josh thole

Henry Blanco is a Backup

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According to Mets GM Omar Minaya, Henry Blanco is a backup catcher. And you thought Minaya didn’t know things. Unfortunately, Minaya also announced that the Mets’ starting catching position would be a competition between Omir Santos and Josh Thole, both of whom are also backup catchers. So maybe Omar only knows some things. If this … Read more

Catcher: Now What?

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You know the saying, “be careful what you wish for — you just may get it” ?

We all wished the Mets would fail in their attempt to sign Bengie Molina, and our prayers were answered. But, now who will be the backstop?

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Unfounded Rumors and Catcher Evaluations

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RaysIndex put to rest an unfouded rumor that Carl Crawford was upset by Tampa Bay’s choice to exercise his 2010 option. FireJerryManuel had some funny tweets in cheeky response to the Crawford rumor. FJM also has a great evaluation of Josh Thole and catcher offense. Speaking of catchers, BlueandOrange.net provides plenty of reason to say … Read more

2009 Analysis: Josh Thole

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josh_thole-hitJosh Thole made the improbable jump from A-ball in 2008 to MLB in 2009 — making a pit-stop in AA Binghamton in between. After hitting .321 in his 17-game September debut, and delighting fans with his youth, energy, and choked-up line drives, there’s at least a little buzz pushing for Thole to assume the starting catching role in 2010.

But is Josh Thole ready for full-time, prime-time action behind the plate?

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2009 Analysis: Pat Misch

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misch-tholePatrick Misch’s singlemost important contribution to the Mets organization may have been enabling a smooth September debut for rookie catcher Josh Thole. For it was the easy-throwing, level-headed Misch who threw soft darts all around the strike zone, making Thole’s trial by fire a bit less stressful. Can you imagine, for example, if Thole was charged with catching the wild and unstable Oliver Perez in his first few starts behind the dish?

As it turned out, the Misch / Thole battery had its good days and bad days — culminating with the first shutout of the season in game 156 and an impressive five-inning, one-run performance that was cut short by rain in game 161.

Similar to many of the players performing in the late-season auditions, Misch gave us just enough information to

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Mets Game 139: Loss to Marlins

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Marlins 6 Mets 3 The carriage that transported Pat Misch from Buffalo to Flushing turned into a pumpkin. Misch allowed four runs in the first frame, and five runs total in six innings, to trounce the sugar-plum dreams of Mets fans who thought he might be the next Jamie Moyer. Though, he does resemble this … Read more