re: Time for Baseball...

I did a big statistical breakdown (EDIT: found it here and here) during Ty Ross's freshman year of just how bad freshman catchers typically are at hitting. Micah Gibbs really was the exception to the rule.

Even for a top prospect, the prospect of skipping your senior season of HS to play for LSU instead, where you might catch 10-15 games while also platooning at 3B at the same time, isn't really that bad of a deal. In fact, it sounds pretty damn awesome.

I mean, how old is this kid, 17? It sounds like he's walking into a sweet deal, even if he isn't the #1 catcher, which I seriously doubt he will be, considering that Ross was arguably LSU's 3rd best hitter last season.


EDIT:

LSU Freshman Catchers Hitting Since 1984
Faulkner (1984; 88 AB), .239
Hymel (1988; 21 GS), .219
Antonini (1991; 6 GS), .258
Cresse (1997; 15 GS at C), .221
Weaver (2002; 3 GS at C), .083
Liuzza (2003; 54 GS at C), .312
Lara (2006; 9 GS at C), .273
Ochinko (2007; 24 GS at C), .277
Gibbs (2008; 48 GS at C), .322
Ross (2011; 41 GS at C), .225

I know that Liuzza in 2003 was still playing in an era when college batting averages were still a little inflated, and that Ochinko played other positions besides catcher, where he only started 24 games as a freshman (before making way for Gibbs the following year).

If Barash could have a season in 2013 like Ochinko did in 2007, I think that would be a good thing.

Even the great Micah Gibbs only started 48 games his freshman year. Only Faulkner & Liuzza were really every day catchers as freshmen, and even then, Liuzza got rested for 14 games by having Dustin Weaver & Shawn French catch games: LINK.

I still don't even the know the story of how you chose it in the first place.

You misspelled that word. It is b..a..s..k..e..t not b..a..s..e.

no not me

Did you really have to do that on the 28th post?

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The team could see Bregman/Jones/Barash at 2B/SS/3B

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I think there is a good chance that Moore will be at 3B. Coach is playing head games with the players now.

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The infield positions all seem very fluid at this point for sure.

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I agree. I am pretty sure that Katz is going to be at 1B though. He wanted to move to 3B and Coach gave him a shot there in the fall, but it was obvious that he was not a good fit there. Thankfully, it appears as though we have some athletic new guys to fill the CF and RF spots so we won't have to see Katz trying to play in the OF again.

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I believe in a game thread once i said jacoby had texted that he would have a big day. Some rantards thought it really happen.

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That's a rude thing to say about me, brah.

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I don't mind him so much in RF or LF given his experience, but putting him in CF was a little much for him to try to pull off.

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He is OK in RF, but I think we agree that it would be better if we had somebody there with more speed. 1B is a good spot for him. I don't think we'll see him in RF again unless none of the new guys come through at the plate.

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Given the various different possibilities for DH and where Katz, Jones, & Foster end up, I'd say the OF is pretty damn fluid too.

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Raph will be in LF, but CF and RF are up for grabs. I wish Coach would DH Raph, but that probably won't happen.

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this is all good because it will ensure a healthy competition to get the best bats in the lineup no matter where they come from.

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Absolutley.

What's the word on Sciambra, is he back in the mix? I didn't keep up with fall practice like I should have.