How important is pitch calling? Topic

I've got a catcher who's a beast at the plate, but not so much behind the plate. His glove is 23, arm strength 67, arm accuracy 86, and pitch calling is 49. I'm in the NL, so the DH is not an option. Is he going to be a liability behind the plate or, combined with a terrific pitching staff, is he good enough?
3/6/2010 10:23 AM
Trade him to an AL team. I like catchers with higher pitch calling.
3/6/2010 10:47 AM
I have used catchers with PC in the 30s and they were ok. Just have a high PC backup that you can insert in the 7th inning when your starting catcher has gone 3 for 4 with 5 RBIs

My ERA suffered about .5-.7 higher than my high PC catcher, so expect to give up 1-2 extra runs per game

http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=1677735
3/6/2010 10:47 AM
1-2 runs per game with a C that has ~50 PC sounds a little high to me, is it really that bad? I think in my experience it has been less than that but I haven't really measured it.
3/6/2010 11:41 AM
1-2 runs per game is an absurd overstatement- just flat out wrong.

There are two popular options at C- get a 50ish PC guy who can hit or get an 85+ PC that can't. I prefer the 50 PC guy who can hit, since I normally already have a defensive SS who can't hit in the lineup already.
3/6/2010 12:16 PM
I'd play him at C or 1B. I'd play a 0/0 range/glove guy at 1B or C if his bat justified it. 49 PC ain't bad. I have a 56 PC C who hits like a beast and he's my every day leadoff man. My backup C has 79 PC and comes in in the 8th inning for defense (my backup is actually worse defensively but I like the higher PC. The 56 PC guy h has a career 4.26 ERA in 908 games. The 79 PC guy is a rookie and has a 3.43 ERA in 81 career games).

So even though it's only 81 games, my experience shows that, yes, about a 20 point difference in PC results in about 1 run per game. I actually think if the sample size were bigger it'd be more like .5-.75 runs per game.
3/6/2010 12:26 PM
Here's the guy I asked about. It sounds like I need to make sure he creates a run per game to offset his defense. How do you set it so that the backup comes in for the late innings? http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=2452226
3/6/2010 1:15 PM
I use two catchers, one is an 83 PC and the other is a 65 PC. I know that it isn't a major difference but it is still 18 points. Despite this, my pitchers ERA numbers are virtually the same. One has caught about 2000 innings for me, the other about 5000 so they are a large sample size.

Rip Buhner

Alex Rodriguez
3/6/2010 1:23 PM
Quote: Originally Posted By hokiesno1 on 3/06/2010Here's the guy I asked about. It sounds like I need to make sure he creates a run per game to offset his defense. How do you set it so that the backup comes in for the late innings? http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=2452226
I would definately go with that guy. He will return a lot more than cost your team.
3/6/2010 4:07 PM
I'd play that guy in LF and eat the minus plays if that was the only way to get his bat in the lineup.
3/6/2010 4:18 PM
that guy is a beast, and only 22 so should still be developing s alittle, if you have pitchers who have good pitches, then deffinetly catch him
3/6/2010 4:25 PM
I have a catcher with PC 59....and I have the 3rd best staff in the league...Team ERA 3.24 .

Hector Vizcaino

I also think that having decent control pitchers help. I have no rated over 79 on my staff as of now. So it really varies from every owner on how it works out.
3/6/2010 6:05 PM
the more I think about it the more I think you guys are right. I don't think a 20 point diff in PC is that big of a deal. hokie you definitely have to get that bat in the lineup anyway you can. Somebody suggested LF and i don't know if I'd go that far but 1B or C for sure.
3/6/2010 6:59 PM
Note that over the last couple of updates, 1B's (the ones with pretty good ratings, at least) have become the defensive players that get the most "+" plays. I don't know if that rules out playing a C/DH at 1B, but it's something to consider.
3/6/2010 8:16 PM
Quote: Originally Posted By blanch13 on 3/06/2010Note that over the last couple of updates, 1B's (the ones with pretty good ratings, at least) have become the defensive players that get the most "+" plays. I don't know if that rules out playing a C/DH at 1B, but it's something to consider
This has not been my experience. Can you provide any examples?
3/6/2010 9:01 PM
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