Fangraphs on Pierzynski

[radsoxfan]

 
Isn't one of the as yet not certified by the FDA statements about HGH that it improves eyesight?
 
http://www.hgh.com.mx/eyesight.html

 
Wouldn't be surprised. Didn't Bonds also claim steroids improved his eyesight?  
 
Steroids will also give you more strength, better bat speed, and the ability wait a split second longer before committing to swing. So that should improve your swing decisions as well. 

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Per Jason Mastrodonato @JMastrodonato

John Farrell said he had an individual meeting with new catcher AJ Pierzynski during the Yankees series about fitting in/not trying too hard
 
Jason Mastrodonato @JMastrodonato

Farrell said Pierzynski just needed to be reminded to be himself and go play, not worry about anything else. Has noticed a difference since

 

[caminante11]

Baseball Prospectus has a piece on Catcher Framing so far this season (not protected).   In Catcher Framing stats, AJ is middle of the pack in catcher framing while Salty has been one of the worst in all of baseball.  David Ross is 10th best so far by runs saved and had one of the best frames so far when Mike Carp was on the mound. 

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Baseball Prospectus has a piece on Catcher Framing so far this season (not protected).   In Catcher Framing stats, AJ is middle of the pack in catcher framing while Salty has been one of the worst in all of baseball.  David Ross is 10th best so far by runs saved and had one of the best frames so far when Mike Carp was on the mound. 

 
It wouldn't surprise me if strikezones grow significantly when a blowout causes a non-pitcher to have to come in and pitch.
 
Especially after 5 walks and the umps just want to go home.

 

[Lowrielicious]

 
Isn't one of the as yet not certified by the FDA statements about HGH that it improves eyesight?
 
http://www.hgh.com.mx/eyesight.html

The steroids angle could fit that timeline (best in 2002-2004, works in  2009-2013) as I believe prolonged steroid use can lead to rapid deterioration of eyesight. A guy I know who has been on pretty heavy steroids for some time (years) due to a bunch of medical conditions (intestinal, not eye related) now has a lot of eye trouble which is apparently from the steroids.  

 

[PortageeExpress]

The steroids angle could fit that timeline (best in 2002-2004, works in  2009-2013) as I believe prolonged steroid use can lead to rapid deterioration of eyesight. A guy I know who has been on pretty heavy steroids for some time (years) due to a bunch of medical conditions (intestinal, not eye related) now has a lot of eye trouble which is apparently from the steroids.  

Was taking anabolic steroids? Corticosteroids are something very different. Both are referred to as "steroids" but they aren't the same thing.

 

[Lowrielicious]

Was taking anabolic steroids? Corticosteroids are something very different. Both are referred to as "steroids" but they aren't the same thing.

good question. I have no idea. 

 

[derekson]

good question. I have no idea. 

 
If he's been on steroids for intestinal issues (presumably Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis?), then it's corticosteroids (likely prednisone).

 

[Plympton91]

Baseball Prospectus has a piece on Catcher Framing so far this season (not protected).   In Catcher Framing stats, AJ is middle of the pack in catcher framing while Salty has been one of the worst in all of baseball.  David Ross is 10th best so far by runs saved and had one of the best frames so far when Mike Carp was on the mound. 

 
Salty has a .287 / .377 / .519 slash line right now; makes up for a lot of framing difficulties.  
 
I am actually shocked that AJ is middle of the pack on this.  He drops more balls than I can ever remember any catcher dropping, and that can't be good for framing.  Plus, I specifically recall noting 2 consecutive terrible frames last weekend while watching with my dad, where he literally caught a curve ball into the ground on the first pitch and then on the next pitch carried a cutter further out of the strike zone.  
 
I wonder to what extent the "framing" stat is a combination of the pitchers' command and the catchers' skill.  I don't think it would be shocking to find out that it is far easier to "frame" for a pitcher that is consistently hitting his spots than it is for somebody who is all over the place.  Has anyone ever looked at "framing" by comparing the starter and the backup with the same pitcher?  Or maybe if the backup's sample size would be too small, look at pitchers who changed teams and see whether the two different regular catchers had similar framing stats in the adjoining years? That would be interesting.

 

[Jnai]

 
Salty has a .287 / .377 / .519 slash line right now; makes up for a lot of framing difficulties.  
 
I am actually shocked that AJ is middle of the pack on this.  He drops more balls than I can ever remember any catcher dropping, and that can't be good for framing.  Plus, I specifically recall noting 2 consecutive terrible frames last weekend while watching with my dad, where he literally caught a curve ball into the ground on the first pitch and then on the next pitch carried a cutter further out of the strike zone.  
 
I wonder to what extent the "framing" stat is a combination of the pitchers' command and the catchers' skill.  I don't think it would be shocking to find out that it is far easier to "frame" for a pitcher that is consistently hitting his spots than it is for somebody who is all over the place.  Has anyone ever looked at "framing" by comparing the starter and the backup with the same pitcher?  Or maybe if the backup's sample size would be too small, look at pitchers who changed teams and see whether the two different regular catchers had similar framing stats in the adjoining years? That would be interesting.

 
The framing stats on BP remove the effect of pitcher.

 

[Plympton91]

 
The framing stats on BP remove the effect of pitcher.

 
Ah, interesting.  So perhaps what many of us see as AJ dropping balls and doing a poor job framing is really an indictment of the command of the Sox pitchers through the first 6 weeks of the season?

 

[Jnai]

 
Ah, interesting.  So perhaps what many of us see as AJ dropping balls and doing a poor job framing is really an indictment of the command of the Sox pitchers through the first 6 weeks of the season?

 
Probably not. AJP has been a somewhat average framer through his career. Compared to Ross, who is one of the best - and some of the other catchers in the division, such as Molina and McCann - he is clearly inferior.

 

[EricFeczko]

 
Ah, interesting.  So perhaps what many of us see as AJ dropping balls and doing a poor job framing is really an indictment of the command of the Sox pitchers through the first 6 weeks of the season?

I don't know. I see AJP's problems with dropping the ball as separate from framing. 
Good framing occurs along the edges of the strikezone; AJP seems to drop balls even when they are in the heart of the plate. It appears that he has trouble closing the glove when the pitch hits the mitt. He doesn't seem to wave his glove at the ball (which would result in both bad framing and drops).
That being said, the command of sox pitchers (outside of the bullpen, Lackey, and Lester) has been pretty bad to start the season.