toward the dugout holding the ball while the batter ran (safely) to first. Did he not know you have to catch a third strike cleanly? Did he not realize he caught a ball that short-hopped his glove? Did he not know that when the batter runs, you throw to first just in case? How often does that happen in the majors- a runner stealing first uncontested while the catcher holds the ball? My money is on "Just about never".That was a bad instant amidst one of Gibson's best games where he did not walk a batter. His technique looks improved compared to his performance as Deduno's personal catcher in his first stint. I thought he looked more confident and in control. Gardenhire's decision to match a raw catcher with a wild pitcher is indefensible and set him back. Suzuki is one of the better catchers at blocking pitches and it should have been a no brainer to match the veteran catcher with the wild pitcher.
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