First thoughts on Pudge

[Houston]

From watching one game on TV, it seemed to me that Pudge is not that great on framing pitches. Maybe he's still unfamiliar with Roy's curve.

Has anyone else noticed this from Pudge in the past?

[Tralfaz]

At times he seemed like he was lunging at the pitches.  Almost catching them over the back of the plate, trying to catch the ball before the bottom dropped out. 

The snap throw to Blum late was almost a circus.  Early days though, we're all very spoiled by Officer Brad.

[BudGirl]

At times he seemed like he was lunging at the pitches.  Almost catching them over the back of the plate, trying to catch the ball before the bottom dropped out. 

The snap throw to Blum late was almost a circus.  Early days though, we're all very spoiled by Officer Brad.

Now he gets some love from you people???

[SaltyParker]

No business batting in the 2 hole is my first impression.

[JimR]

he is a very good catcher with a new team and only about 2 weeks of ST. chill.

[kevwun]

Hopefully, that's the case.  His at-bat with runners on 2nd and 3rd was not pretty.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

If I were going to make an assessment on one game (bad idea, obviously), this is what I'd do:

Bourn
Matsui
Berkman
Lee
Tejada
Pudge
Blum
Pence

Pence looked terrible last night.

[HudsonHawk]

das and I talked about this last night.  My $0.02:  I don't think Pudge is a great receiver.  He's not particularly bad, but he's not particularly good either.  I think he can be sloppy and no, he's not good at framing pitches.  He snaps at the ball.  Q does that as well.  Ausmus was the best I ever saw at that, so yes, you're spoiled a bit.  On the snap throw to 3B...memo to Geoff Blum and Lance Berkman:  Pay Attention.  You snooze, you may may take one in the teeth.

[BUWebguy]

The snap throw to Blum late was almost a circus.  Early days though, we're all very spoiled by Officer Brad.

JD pointed out that Blum said "my bad" after that one, that he must have missed a signal from Pudge.

[Mr. Happy]

das and I talked about this last night.  My $0.02:  I don't think Pudge is a great receiver.  He's not particularly bad, but he's not particularly good either.  I think he can be sloppy and no, he's not good at framing pitches.  He snaps at the ball.  Q does that as well.  Ausmus was the best I ever saw at that, so yes, you're spoiled a bit.  On the snap throw to 3B...memo to Geoff Blum and Lance Berkman:  Pay Attention.  You snooze, you may may take one in the teeth.

HH always has some pretty steady comments about the receivers. FWIW, I didn't like catchers that "snapped" at the ball. I used to call them turtles. Ausmus could really frame well too. Pudge is going to nail Berkman down there. I can just feel it.

[Limey]

No business batting in the 2 hole is my first impression.

That's what she said.

[Limey]

das and I talked about this last night.  My $0.02:  I don't think Pudge is a great receiver.  He's not particularly bad, but he's not particularly good either.  I think he can be sloppy and no, he's not good at framing pitches.  He snaps at the ball.  Q does that as well.  Ausmus was the best I ever saw at that, so yes, you're spoiled a bit.  On the snap throw to 3B...memo to Geoff Blum and Lance Berkman:  Pay Attention.  You snooze, you may may take one in the teeth.

He's very "busy" back there (see post above), and I worry that his movement will not help Wandy locate his pitches.  And if Wandy can't locate, Wandy gets killed and it's not very pretty.

[HudsonHawk]

He's very "busy" back there (see post above), and I worry that his movement will not help Wandy locate his pitches.  And if Wandy can't locate, Wandy gets killed and it's not very pretty.

Very true.  Wandy doesn't throw hard enough to be missing his spots.  When he's off, he gets his titties ripped.

[Limey]

Very true.  Wandy doesn't throw hard enough to be missing his spots.  When he's off, he gets his titties ripped.

Will Q catch Wandy?

[HudsonHawk]

Will Q catch Wandy?

I don't know.  Q is not any better than Pudge though.  Hopefully Wandy is mature enough now that who's catching him makes minimal difference.  But there is no denying that some pitchers prefer throwing to certain catchers or types of catchers.  We'll see.

[Astroholic]

I don't know.  Q is not any better than Pudge though.  Hopefully Wandy is mature enough now that who's catching him makes minimal difference.  But there is no denying that some pitchers prefer throwing to certain catchers or types of catchers.  We'll see.

Coop, will Q hit second? 

[HudsonHawk]

Coop, will Q hit second? 

Coop never listens to me.  If he did, Pudge would have hit seventh last night and Blum eighth, and Wesley Wright (Double Dub...nice one Milo) would have faced Hoffpauir in the 9th.

[Astroholic]

Coop never listens to me.  If he did, Pudge would have hit seventh last night and Blum eighth, and Wesley Wright (Double Dub...nice one Milo) would have faced Hoffpauir in the 9th.

Agreed, but what do we know?

[Noe]

I don't know.  Q is not any better than Pudge though.  Hopefully Wandy is mature enough now that who's catching him makes minimal difference.  But there is no denying that some pitchers prefer throwing to certain catchers or types of catchers.  We'll see.

Usually for the first couple of weeks of the season, your numero catcher will go longer and sit less to get accalmated to catching the staff.  I don't think Q sees himself playing in a game until Russ Ortiz is ready to pitch as a number five starter.  Just my hunch.

[Astroholic]

Usually for the first couple of weeks of the season, your numero catcher will go longer and sit less to get accalmated to catching the staff.  I don't think Q sees himself playing in a game until Russ Ortiz is ready to pitch as a number five starter.  Just my hunch.

What about Hampton? 

[Noe]

What about Hampton? 

Don't think Q is going to get much work off the starting gate.  Pudge is going to get a lion share of not more of the games the first two weeks.  Again, just my hunch.

[Astroholic]

Don't think Q is going to get much work off the starting gate.  Pudge is going to get a lion share of not more of the games the first two weeks.  Again, just my hunch.

Cool.  But you never know with super coop.

[Noe]

Cool.  But you never know with super coop.

That, my amigo, is so very true!  He may trot out a whole different lineup tonight.  They are, in essence, on a losing streak right now, so with Coop... juneberno!

[Limey]

Coop never listens to me.  If he did, Pudge would have hit seventh last night and Blum eighth, and Wesley Wright (Double Dub...nice one Milo) would have faced Hoffpauir in the 9th.

I did enjoy the managerial hilarity of Sweet Lou batting Zamboner in the top of the 7th (he took a good two or three long looks back into the dugout before getting in the batter's box).  He had a shit at-bat, then allowed the Astros to stage a half-rally in the bottom of the frame.

What that says to me is that, out of the gate, Pinella doesn't trust his bullpen and he's going to ride his horse until it dies.  And now they all know that too.  Starbuck Pinella will be the harbinger of death who leads them all to their doom.

[Bench]

That, my amigo, is so very true!  He may trot out a whole different lineup tonight.  They are, in essence, on a losing streak right now, so with Coop... juneberno!

I liked how he had the infield in during the second inning of the first game of the season.  And it worked!

[moriartp]

Starbuck Pinella will be the harbinger of death who leads them all to their doom.

Yet I doubt there's any chance of him just disappearing into thin air, no matter how much we may wish it.

[MusicMan]

Starbuck Pinella will be the harbinger of death who leads them all to their doom.

I can't wait to see someone come to the plate with Watchtower as their music.