Rookie Soto a viable MVP candidate

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Peter Gammons---

Rookie Soto a viable MVP candidate
Friday, August 15, 2008 |

The thought came out of nowhere. "You should," a Cubs player said, "be talking up Geovany Soto as the MVP. Think about it."
A rookie catcher as MVP? "Take his position, take what our pitchers have done, take his production," the player continued. "Who in the National League is more valuable?"
The first point is that on the Ides of August there is no clear choice for MVP. Albert Pujols (.342 BA, 24 HR, 75 RBIs, 28 intentional walks, 1.053 OPS) and Ryan Ludwick (.304, 30, 90) have carried the Cardinals to contention in a year when no St. Louis lead has been safe. Lance Berkman is hitting .333 with 25 homers and a 1.042 OPS, but the Astros' dash is for .500. The two leading home run hitters, Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn, are hitting in the .230s.
Chase Utley is certainly in the race, with 30 homers and 80 RBIs. So is Ryan Braun, with similar numbers. One magic September might push David Wright past everyone.
One can make the argument that Carlos Quentin is the American League MVP, with his 32 homers and 90 RBIs, or Josh Hamilton, leading both leagues in RBIs. Relative to the season, Alex Rodriguez (second in OPS, 27 homers) is within a big September of contention, although one can argue that Mike Mussina is the most valuable Yankee. In Boston they'll argue that with 22 homers and a .322 average Kevin Youkilis -- third in the league in OPS behind Milton Bradley and A-Rod -- is the rightful MVP due to his daily grind, and his willingness to play two corner infield positions and hit in any spot in the batting order. Look, Youkilis is fourth in the AL in extra-base hits, but that Aubrey Huff, Ian Kinsler and Brian Roberts are 1-2-3 tells us that well into the new drug testing policy, statistical years like 1998 aren't coming back, at least not soon.
So when one looks at Soto and sees that his 18 homers, 69 RBIs and .870 OPS are second among catchers to Atlanta's underappreciated Brian McCann (21 HR, 69 RBIs, .933 OPS), then appreciate what he has done as a rookie handling the Chicago pitchers. In total, the suggestion that he be considered for MVP is at least thought-provoking.
The larger issue is catching itself. And how remarkable it is that Soto, who signed as a third baseman, converted into an All-Star rookie catcher and became the frontispiece of what right now is the best team in baseball.


A number of general managers and managers were asked, "What is an average major league catcher?" The answers essentially involved someone who can handle pitchers, who is unselfish, and who is athletic (and please, compare no one to Russell Martin and Joe Mauer on that count).
"The average catcher in the American League," says one GM, "is anyone not named Mauer."
"A well above-average catcher for me would be Mauer," says Rays manager Joe Maddon, a former catcher and noted catching mentor. "An average catcher would have to have the mental acumen to take charge of your staff and display a caring that can be felt by all the pitchers. Next, he has to have the receiving ability and stamina to play at least five games a week. Throwing, I would like to have at least average arm strength with a quick release and accuracy. He has to block balls well and is fearless on plays at the plate. He should be the best worker on the team, and hitting, I would settle for .250 hitter with around 10 home runs or better."
"We are," says Maddon, "describing the player who wears 'the tools of intelligence.'"
The average major league team gets a .256 batting average with 11 homers and a .711 OPS from its catchers. The Cubs, for instance, are tied with the Braves and Angels with 22 homers from the catcher position, lead the majors in catchers' OPS at .863, and -- if one talks to the Cubs' pitchers -- have two catchers in Soto and Henry Blanco who care more about their pitchers than their own numbers. Earlier this season, Soto struck out eight straight times in Washington, but on the bus to the airport he was joking around when a teammate reminded him of his strikeouts.
"Hey, we won the series, the pitchers were great, and today we had a shutout," Soto shot back. "What's better than that?"
"That," says Ryan Dempster, "was not lost on the pitchers."
Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen says "catcher is the only position where we ask young players to develop in two different jobs. They have to do catching drills, sit in on pitchers' meetings, learn scouting reports and don't get the hitting reps that other position players get. There's a lot to learn." As Brandon Inge says, "When you catch, there is no downtime."
The physical grind is a reason there are only 10 catchers in the majors who have played enough to be qualified for the batting title -- McCann, Soto, Mauer, A.J. Pierzynski, Martin, Kurt Suzuki, Yadier Molina, Bengie Molina, Ramon Hernandez and Jason Kendall. McCann and Soto are the only catchers in that group with more than 12 homers. McCann (.933), Soto and Mauer (.858) are the only ones above .800 in OPS. None has knocked in 70 runs.
Now, there are some players not qualified for the batting title who are clearly developing into above-average catchers. Chris Iannetta has a .902 OPS and 14 homers. Ryan Doumit is hitting .329 with an .898 OPS. Jesus Flores has an .755 OPS. Kelly Shoppach is at .828. All have made quantum leaps handling their pitchers, as has Chris Snyder in Arizona.
"It took me a lot of work in the minors, but I learned that my job is to get the best out of the pitcher, to work for and with him," says Soto, who also has the advantage of being bilingual. "I know we win with pitching, and what I contribute offensively is secondary. Hey, it's all about winning, not stats."
If Geovany Soto doesn't wear down in September and ends up with close to 30 homers and 90-something RBIs and "Go, Cubs, Go" is ringing down Waveland Avenue, perhaps he'll end up in what appears to be a muddled MVP race. Odds are that he won't end up in the MVP finals, but in mid-August it is an intriguing thought, especially when the thought itself comes from one of his pitchers.
 

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Here ya go HC:
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<!-- Display the region title -->Credit Soto with the save

Catcher's 7 RBI bail out struggling Zambrano

<!-- Article Publish Date -->August 27, 2008
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<!-- Article By Line -->BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
<!-- Article's First Paragraph --><!-- BlogBurst ContentStart -->PITTSBURGH -- Last time out, he cracked a tooth and won a game in August for the first time in two years.
This time it looked more like a trip to the dentist for Carlos Zambrano, who was at his jumpy, charged-up worst Tuesday night at PNC Park in Pittsburgh -- earning a staff-leading two discussions on the mound with the manager in the same game.
<!-- BlogBurst ContentEnd --><!-- start sidebar -->» Click to enlarge image
Pittsburgh Pirates' Brandon Moss, left, is tagged out by third baseman Aramis Ramirez as he tries for third from first on a hit by Freddy Sanchez in the fifth inning of the Cubs' win.
(AP)

<!-- Fact box starts here -->

<!-- BlogBurst ContentStart -->That was before the third trip that ended Zambrano's outing at 4 1/3 innings, the second time in four starts he has been yanked during the fifth.
If there was a tooth involved in this one, it was a wisdom tooth.
Led by catcher Geovany Soto and his seven RBI, the Cubs backed Zambrano with enough run support in the 14-9 victory to keep him from being charged with a loss. Talk about taking care of your pitcher.
''What a big, big night,'' Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. ''He's such a clutch hitter. With men on base, he bears down.''
But that didn't make Zambrano's six-run, four-walk performance -- which also included a wild pitch, an errant pick-off throw and a dugout tantrum -- any less ugly.
''I'm not concerned, no, but you want to see him throw it better,'' Piniella said. ''He usually holds runners on really well, but they got some pretty good jumps on him. I don't know if it's concentration or what, but, look, he'll be better the next time out.''
Maybe it's an August thing. With one start left this month, he's 1-5 with a 7.23 ERA in August in the last two seasons.
''I have to eliminate August. Once I get past August, everything will be back to normal,'' Zambrano said. ''I was thinking about that after the game. Last August wasn't that good, but I was able to come back, and September and October were good for me. So it's nothing to worry about.''
Zambrano said he's just having problems with his delivery. He was fighting himself on the mound, emotionally if not physically. That prompted Piniella's first visit, after a four-pitch walk in the second inning to Ryan Doumit.
Zambrano's contribution wasn't the only ugly part of what might have been the Cubs' ugliest game of the season -- certainly their ugliest victory.
''You'd rather win like that than play a great game and lose it,'' Piniella said.
Left fielder Alfonso Soriano committed an error on a routine fly ball, losing it when he did that unnecessary hop again -- the second time he has made an error on the hop. Two batters later, Neal Cotts gave up a two-run triple to Doug Mientkiewicz and the lead.
Even after the Cubs broke the game open with a seven-run eighth, they got sloppy again in the bottom of the ninth, with laboring closer Kerry Wood at one point failing to cover first base on a grounder to Derrek Lee.
The game dragged nearly four hours between the 28 hits, 14 walks, hit batter and 12 pitching changes.
But Zambrano set the tone for the action on the field -- and off it.
Even when he struck out the first batter of the game, Nyjer Morgan, the ball skipped past Soto for a wild pitch that allowed Morgan to reach first. Morgan eventually scored the first run of the game during an inning that included three hits, a walk, a stolen base, a passed ball and Zambrano's throwing error trying to pick off Morgan at second.
When the inning finally ended, he angrily left the mound and kicked at the air, yanked his cap off his head and, upon reaching the dugout, knocked one Gatorade cooler to the ground, threw his cap and glove at the other, then walked over and kicked the dugout trash can.
Which was right about where this game should have ended up.
CUBS 14, PIRATES 9
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Soto is Cub I value most

On a team full of stars, savvy rookie catcher has made a convincing case for MVP


September 19, 2008
<!-- Article By Line -->
<!-- Article's First Paragraph --><!-- BlogBurst ContentStart -->Even before the ball landed deep in the left-field bleachers Thursday afternoon, his name was all but engraved.<!--dropend-->
Geovany Soto, Cubs rookie catcher, a star in the minors a year ago and the fat kid in the organization only a year or two before that, is the most valuable player on a team full of stars.
<!-- Fact box starts here -->
<!-- BlogBurst ContentStart -->The most valuable player on a team that secured its 92nd victory after his tying homer with two out in the bottom of the ninth helped lead to a big win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
His manager sounded like he was about to make a case for him before stopping.
''Let's just wait,'' Lou Piniella said. ''We've got two more games to get in that 'W' column [to clinch the division]. Once we do that, we can talk about all these different awards and scenarios. Right now, I'm going to tell you this: What this team shows is it's a team.''
And that's what makes Soto's ability to stand out in this group even more impressive.
But as important as Ryan Dempster's 16 wins and rock-of-the-rotation performance has been, or setup man Carlos Marmol's hot-spot dominance most of the year, or Aramis Ramirez's cool-hand ability to hit in the clutch, nobody has been more valuable to the Cubs this season than Soto.
Ask the pitchers, whose collective performance ranks second in the National League.
''Yeah, it was surprising when I got here,'' said Rich Harden, who has a 1.66 ERA in 11 starts since the Cubs acquired him in July. ''For a rookie, he's got a very good idea back there. And it's not just his handling of pitchers.''
It's not just his ability to calm Carlos Zambrano -- or work him through a no-hitter. Not just his ability to make his pitchers laugh in tough jams when he goes to the mound to relax them.
He also happens to be one of the best hitters on the team, who at times has helped carry the load when others have struggled, helping him win the starting job for the National League All-Stars.
His dramatic home run Thursday was his 23rd of the season, just two short of Hall of Famer Billy Williams' franchise rookie record. He's also hitting .285 and is third on the team with 86 RBI despite batting in the lower part of the order all year.
His .504 slugging percentage ranks behind only cleanup hitter Ramirez and $136 million slugger Alfonso Soriano. And his .362 on-base percentage is higher than that of veterans Soriano, Derrek Lee and Reed Johnson.
And he's durable, playing in 138 of the Cubs' 151 games -- with little sign of wearing down.
''This year's been really, really crazy for me,'' Soto said. ''I'm just here for one reason. I just want to win and keep going.''
And that might be as valuable as anything else -- a rookie having the year he's having keeping the bigger picture in sight, never talking beyond the team goals, whatever else he might be thinking.
It's a sign of maturity beyond his experience. And of leadership. And of this team's MVP.
 

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um. i don't think so. and i'm a cub fan. rookie of the year, maybe? MVP? laughable. the guy's got the worst plate discipline i've ever seen. way too many strikeouts.
 

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Very impressive for a rookie. He's not going to win league MVP though.

The odd thing is his numbers are progressively better the lower he hits in the order. He seems to make the most sense batting 5th but he's only hitting .223 in 33 games there. In 14 games in the 8 hole his OPS is 1.248. Only hitting .164 w/RISP and 2 outs.
 

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Howard will get it

say what you want about bad BA, but the HR's and RBI's especially in clutch situations will get him the award
 

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