When you demote a guy after 8 games one season and try to make him a LFer, then 17 ? games in another season, that is not a fair chance.Originally Posted by moonslav59
When a player stays on a roster an entire season and gets almost no playing time, that is not a fair chance.
When you say Swihart will focus solely on catching a certain year, then shortly thereafter have him taking reps at different positions, that is not a fair chance.
When you demote a guy after 8 games one season and try to make him a LFer, then 17 ? games in another season, that is not a fair chance.
It wasn't just those 8 games that decided his fate that season. Vaz was coming off an injury, and there was a decent enough sample size to show he was not a good catcher. He then had a chance in AAA after the demotion, and he sucked (.655 OPS in AAA). He even got called back up later in 2016, and he did nothting to distinguish himself.
When a player stays on a roster an entire season and gets almost no playing time, that is not a fair chance.
He got a chance when Vaz got hurt. He never showed anything promising after his 2014 season in the minors. He played in over 300 games from 2015-2019. While most were scattered and interupted, that's still more games than many other failed prospects ever get to see while playing so poorly.
When you say Swihart will focus solely on catching a certain year, then shortly thereafter have him taking reps at different positions, that is not a fair chance.
To me, it was way more than fair. He sucks as a catcher, so they gave him a second, third and fourth chance to make it at other positions. They did him a favor!
He failed with every chance we gave him.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
We will have to just disagree Moon.
You aren't going to convince me that he was given a fair chance and that he wasn't jerked around.
I know I'm not going to convince you either.
How many prospects that are doing poorly end up sticking around that long?
That get chances to change positions to stick around, despite hitting poorly?
I'm fine with agreeing to disagree, and I get the point that he never really got many extended chances to "prove himself," but when he did, he did not do well, even in AAA.
Yes, he was hurt for some of the time, but he basically sucked from 2015 to 2019. That's a long time to give someone doing so poorly.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
One last parting shot at Swihart as he exits .
I think the guy got more chances than his performance deserved.
The whole "He never got a real chance" argument rings hollow to me. He did nothing since AA ball way back in 2014 to warrant being given an extended look anywhere.
IMO, Sox management bent over backwards to accommodate him and help him find any way to stick in the bigs.
There was a time I had high hopes for Swihart, as many of us did. I hope he finds a way to get that long extended look-see, just so we can all know what player he really is.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
Can both sides actually be right?
Yes!
Swi's history in the minors NEVER justified 'a shot' in the majors in the first place. All you have to do is look at his minor league stats to absolutely confirm that. His hitting stats were anemic even in the minors. I find it incredible that SO MANY Sox Fans here still impute "good hitting" catcher to a guy who has NEVER hit well. He manifestly has never hit well, yet some are absolutely convinced that he has.....
So..... the Sox were forced to bring him up originally as a panic move. They did not have another option at that time, so they called up Swi. Eventually, they threw him into LF for Hanley, & the rest was history.
After that, they have kept Swi up with the big team in a bizarre attempt to keep giving him chances where none was ever warranted. Time & time again, they've continued to keep him up, but never give him "a shot," knowing that he was only there as an insurance policy. They knew he wasn't ready as a catcher in the minors, but seemed to want to keep him up to market him for a trade.
The whole thing was a sick joke. He was never going to "prove himself" because the ONLY thing he really has going for him is the fact that he is a very good athlete.
He will never be a really good catcher, but he could potentially become a half-decent backup catcher with a floundering team.
Bottom line....
Kimmi is correct that Swi was never really given 'a shot,' to play consistently, but Moon is correct that Swi has never had the goods to deserve a shot. He never should have been called up in the first place.
Now, perhaps he gets a consistent shot to prove himself somewhere? I don't think things change that much for him.
He still needs to play everyday ..... in the minors.
RedSoxDirtdog 19
Calm down. I've been tamed.
Well said, but I will add that the argument that "He was never given a real chance" implies he deserved one, and that he never got one. I disagree on both fronts.
Besides, he actually got a pretty long look when he was the starter for about a half a year. He hit decently that year (good for a catcher), but never showed growth on defense or "staff-handling." He started the next season, and when they saw no further growth on defense, he was quickly (and rightfully) replaced- pretty much for good as a catcher.
He got a pretty good look last year, when Vaz got hurt, and again did not distinguish himself.
How many prospects, who never did great in the minors, sticks around so long with much of it on the ML roster?
I'm okay with what happened, but I get worked up when people say, "He never got a chance!"
IMO, he got more chances (including looks at other positions), more time and more looks than anyone with his record deserved.
I can name dozens of ex-Sox prospects who had great minor league careers and got 1/10th the chances Swihart got. Some, who went elsewhere proved they never belonged, but even if Swihart goes on to prove he does belong, I will still believe we gave him more opportunities than he deserved.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
3-0 since the trade....
other names i have posted under: none
To sum up, Swi stinks.
The King of TalkSox has Spoken.
Dbags were on a 4 game winning streak prior to the trade. 1-2 since.
HAHAHAHA.
The poor guy hasn't even had an AB yet!
I knew Swihart had no chance to clear waivers luckily he got traded. Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo were familiar with Blake from their time with the Red Sox organization. Plus if he would've hit waiver the Blue Jays would've probably claimed him with Ben Cherrington in their front office as VP of baseball operations he the one who drafted him in the first round back in 2011.
That's how horrible his stank is.
Exactly. He’s such a good catcher but still can’t get into a game...collusion!
other names i have posted under: none
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