Bollinger: Herrmann Hopes to break camp as 3rd catcher

[Seth Stohs]

Herrmann looks to break camp as third catcher | twinsbaseball.com: News

 

"There's always a chance, but it's not going to be handed to me," Herrmann said of making the team. "Just because I was up there last year doesn't mean I'll be up there this year. So I'm trying to find a way to work my back up there again and hopefully stay up there."

[LaBombo]

Showing up early doesn't necessarily correlate straight up with motivation or effort. That being said, I think I'd still feel like dog poo if I showed up at camp later than Dozier and my last name rhymed with 'Blorimon' or 'Blescoblar'.

[John Bonnes]

Unless someone gets hurt, I gotta think there is no chance for Herrmann breaking with the club. And even if someone is hurt, they might not. They might want him to get some time at AAA, and I have no problem with that.

[Seth Stohs]

Yeah, nothing in his 2012 New Britain numbers say that there is any reason to push up him to the big leagues to start 2013. His value comes in his ability to catch and his versatility. He was drafted as a catcher, then played LF a lot up to Ft. Myers, and played infield and outfield positions in college. He also takes very good at bats. So, I think he can be that #3 catcher while also playing some LF. there's value in that.

[TheLeviathan]

The reason to push Herman is that our current third catcher is totally inept at a crucial portion of the game.

[snepp]

Maybe it'll work out like this....

 

 

Morneau hits really well, but the team stinks, they trade him in June.

 

Hermann hits well at AAA, shows that it's time for a call-up.

 

Butera gets sent packing, Hermann becomes the primary backup catcher, Doumit serves as 3rd catcher while using some of the 1B/DH time vacated by Morneau to remain in the lineup.

 

 

And then we flip heads 8 consecutive times in the pitching staff to be a contender.

[twinsnorth49]

Showing up early doesn't necessarily correlate straight up with motivation or effort. That being said, I think I'd still feel like dog poo if I showed up at camp later than Dozier and my last name rhymed with 'Blorimon' or 'Blescoblar'.

 

 

And if my last name rhymed with Buterrible, Hermann showing up early should make me feel like dog poo, but it doesn't and that's a problem.

[LaBombo]

And if my last name rhymed with Buterrible, Hermann showing up early should make me feel like dog poo, but it doesn't and that's a problem.

 

Funny that I haven't seen that derivation of his name until now. My brain will automatically be appending that from now on.

 

in all fairness to Floribar and Escomon, for all I know they may have risked life and limb in some godforsaken south of the border league, trying to add some semblance of offense to their game.

 

On the other hand, I have it on remarkably poor authority that Byooty has taken the unconventional offseason measure of working on only his head first slides into first with Little Nicky, a process certain to push his OPS north of the .500 mark that will ensure, along with his defensive rep, a decade of one year backup gigs, or at least ST invites.

[drjim]

I think it would be a terrible role for Herrmann to break camp as a third catcher. He could use the defensive reps and at bats playing everyday in Rochester.

 

I still think if either Doumit or Mauer gets hurt Herrmann will come up to take their roles while Butera would stay in the third catcher role.

[drjim]

Showing up early doesn't necessarily correlate straight up with motivation or effort. That being said, I think I'd still feel like dog poo if I showed up at camp later than Dozier and my last name rhymed with 'Blorimon' or 'Blescoblar'.

 

Might have something to do with the country they reside in and the amount of winter league ball they played.

[ThePuck]

Showing up early doesn't necessarily correlate straight up with motivation or effort. That being said, I think I'd still feel like dog poo if I showed up at camp later than Dozier and my last name rhymed with 'Blorimon' or 'Blescoblar'.

 

That was funny :-)

[Thrylos]

Maybe it'll work out like this....

 

 

Morneau hits really well, but the team stinks, they trade him in June.

 

Hermann hits well at AAA, shows that it's time for a call-up.

 

Butera gets sent packing, Hermann becomes the primary backup catcher, Doumit serves as 3rd catcher while using some of the 1B/DH time vacated by Morneau to remain in the lineup.

 

 

And then we flip heads 8 consecutive times in the pitching staff to be a contender.

 

For Butera to be sent packing, Gardy needs to be sent packing. And unless both happen, Herrmann has no chance to make the team bar injuries.

[stringer bell]

What is the projection for Herrmann? I've gotten the feeling that the team doesn't see him as more than a backup catcher or a third catcher/utility guy. If that is the case, why not have Herrmann make the club if he is demonstrably better than Butera and just about anyone can see that Herrmann can and will hit better than Son of Sal.

[Jim H]

Actually, in his brief callup Herrmann didn't show that he can hit better than Butera. Still, Herrmann is young and probably needs work on both his offense and defense. I suspect that he will never be more than a big league backup, but it is too early to make that call. I think he needs to be at AAA working on his game. I also think that for the couple of extra hits Herrmann might provide over the 100-150 AB's that Butera will get, well I'd rather have Butera. He is clearly the beter defensive catcher, right now.

[Thrylos]

What is the projection for Herrmann? I've gotten the feeling that the team doesn't see him as more than a backup catcher or a third catcher/utility guy. If that is the case, why not have Herrmann make the club if he is demonstrably better than Butera and just about anyone can see that Herrmann can and will hit better than Son of Sal.

 

Here is the thing about Herrmann: In College he played C and 3B. (Despite what you might hear - and I doubled checked my 2009 draft logs - the Twins disregarded that and drafted him as an OF. And that's where he played exclusively in 2009 and mostly in 2010 (he caught some then) at 2011 it was about half C, half OF and in 2012 was mostly C. No 3B but he could play there too. He can and has hit better in any level than what's his face. As far as where he projects, hard to tell, but I think that Doumit light might be a fair analogy (but this comes from someone who remember the days when Doumit was projected to be the next catching stud.) So ceiling probably Doumit with probably little better fielding. (which is something that Drew cannot even dream to be.)

[nicksaviking]

I think half of us assume Butera will get the job because we love to complain about the coaching staff and the front office ignoring the "no scholarship" clause they said was implemented last year (full disclosure: me included). The other half of us probably think Butera will get the job because Herrmann would rarely play and he needs reps at AAA.

 

Looking at the camp situation now, I think we are making this situation out to be much more simplistic than it really is. For one, jobs are clearly on the line this year; if Herrmann has a great spring and Butera does not, there will be pressure to bring north the best players. Secondly, Herrmann has position flexibility. If neither Hicks or Benson impress enough to break camp on the 25-man and they go with another option, say Boggs, Thomas or an outsider like Posednik, they could chose Herrmann as the 3rd catcher as he may be the preferred choice to be the 4th/5th OF and save Doumit from doing so.

[Kwak]

Why are we even discussing who got outhit by Butera?

[The Wise One]

Showing up early doesn't necessarily correlate straight up with motivation or effort. That being said, I think I'd still feel like dog poo if I showed up at camp later than Dozier and my last name rhymed with 'Blorimon' or 'Blescoblar'.

 

Good lord, bastardizing people's names as a way to ridicule them. We did that in grade school. We also grew out of it

[TheLeviathan]

Good lord, bastardizing people's names as a way to ridicule them. We did that in grade school. We also grew out of it

 

How about - Drew Butera is an awful baseball player who's continued scholarship to the Twins 25 man roster is an embarrassment for the franchise and an insult to paying customers. Someone so terrible at his job, so woefully inept at a major portion of the game, so utterly useless at the plate - should not be the topic of any conversations on this forum. But, unfortunately, he remains a part of our team and thus our discourse about them.

 

But perhaps an analogy would be better. Some of us learned that if we touch a hot burner, we get burned and learn to stop it. Apparently the Twins have not "grown out of" touching the hot burner. They keep repeating some of the same mistakes, perhaps you should take up that issue with them as well.

[twinsnorth49]

Good lord, bastardizing people's names as a way to ridicule them. We did that in grade school. We also grew out of it

 

Good lord, get a sense of humour. We're talking about baseball, since when did that equate to growing up?

[The Wise One]

Good lord, get a sense of humour. We're talking about baseball, since when did that equate to growing up?

 

I have a fine sense of humor, there is nothing funny in denigrating people. I would love to see Leviathan in the batters box against Drew Butera pitching. I think that could be real funny. The venom spewed forth this winter by people on this site. It is only baseball

[TheLeviathan]

I have a fine sense of humor, there is nothing funny in denigrating people. I would love to see Leviathan in the batters box against Drew Butera pitching. I think that could be real funny. The venom spewed forth this winter by people on this site. It is only baseball

 

I'm sorry, but this is insanity. If you bring your car into the mechanic and he returns it to you with three wheels, no brakes, and a broken windshield....do you avoid critiquing his performance because you're not a mechanic?

 

Where, in my post, where did I denigrate Butera the person? If you feel bad for Butera because of harsh critiques, perhaps you should suggest to him to stop playing a highly public game he's not very good at? At least then your efforts will be both rational and helpful for our favorite team.

[LaBombo]

Actually, in his brief callup Herrmann didn't show that he can hit better than Butera. Still, Herrmann is young and probably needs work on both his offense and defense. I suspect that he will never be more than a big league backup, but it is too early to make that call. I think he needs to be at AAA working on his game. I also think that for the couple of extra hits Herrmann might provide over the 100-150 AB's that Butera will get, well I'd rather have Butera. He is clearly the beter defensive catcher, right now.

 

I'm all for having Herrmann start in AAA rather than catch one game a week with the Twins. But the idea that 18 at bats shows anything about a player sounds pretty far-fetched to me. I'd rather trust 1500 minor league AB's that say Herrmann has a good chance to put up an OPS at least 100 points higher than Butera's in the majors.

[LaBombo]

Might have something to do with the country they reside in and the amount of winter league ball they played.

 

A possibility I acknowledged in my next post. But their winter ball league ended in mid-January. Also, Dozier played a little in the Venezuelan winter league.

 

As I said, I don't place much stock in who shows up early, or really any other story from week one of spring training other than injuries. But since the middle infield is basically an open casting call this year, it's a little surprising that they weren't there early to collect some easy brownie points. This has zero meaning to me about their motivation, preparation or anything else.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

I think Herrmann could potentially be more valuable than Doumit at home plate. At least I hope so. The one article posted here about Doumit's squeeze costing us 20 runs really affected my view on him. Is Herrmann much better behind the plate? I doubt he's a significant upgrade, but I hope it's the other way around. Both SHOULD be able to produce with the bat, but I do like the Doumit can switch hit.

[old nurse]

I'm sorry, but this is insanity. If you bring your car into the mechanic and he returns it to you with three wheels, no brakes, and a broken windshield....do you avoid critiquing his performance because you're not a mechanic?

 

Where, in my post, where did I denigrate Butera the person? If you feel bad for Butera because of harsh critiques, perhaps you should suggest to him to stop playing a highly public game he's not very good at? At least then your efforts will be both rational and helpful for our favorite team.

 

You said he has a scholarship like he doesn't deserve the money he makes. Butera does not decide where he plays. He comes to work and does his job, others decide when and where and thus how much he gets paid. No where have I ever read where there is a problem with his work ethic. If he was the personal catcher for some pitchers then he must have been doing something right.

[TheLeviathan]

You said he has a scholarship like he doesn't deserve the money he makes. Butera does not decide where he plays. He comes to work and does his job, others decide when and where and thus how much he gets paid. No where have I ever read where there is a problem with his work ethic. If he was the personal catcher for some pitchers then he must have been doing something right.

 

The scholarship reference has been used for over a year on BYTO and TD. It's in reference to roster spots as the Twins stated that there would be no more "scholarships" and roster spots would need to be earned. Though I'd also argue that Butera isn't earning his pay either, hard to do that when you are historically inept at what you do.

 

An MLB bench should be versatile and capable. Butera is half capable at best, whereas at least Hermann is versatile and (in all likelihood) a more capable all around player.

[old nurse]

The scholarship reference has been used for over a year on BYTO and TD. It's in reference to roster spots as the Twins stated that there would be no more "scholarships" and roster spots would need to be earned. Though I'd also argue that Butera isn't earning his pay either, hard to do that when you are historically inept at what you do.

 

An MLB bench should be versatile and capable. Butera is half capable at best, whereas at least Hermann is versatile and (in all likelihood) a more capable all around player.

 

I don't give a rat's ass when the term scholarship was first used. The point it it is used in regards to Butera. Doesn't change facts Butera is a poor hitter and he has a roster spot. . He has been a poor hitter his whole career. Whoever makes the decisions on the Twins roster knows that. Butera has a spot because someone wants three catchers and Butera has earned that spot over other players. When Hermann shows he is better than Butera, Butera will be demoted. Hermann has not shown that at the major league or the AAA level. Butera at least has earned his money. No one criticizes his effort. The lack of effort like Valencia showed is what brought out the scholarship quote.

[TheLeviathan]

I don't give a rat's ass when the term scholarship was first used.

 

Well, perhaps you should so you don't ignorantly reply to posts referencing it. The rest of your post really doesn't warrant a response.

[Shane Wahl]

The reason to push Herman is that our current third catcher is totally inept at a crucial portion of the game.

 

Haha. Well in that case he should have been promoted to Rochester midway through last season. There was no reason not to other than to see Herrmann and Hicks operate 1-2 in the order successfully. Herrmann's time is coming though.