Man, this is much needed… don’t even want to think about Tucker being out right now, but all-around offense like this? Yes!
Also, crowd at MMP sounds spicy tonight. I know lots of Cards fans there… but seems pretty raucous for a Monday (albeit summer)
This is the Astros we’ve known for the past 7 seasons. It’s crazy to think this type of clutch hitting has been practically nonexistent this year.
You are right about catchers. There is a reason that catchers can hit like pitchers and stick around for 15 years. Having said that - Maldonado wasn’t a normal catcher on the Astros. He didn’t just call the game or go over and memorize reports from advanced scouts. He drafted his own game reports, then like 5-6 years ago he sat down with Sarah Gelles to learn advanced stats and how they work. So he over time was involved in the advanced stats used. His game plans were called better than those produced by the Astros - and soon it was collaborative with him meeting with the pitching coaches about pitchers, the manager about his opinions of pitcher usage and what the players told him - and with the Astros coaches before series to discuss pitch selection, how particular pitchers were throwing and about how to attack hitters. As far as I know - no other catcher has ever been that involved. I have heard of catchers long ago calling all the shots, but not in decades, and not with the kind of information and detail in baseball now. Diaz reminds me of Wilson Contreras. He will catch - he has the physical tools, he will throw guys out - and will even work at it - but he doesn’t understand the game like Maldonado does. Let’s just say that Valdez wouldn’t do what he did to Diaz, if Maldonado were here. Im not even mad he is gone, his bat was putrid, his skills really eroded, he wouldn’t take a back seat to Diaz and if he remained an Astro, he would be catching all the vets by request.
