With Yadier Molina making the chartered flight to San Francisco, a few worrisome hearts have been saved from rooftops this afternoon. The question still remains. Who catches tomorrow afternoon at AT&T Park in Game 3? A.J. Pierzynski or Tony Cruz? There is no way Yadi will be able to go two days after severely aggravating an oblique on his left side. He will need rest. My realistic hope is him coming back for Game 7 or in the World Series if the Cards make it. Right now, Mike Matheny‘s big concern is who crotches down behind homeplate for the start against Tim Hudson and Ryan Vogelsong the next two games. My pick is Pierzynski and it’s quite simple.
The players respect Tony Cruz. He is the protege to Molina and has been with the club for a few years. However, the team seems to get a kick out of A.J and his veteran wildness and leadership. They respect AND admire the vet. Last night, after Kolten Wong launched the game winning home run, he screamed at A.J., “Hey AJ, did I get on base?” The young players get a fire lit in their stomach with this guy around. They want to do well around him and impress him. The supposed clubhouse cancer has become a clubhouse savior, taking over the role that Lance Berkman carried for two seasons and Carlos Beltran did for the last two seasons. He is the veteran edgy presence that will shoot you straight no matter what the subject line is. Pitcher analysis, opposing team or local takeout food. A.J. is your guy.
He has barely started this past month. After Molina came back, A.J. fell back to the back of the bench, used for occasional pinch hitting duties or whatever Oscar Taveras couldn’t handle. During that downtime, A.J. endeared himself to his teammates and built up a level of respect. If Pierzynski’s on the field contributions were minimal, he was building foundations in the clubhouse.
Now that Molina is down(at least for a few games), the decision needs to be made on who starts. Pierzynski works for several reasons.
First, the man has been around a while. When in doubt, you go with experience and Pierzynski has that in droves. A.J. is 30-100 in postseason play, even if he hasn’t been there since 2008 with White Sox.
Second, he is familiar and works well with John Lackey, the Game 4 starter. The two worked together in Boston and are born to complete a playoff battery set. Each are fiery individuals and cut the crap when it comes to playoff baseball.
Third, A.J. won’t have the jitters and won’t need a long time to shake off the rust from being a cheerleader for a month. Cruz was inserted into Sunday’s game and looked lost. Like Pierzynski, he was a backup to Yadi without much use for the final few weeks of the season. It comes down to who can handle the time off better and A.J. clearly can.
It also depends on which catcher the pitching staff seems to trust. This is something that clicks. Cruz knows all the pitchers but Pierzynski has played in 30 playoff games. He has stood behind the plate during the World Series and inside a few of the loudest ballparks.
This is why the Cards brought Pierzynski onto their team. Someone to give the team an edge and fill a gap and maybe produce a few big hits. With Yadi down for a little while, the team needs all the edge they can get. A.J can provide that and then some.
Or, the team could go with Cruz’s shaky defense and non-existent bat. I don’t mean to be harsh but this time of year, I have to be direct, blunt and share no special feelings for players. Matheny does enough of that…anyway.
Pierzynski should get start Tuesday and Wednesday. He can give the team a presence on defense, a known face for pitchers to feel safe with and opposing players to detest, and he may have a few bullets left in that bat of his. The Cards can’t go wrong.
That, or Yadi Molina magically heals from his strained oblique and makes the start. Since I am not counting on that to happen, ride it out with A.J.P. and his true grit.
Stay on Arch City Sports and get a look at the all out coverage of the Cardinals Postseason by going back to the home page.
Until then, stay up my friends.
8 comments
You say that it ” depends on which catcher the pitching staff seems to trust” and then go on to talk about experience about the plate in the same paragraph. Two entirely different things. I actually agree with you to some degree, but to paraphrase my debate teacher, “you must state the opposite argument in a way they would agree with if you are going to successfully debate it.”
Two things. 1) I agree that Cruz didn’t look smooth at all last night. It was obvious. Is it just a case of didn’t expect to play in October or truly being in too deep? I don’t know, but it didn’t look good. 2) If Cruz has the trust of the pitchers does all the rest really matter?
Personally, I think you go with the catcher that the pitcher wants. That isn’t as easy to figure out as it might sound. Cruz is a solid player and I believe he can contribute. I love the leadership of A.J., but not knowing the staff as well as Matheny, I will certainly not be too critical of his decisions no matter which way it goes.
For me it’s a combination of trust from the staff and experience in addition to what can be offered at the plate with a bat in his hands. Ask any player in that clubhouse and they love what AJP brings. Cruz looked very shaky not just last night but at times throughout the season. AJP is beloved by the team and the pitching staff worked well with him. Remember he caught Shelby’s first few games after his turnaround. Do you think Trevor will fire another in the dirt with Cruz behind the plate? AJP offers more with his experience and I think the staff doesn’t mind either. Sorry if I didn’t keep up with the standards of debate teachers but I think my case was well laid. Thanks for the read.
Agreed 100%.
Mr. Buffa: your take is “spot on”. Start AJ against right handers and Cruz against left handers. These are major league players, not guys picked at the corner baseball diamond. The starting catcher will be who Mike Matheny says he will be, not pitcher’s pet.
Go Cards, we will win tonight with the money playoff pitcher.
“They want to do good around him and impress him.” Personally I think they want to do WELL. Doing good is what a nun or superhero does.
“During that downtime, A.J. endured himself to his teammates”. Again, EDITING. He did not endure himself to his teammates. SMH. I guess you meant he ENDEARED himself to his new STL teammates?
Sorry to be so blunt and all, but after having read your blog, I felt I had to speak up. LOTS of people read what you write and it is generally not that long, so I think these were all easy misses that you could have caught…unless you were Tony Cruz.
I do think that AJ is the better catcher, particularly in the postseason. You mention everything that I would have said about why to pick him up and it seems prescient that Matheny added him to the NLCS roster now, as well. Maybe this will be one of the rare instances that Matheny got something right? Except for the fact that this is Matheny and he will likely go with Cruz, despite all the logical reasons to NOT go with him.
Thanks for the corrections and feedback. Appreciate it. I don’t need the SMH or the Cruz references. I write on my own time and don’t receive pay for it so I am still sharpening my tools but thanks. Next time, just give feedback and leave out the Shaking My Head comments and the CAPS.
Well Dan, I finally agree with you. Even though you still snuck in a Matheny jab.
Tony Cruz is simply not good enough to backstop this Cardinals team through to the World Series. Yes, he’s Molina’s protege, but all the tutelage in the world from the best catcher in the universe can’t make up for Cruz’s lack of talent. He’s been the best option from a glaring hole in the organization- someone to take over for Yadi- for a few years now, with no one being groomed otherwise, no other top prospects behind the plate.
That said, Cruz just doesn’t have it. He’s well-liked, respected even, by his teammates and has put his time in, but that doesn’t mean he’s the best solution if (when) Yadi can’t play. Pierzynski is SO much better an option for games 3-4 it’s laughable, which is exactly why I firmly believe Mike Matheny will go with Cruz #Mathenyed #MathenyLogic
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