Why isnt Rivera starting?

[JohnBriggs12]

If Rivera is that bad what is he doing in MLB??!!

My sentiments exactly. If he's good enough to be on the roster (and I think he is), then he should be playing. What a joke the other day when they were up 11-2 on the Cubs and Macha let Kendall finish the game.

 

As was pointed out Kendall is not Joe Mauer. He's not even Damien Miller. Teams defense him like a little leaguer. His contract is up in 2 1/2 months and if they bring him back, there should be a march on Miller Park.

[naivin]

Interested to see what happens today. Day game after a night game, but with Parra coming back to pitch, I wonder if he goes to Kendall yet again.

[JohnBriggs12]

The Kendall playing everyday situation defies all logic. First he's been basically a .230 hitter with zero power for 3 straight seasons. He had a good year throwing out runners in 2008, but he's back to below average this year. How that translates to a starting catching job, much less one that never gets days off is beyond me.

 

The argument that Rivera is such a bad catcher and can't be used except in an emergency is also ludicrous. First, Rivera's been around. He's been with 2 other major league teams. He's played many games in AAA. But if he were that bad, it's not all that hard to make a minor deal for backup catching. Backup catchers move from team to team every year and are easily dealt for. If Rivera's not adequate, find someone who is. But please stop sending Kendall out there day after day after day.

[joepepsi]

I think managers prefer good defensive players like Kendall (reportedly, though I don't see it,) and Counsell, because bad defense makes the manager look bad. If Kendall grounds into a DP, well, that's on the hitter, not the manager. If a ball gets by Rivera, it's because he shouldn't have been in the game at that crucial juncture.

[pete]

He's hitting .269 with a .356 OBP for June and July. Rivera would probably hit about that average or lower with a lower OBP and a better slugging. You'll get more passed balls, fewer grounders fielded, fewer pitches per plate appearance. There are nuances in framing pitches, working the umps and a myriad other things that catchers do that I would guess that Kendall is pretty good at.

[ClubLevel]

Rivera playing today, but Gamel is back to the bench. One step forward, 2 steps back.

[monty57]

He's hitting .269 with a .356 OBP for June and July. Rivera would probably hit about that average or lower with a lower OBP and a better slugging. You'll get more passed balls, fewer grounders fielded, fewer pitches per plate appearance. There are nuances in framing pitches, working the umps and a myriad other things that catchers do that I would guess that Kendall is pretty good at.

I have a feeling that when we look back on the season, we'll note those as Kendall's "hot" months, as that's probably the upper end of his ability at this point. Also, somehow, some way, 146 starting pitchers in the major leagues and all of the rest of the pitchers in the world are able to toe the mound without Kendall behind the plate. Not picking on you here, but many make it sound like our pitchers would be paralyzed on the mound if it weren't for Kendall's glowing presence behind the plate. I'm sure we'd still be able to get through games with someone else. As far as "working the umps," if anything I'd say that we get more bad ball/strike calls against us than for us. Maybe that's "Brewers goggles," but our pitchers seem to get squeezed all the time.

[Thurston Fluff]

I'm not trying to defend Macha more tying to understand so take this for what it's worth. Considering this is the second manager in two years that doesn't give Rivera much playing time there almost has to be some sort of reason for it that we don't see.

[joepepsi]

Not picking on you here, but many make it sound like our pitchers would be paralyzed on the mound if it weren't for Kendall's glowing presence behind the plate. I'm sure we'd still be able to get through games with someone else. As far as "working the umps," if anything I'd say that we get more bad ball/strike calls against us than for us.

I've never bought into the notion that a great defensive catcher is this huge game changing asset over an average catcher. Javy Lopez was considered a poor catcher, yet legend says Braves pitchers have huge strike zones during their glory years. I think it's impossible to prove that Brewer pitchers magically pitch better with Kendall than they have with other catchers in their careers.

 

A lot of this is pure spin. Good hitting catchers seem to be always labelled as poor defenders. Catchers who can't hit must therefore be great defenders, otherwise they wouldn't be in the majors. This is faulty reasoning. It's important to remember no one considered Kendall a great defensive catcher when he was with Pittsburgh. Once he stopped hitting he devloped this mythical reputation.

[logan82]

I still think there is something to Kendall being a smaller catcher so he doesn't wear down as much as the larger guys squatting all day.

[bjkrautk]

Catchers who can't hit must therefore be great defenders, otherwise they wouldn't be in the majors. This is faulty reasoning. It's important to remember no one considered Kendall a great defensive catcher when he was with Pittsburgh. Once he stopped hitting he devloped this mythical reputation.

You and I have vastly different recollections of Kendall's time with the Pirates. Kendall was one of my favorite non-Brewers while he was in Pittsburgh; he was never Pudge or Charles Johnson behind the plate, but he more than held his own in the running game.

 

Both in Oakland and Milwaukee, a majority of the starting pitchers have campaigned for Kendall to catch their games, or have credited him with a portion of their success. Wouldn't they rather have the better-hitting catcher if all other things were equal?

[topper09er]

In the 6 games that Jason Kendall had led off, he is 6-29 (.208), 1 BB and 1 HBP for a .258 OBP, 1 run scored, 0 RBI.

[afeter]

In the 6 games that Jason Kendall had led off, he is 6-29 (.208), 1 BB and 1 HBP for a .258 OBP, 1 run scored, 0 RBI.

and id guess somewhere around 15 ground ball outs to the left side of the infield.

[dragoon84]

Its beyond absurd to me that Rivera doesn't get more starts. I don't mind Kendall, but I never want to see him bat leadoff, ever ever again.

Tuck him down in the 8 or even the 9 holes. I thought the experiment with kendall batting 9th worked pretty well last year, its a shame we didn't keep going with it because Hardy whined and whined. Sorry Hardy, you don't have the proper speed to score enough runs when you're batting in the 2 hole and you're too streaky a hitter to move the runners over, you belong at 7 or 8.

[TGJforPrez]

Why wouldn't Kendall start and hit lead off? He is the second worst everyday player based on OPS in the National League and at least all of those around him steal bases so they can turn a walk or a single into more. Also, of all those catchers that qualify, he has the second worst CS%, has the second most errors, and has the worst Pitchers ERA. All of this and our manager continues to play him everyday and not only that, bats him lead off. It is really indefensible.

[JohnBriggs12]

Funny that nobody has pointed out that in the start last week where Parra pitched 7 shutout innings and finally established his fastball early in a game (for really the first time all year) the guy putting down fingers was Mike Rivera, who caught his perfect game in 2007. Coincidence? I think not.

[logan82]

Funny that nobody has pointed out that in the start last week where Parra pitched 7 shutout innings and finally established his fastball early in a game (for really the first time all year) the guy putting down fingers was Mike Rivera.

Probably because it really doesn't matter much.

 

I doubt Rivera would make our pitching staff any better. Of course he wouldn't make it any worse either.

[JohnBriggs12]

Funny that nobody has pointed out that in the start last week where Parra pitched 7 shutout innings and finally established his fastball early in a game (for really the first time all year) the guy putting down fingers was Mike Rivera.

Probably because it really doesn't matter much.

 

I doubt Rivera would make our pitching staff any better. Of course he wouldn't make it any worse either.

Oh it mattered. Early in that game Parra was throwing almost exclusively fastballs. Now that may have been the plan going in but in most of Parra's other starts, he was using his all his pitches from the get go. I even recall back in April some announcer (I think it was on a national game) quoting Kendall on how he liked having Parra use all his pitches early so he knows which one he's got working that night.

[joepepsi]

I even recall back in April some announcer (I think it was on a national game) quoting Kendall on how he liked having Parra use all his pitches early so he knows which one he's got working that night.

Well, I ain't no catcher, but if that is really Kendall's philosophy then he's just plain stupid.

[davego]

But...the pither is responsible for what he throws. Unless Ken is shouting to throw a change...that is the pitcher's call.

[joepepsi]

But...the pither is responsible for what he throws. Unless Ken is shouting to throw a change...that is the pitcher's call.

So, what you're saying is.......it doesn't matter who's the catcher, it's all up to the pitcher. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Samurai Bucky]

But...the pither is responsible for what he throws. Unless Ken is shouting to throw a change...that is the pitcher's call.

I don't know if that is entirely true. The game plan is typically decided by the pitcher, catcher, and the coaches (manager). One example might be to throw hard stuff the first time through the order. If they start to get a bead on the ball, then start throwing some offspeed stuff, etc.

 

I didn't catch in the majors (no kidding), but when I did catch, it was a collaborative effort. Yes... the pitcher has the final say, but it wasn't all him.

[JoeHova]

Jason Kendall has the worst OPS in baseball among qualified players over the past 3 years. He is now the Brewers' lead-off hitter. I can't stress enough how unacceptable I find this. You want the worst hitter in baseball getting as few at-bats as possible, not as many as possible. Moving him from 8th to lead-off is an additional 65 or so plate appearances over the remainder of the season. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! I can't understand what Macha is doing. Melvin or Attanasio needs to put a stop to this lunacy. Kendall is the definition of a terrible hitter, having him hit leadoff is arguably worse than when the Cubs had Neifi Perez bat 1st or 2nd for most of 2005 because at least Neifi had a tiny bit of power. I almost feel like Macha needs to be taken to The Hague and shamed for all the world to see. This kind of terrible decision-making must be brought to light.

[joepepsi]

In essence you are comparing Macha to Dusty Baker. That frightens me. Make him stop.

[sheethead]

Batting Kendall lead-off is almost sub-Bakerish. It makes me just as angry as Hova.