Put on a fine display last night, special kudos to Rogers with a great" take one for the team" effort. Too bad that the "black hole" offense consistently failed with the game on the line. I thought Eovaldi was OK but reminded me of Hughes two quick strikes with a shaky ability to take out hitters.
The 0-2 pitch to Ortiz was a fastball right down Boadway but the thing is, McCann WAS sitting and setting up the target dead center middle of the plate! Not the first time I wonder about McCann, the guy seems to constantly set up his fastball targets either low down the middle, or low outside.....and in the case of Eovaldi it IS up to the "veteran" catcher to to help bring him along by making him (Eovaldi) move his fastball around just outside the edges of the strikeone. I barely saw a fastball go "up the ladder" or off the inside corner of strike zone to keep the hitters honest. YEESH. These good MLB hitters can handle a steady diet of fastballs out over the plate no matter how hard it comes in.....and in Eovaldi's case, his fastball is kinda straight. I know McCann is a nice guy, veteran and well respected but I can remember when old school MGRS would have a little talk with him in the dugout after such incidents as setting up 0-2 fastball targets down the middle to dangerous hitters such as ORTIZ ESPECIALLY IN CRUCIAL SPOTS, or any other time for that matter. BASIC PITCHING/CALLING A GAME 101. I do NOT like the way McCann generally handles the pitchers, especially the so called "young" or "work in progress" pitchers. Thw overwhelming majority of McCann's fastball "targets" seem to be low, and/or away. CONSTANTLY low or away, low or away......he must have a phobia about setting up his target just off the INSIDE CORNER.
And then you have Farrell another smug arrogant bastard talking about the resilience of his team. Yeah they won but the Yankees kept creeping back in had the offense not had that black hole showing up each inning the results of the game may have been different.
McCann was also set up with the target at the knees...and the pitcher got the ball UP, well above where McCann set up...but yeah, let's blame McCann for pitchers not hitting their spots. ...the Yanx pitchers pitched well enough to win, the offense did not get the job done...again.
I will not respond to negative comments about McCann and the way he handles pitcher which to my observations has been pretty damn good given the situations inherited. The man has impressed me as a gamer all the way. I am also of the opinion that his hitting will get better this season as well. Cashman needs to get off of his ass and find a couple more both sides of the plate players.
That's the thing.....last years roster with minor tweaks and some kids from the farm would have been AS good and LESS expensive. Plus from a marketing perspective, easier to sell unknown potential than tired old retreads.
The 0-2 fastball by Rogers to Ortiz WITH NICE GUY McCANN sitting down the middle with his glove dead center was almost criminal.....I just hope THE MGR didn't pat him on the ass in the dugout instead of a couple of choice questions. Going into his 2nd season as the Yankee catcher, I'm leaning towards the opinion that McCann is a mediocre at best all around "defensive" catcher......and yes, I'm aware the pitcher is also part of the equation but most non-veteran, younger pitchers will trust the catcher's selection and position/location.
...if you think McCann is "mediocre at best" defensively you really need to learn the game and maybe even research a little because most baseball people have a completely different perspective concerning McCanns defense. ...and again, it doesn't matter if it's a young pitcher or an over the hill pitcher such as CC...if they can't hit the target, it doesn't make a damn how the catcher sets up.
Exactly my point/opinion.....TOO MANY "targets"' low and/or way and NOT enough targets willing to miss OFF the INSIDE corner or up the " ladder" just on the edges of the high strike zone....not many hitters handle mid-high hard fastballs on the fringes of then HIGH and INSIDE fastball.
To understand your perspective.....is your catching experience theoretical or actual? McCann's game calling is pretty universally accepted as top tier. So let me get this straight.....you question McCann and defend Cashman? This is a joke right? Is the Mets board that slow?
I think Smoltz said it best on Eovaldi: "Nathan has to learn how to Pitch, with His Fastball around 97mph," Herein is "the difference b/t a Pitcher and Thrower/Hurler".....Nathan looked like he was spotting his pitches in up, down, in, out, but hung a few too many.... I imagine Rogers is going to need a Few days off.........while the Sox Knuckleballer, used in the last innings, got a Thank You, and ticket back to the Minors.....!
...no, again, where the catcher sets up makes NO difference if the pitcher cannot hit or come remotely close to hitting the target.
McCann does NOT set up WITH HIS Target nearly enough on the INSIDE CORNERS of the strike zone....and for some strange reason reason I GUESS ITS ALL THRE PITCHERS FAULT, rolling my eye, lol, McCann also rarely sets his target a liitle up OUT OF THE STRIKE ZONE for a fastball....... ....I referring to the targets he continually stays with,......low and away, low/and or away, low OVER THE PLATE, or away, low or away......the hitters too often rightfully so have very little respect or worry about having to chase a fastball UP A BIT OUT OF THE STRIKE ONE or rarely having to deal with a FASTBALL a little bit INSIDE, OFF THE STRIKE ZONE......such as the pitch missing a further bit inside as opposed to having it tail or sail towards the heart of the plate. The problem seems to be more often than not - IMO - its not a question of the pitchers missing the spots, but a case of McCann not setting up more various locations amoung the four quadrants of the strike zone....... Mr "low and/or away" McCann. Open you eyes and pay attention. I challenge ALL on the board to go back and look where McCann and his GLOVE were located when Ortiz hit the 0-2 pitch for a go-head HR. Go ahead......take a look...and stop the knee-jeek crappy reaction fo my summation of McCann. The man has been known for his "hitting" and yes, he is a "gamer".
...lol...ONE MORE TIME...IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE THE CATCHERS SETS UP IF THE PITCHER CANNOT HIT OR COME REMOTELY CLOSE TO HITTING THE TARGET. ...if you want to blindly blame the catcher for Ortiz's HR, go ahead...and I, as well as others, will point out how silly it is to do so. ...it's laughable that you can find fault with McCann's defense when people with more baseball knowledge than either of us say otherwise.
