Jason Kendall should get some all-star votes...

[liveforoctober]

He is 4th right now... and let's think about this from an impact standpoint. The Brewer's pitching staff doesn't shake him off... and as well as McClung and Parra have thrown the ball, I am giving about 30% of their success to Jason Kendall. If he can figure out a way to make Dave Bush productive... he should be cantonized....

 

Not to mention that he leads the league in throwing out would be basestealers (%)

 

Seriously though... unless you have a Russel Martin addiction... I don't think their is a catcher in the NL who has positively affected his team like Kendall has... vote Braun and vote Kendall ya'll.

[Fatter than Joey]

Not to mention that he leads the league in throwing out would be basestealers (%)

 

He has been a godsend defensively for the Brewers.

 

Seriously though... unless you have a Russel Martin addiction... I don't think their is a catcher in the NL who has positively affected his team like

Kendall has...

 

There is no argument that Kendall should be getting some votes, and is really playing well -- however, he is getting throttled offensively by McCann, Martin and Soto.

 

I'd probably vote for all 3 of those guys and a Molina or two before voting for Kendall.

[liveforoctober]

Not to mention that he leads the league in throwing out would be basestealers (%)

 

He has been a godsend defensively for the Brewers.

 

Seriously though... unless you have a Russel Martin addiction... I don't think their is a catcher in the NL who has positively affected his team like Kendall has...

 

There is no argument that Kendall should be getting some votes, and is really playing well -- however, he is getting throttled offensively by McCann, Martin and Soto.

 

I'd probably vote for all 3 of those guys and a Molina or two before voting for Kendall.

 

If I were to pick the order of catchers... I would say ____ , then Martin, then McCann, then Kendall. (The blank is left for any Cubs player who deserves it) ... and I'm not saying he should necessarily make the team either... just that he should be getting a good # of votes.

[JumpinMacFlash]

What about McCann, Soto, and even Bengie Molina? I think all those guys deserve to go, along with Martin, well before Kendall. I like Kendall, I think he's a nice player, but no other NL catcher having as positive of an effect? McCann is 8th in the NL in OPS. Soto, Molina and Martin all have an .800+ OPS as well while Kendall is sitting at .674.

 

I know part of your argument is overall impact (calling the game and defense), but aren't those other four just as good defensively? I haven't heard any real knock on them. I know this is a bad barometer for defensive prowess since the award is practically meaningless, but Molina and Martin have each won Gold Gloves. I don't think you're giving the rest of those guys enough credit.

 

If Kendall keeps playing the way he has though, he should get his option for next year picked up, which I would think means more.

[Postseason2006]

What's his deciding factor of OBP at?

[Fatter than Joey]

I don't want to discredit Kendall's amazing CS% -- but I think that at some point other teams will quit running on him, much like teams really don't run on the Molina's.

 

I think each catcher has a baseline of SBs that they are going to give up -- due to things they can't control -- indifference, pitchers not holding runners on, etc... and then some catchers get easier opportunities because teams are "testing" them, or think they can run on them.

 

I can't imagine any team thinks running on PudgeRod is a good gamble, unless the baserunner is an elite baseswiper or the manager is a doofus -- so I think Kendall is getting some easy chances -- to his credit he is converting them, but I don't think he has a cannon arm all of a sudden.

[JoeHova]

Yeah, Kendall should be getting some all-star votes (if it were 1998, not 2008).

[samwise]

I think one of the major reasons Kendall has been throwing more guys out is our pitchers. I think Maddux does a great job of teaching pitchers good slide-steps and how to effectively hold runners.

[lcbj68c]

Are you kidding Tate? Y. Molina cant even get brushed at the plate without going to the hospital. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[logan82]

JumpinMacFlash wrote:

If Kendall keeps playing the way he has though, he should get his option for next year picked up, which I would think means more.

His option is automatic at 110 games started. He has escalators at 100, 115, 120, and 130 games.

[TooLiveBrew]

I can't fathom a NL C playing better defensively than Jason has thus far. The man is just lightyears better back there than any Brewers C I've seen play. On the strength of his defense alone I think he should warrant some serious All-Star consideration, but I bet very few outside of Brewers diehards are aware of just how good he's been (RTO% aside). I certainly couldn't provide any info on how good/bad Martin, McCann, Soto, etc. have been, other than to think of a few games I've seen here & there (obv. with Soto I've seen a few more -- he really doesn't look like anything special, defensively).