[外電] Laird returns to starting spot for Rangers
ARLINGTON --
Gerald Laird has thrown out 37 of 91 baserunners attempting to
steal on him in the 149 games he has caught at the Major League level.
That includes 134 games started, and his success rate of 40.7 percent is the
fourth highest among active catchers who have started at least 130 games.
Only Yadier Molina (45.9), Ivan Rodriguez (44.3) and Henry Blanco (41.4) have
a higher success rate.
Of course, Rodriguez has also started 1,878 games. Even Molina, with 268
starts, has started twice as much as Laird.
But now Laird, the Rangers' Opening Day catcher in 2004, has a chance to make
up some serious ground. After 2 1/2 years of backing up Rod Barajas, Laird is
once again the Rangers' No. 1 catcher.
先討論Laird兄的狙殺率，發現有不錯的表現～並拿出Molina，I-Rod來做一下比較
，先做個信心喊話～～當然Laird的出賽是比前兩位少很多了～～不過～～
現在他必須要擔起重任～～變成我們第一的當家捕手了
There is still a question of who will back him up, and the Rangers are
expected to make one more move at catcher this winter to add depth to their
Spring Training roster. But Laird goes into Spring Training as Texas'
starter, a job he had at the start of the 2004 season until a fractured thumb
knocked him out of the lineup. He has been either in Triple-A or Barajas'
backup since then.
"Anytime you ask a guy to take on a new role, there's some unknown," Rangers
general manager Jon Daniels said. "But in the five years Gerald has been in
the organization, we've seen improvements in every facet of his game and
think he's ready for the challenge."
JD說他已經在這裡五年～也準備好接受挑戰～～
Laird started seeing more playing time as last year progressed, and he was
the Rangers' de facto starting catcher at the end of the season while Barajas
dealt with some physical issues. Laird ended the season hitting .296 with 46
runs scored, seven home runs and 22 RBIs in 78 games and 243 at-bats.
That was the 12th-highest batting average among Major League catchers with at
least 70 games played, and his .470 slugging percentage as a catcher was the
ninth highest. His ranking would have been higher, but he batted .191 with a
.279 slugging percentage in September.
He may have been tired or it may have been having to face more right-handed
pitching. Laird, a right-handed hitter, batted .400 (34-for-85) against
left-handed pitching last year, compared to .241 (38-for-158) against
righties.
這邊探討Laird的打擊表現～～提出他去年的數據來討論～～並討論他對左右投手
的打擊表現～～對右投手比較差一點～～先大致翻到這邊～～剩下之後有時間補齊～
謝謝大家
"More than his offense, what stood out last year is how he's matured handling
the pitching staff and calling a game," Daniels said. "When he first got to
the big leagues, he was considered an offensive catcher. There was some
immaturity to his game and I'm not sure he grasped how important preparation
was for a catcher.
"He's come 180 degrees to the point where that's a strength of his game right
now. It was a big year from him on and off the field. I give him and
[third-base coach] Don Wakamatsu a lot of credit for his development."
The Rangers still have to decide on a backup catcher, and Miguel Ojeda is one
candidate. Ojeda, who will turn 32 this month, had 13 at-bats for the Rangers
in 2006, and he has 486 career at-bats at the Major League level, batting
.224 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs. He has a career .289 batting average with
runners in scoring position.
The Rangers have also signed Guillermo Quirez, a former top prospect from the
Toronto Blue Jays organization who was the starting catcher for the World
team in the 2003 Futures Game.
Quirez was an All-Star in the Florida State League in 2002 and on Baseball
America's Double-A All-Star team in 2003, but he has hit just .200
(18-for-90) at the Major League level in trials with the Blue Jays and the
Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners claimed him on waivers from the Blue Jays just before the start
of the 2006 season, and he batted .267 (54-for-202) with 11 doubles, six home
runs and 37 RBIs in 54 Minor League games.
The Rangers also have Kevin Richardson, who hit .271 with a .358 on-base
percentage and a .498 slugging percentage at Double-A Frisco in 2006, as well
as Emerson Frostad.
Frostad was a left-handed-hitting infielder until the Rangers converted him
into a catcher, and he hit .320 in 79 games and 291 at-bats for Class A
Bakersfield.
They helped give the Rangers some depth at a position ravaged by injuries
last year. But what is also true is catching could quickly turn into a major
strength for Texas over the next several years.
The Rangers have used their third-round pick in each of the last two
First-Year Player Drafts to take a catcher, picking Taylor Teagarden out of
the University of Texas in 2005 and Chad Tracy out of Pepperdine last year.
Teagarden missed all of last season because of Tommy John elbow surgery, but
he is healthy again, while Tracy hit .262 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in
252 at-bats at Class A Spokane.
The Rangers are also hoping for big things out of two prized Latin American
signings who are coming off major arm injuries: Cristian Santana (shoulder)
and Manuel Pina (elbow).
"No position in the system was hit harder by injuries than our catchers,"
Daniels said. "The silver lining was it created opportunities for other guys
to step up, and Richardson and Frostad turned in excellent seasons. We added
Tracy in the draft, and the Spokane staff raved about his bat and leadership.
"With Teagarden, Pina and Santana back healthy -- the reports have been
excellent with all three cleared to play at the end of [last year] -- we'll
be looking at an organizational strength again. And when you analyze catching
in the industry, that's saying something. To be able to develop your own
catchers, all of whom have above average athleticism and ability, is a
competitive advantage not many clubs have."
But all of that is in the future. Right now, the job belongs to Laird.
--
2007- Rangers,Spurs and Wizards GoGoGo !!!!!
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