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Archives Gleeman and Green bet on catching prospects-setting the stage
It all started like this. Aaron writes a fabulous baseball blog. He slices and dices major league players, and sometimes minor league coverage of major leaguers by the fifth estate. He rates prospects. And he loves Joe Mauer, not in a Jessica Alba kind of way, but just the same. And me, I'm a casual observer of baseball, with a special interest in the Jay minor league system.

So, we have an e-mail discussion in 2003 about catchers, the usual stuff, who is better and whom, can a 6'4\\\" catcher avoid injury.... Aaron likes Joe Mauer and Jeff Mathis. I like Guillermo Quiroz and Dioner Navarro. I propose a bet and Aaron accepts. The bet is: who will have the most runs created during the period 2005-2008, Mauer and Mathis or Quiroz and Navarro?

We'll be following our bet next year, but now seems like a good time to see how they're doing. Remember 2004 does not count for our bet (phew!).


Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

.308/.369/.570, 22 runs created


Jeff Mathis-AA Arkansas Travelers

.235/.321/.411


Guillermo Quiroz-AAA Syracuse Sky Chiefs

.228/.319/.411

Dioner Navarro-AA Trenton Thunder

.271/.354/.369

Navarro was recently promoted to Triple A Columbus, where he's hitting .263/.318/.381 in 129 plate appearances.

After great years last year, all four catchers have not produced quite what we had hoped. Joe Mauer has been great when he has been in the lineup. If he can stay healthy, he has a good chance to be one of the top 5 players in the game in 3-4 years. Quiroz has battled injury. Navarro and Mathis have taken a step backward, perhaps due to small injuries as well. Watching a catcher develop can be a painful process. Our bet has started out as if it was meant to bring this point home.
Posted by Mike Green on Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 08:51 AM EDT.
Gleeman and Green bet on catching prospects-setting the stage | 9 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Pistol - Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 08:58 AM EDT (#19951) #
And he loves Joe Mauer, not in a Jessica Alba kind of way

Johan Santana on the other hand.........
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_Tanner - Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 09:09 AM EDT (#19952) #
http://ottawasportsblog.blogspot.com/
Navarro's success (by way of playing time) is also going to depend a lot on whether a) The Yankees clear enough space in the next couple of years for Posada to play 1B or DH, or b) Navarro being traded to another organization for a Proven Veteran(tm).
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robertdudek - Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 09:11 AM EDT (#19953) #
I think runs created should be multiplied by the percentage of total games played at catcher. The bet shouldn't be simply about who has the best bat, but about who can provide the most offensive value at the catching position.
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_A - Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 12:14 PM EDT (#19954) #
What if, say, Mauer is forced to 1B because of injuries? It's alot harder to concentrate on hitting when you've been crouching behind the plate and juggling the pitching game.
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_Rob - Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 12:26 PM EDT (#19955) #
http://www.aarongleeman.com/2003_09_07_baseballblog_archive.html#106317039526197969
COMN for the original bet, from Gleeman's site, Sept. 10 of last year.

Mike Green: If I win, you'll buy two top-priced tickets for me for a Blue Jay game in Toronto against the Twins in 2009. If you win, I'll buy two top-priced tickets for a Twins game for you in Minnesota against the Jays in 2009.

No welching in five years now, boys. A bet is a bet. :)
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_A - Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 12:39 PM EDT (#19956) #
Is a top-priced ticket in Minnesota also roughly $195 a piece?
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Craig B - Wednesday, August 25 2004 @ 03:11 PM EDT (#19957) #
Well, by 2009 the Twins will be in a new ballpark... so who knows!
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MrElbertBuffin - Monday, December 04 2006 @ 07:13 PM EST (#159807) #
Ouch Mike Green, I don't see this turning out in your favour. 

How did I find this?  I'm writing term papers and studying for essays..... of course I'm trolling the archives.

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Mike Green - Tuesday, December 05 2006 @ 09:45 AM EST (#159892) #
Me, neither.  It has been an interesting lesson in the development curves of catchers though.  So far, one out of the four catchers has amounted to anything; I think that both Aaron and I would have guessed two or three, by now.
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Gleeman and Green bet on catching prospects-setting the stage | 9 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.