Talking about moving these guys to a new position is easier said than done. The Mets tried Mike Piazza at first and it was a complete disaster. Now he can't find a job b/c he's too old to be a full-time catcher and can't play any other positions. (They also tried to move Todd Hundley to the outfield, and he looked lost out there for the most part.) I could see a guy like Joe Mauer moving, but where are the Twins going to put him? They still have Justin Morneau at first base, last I checked. I don't think they plan on getting rid of either of those guys. And if Piazza had trouble at first, I don't see much reason why a guy like Victor Martinez wouldn't. Sometimes the only thing you can really do is have a good catcher backing up a great catcher.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Charles @ Apr 9 2008, 10:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Talking about moving these guys to a new position is easier said than done. The Mets tried Mike Piazza at first and it was a complete disaster. Now he can't find a job b/c he's too old to be a full-time catcher and can't play any other positions. (They also tried to move Todd Hundley to the outfield, and he looked lost out there for the most part.) I could see a guy like Joe Mauer moving, but where are the Twins going to put him? They still have Justin Morneau at first base, last I checked. I don't think they plan on getting rid of either of those guys. And if Piazza had trouble at first, I don't see much reason why a guy like Victor Martinez wouldn't. Sometimes the only thing you can really do is have a good catcher backing up a great catcher.</div> You are being selective in your examples. Craig Biggio and Dale Murphy started out as catchers, as did Todd Zeile (not as well known, but had a decent career as a 3B). Hundley was never very good; I think it is widely accepted now that his power surge was artificially enhanced. Piazza was just old when they tried the switch, and all his skills had eroded (similar to Gary Carter and Johnny Bench). If these players had been switched during their prime, they likely would have been more successful.
A lot of the time the biggest question is how long were they at the position. Carlos Delgado came up as a catcher, too. But he didn't play there all that long in the big leagues. That made his transition a lot easier. The team has to have a spot for him to move to, as well as hopefully having a decent replacement behind the plate. I'm still amazed that Biggio was ever a catcher considering how small he was.
