"Sizing" the Bear Up, Not Down!
In the midst of the race for October, so many critics out there still continue their ongoing doubt casting on your people's champion and mine, Evan Gattis. It's all the same phrases:
"I'm not sold on him catching full time."
"His knees won't hold up a full season as starter."
"He's had health issues in the past."
"There are so many better defensive options out on the market."
"Those offensive numbers are just a fluke."
"Who cares about offense for a catcher?"
"That stat line of him as a catcher is just a small sample size."
These quotes do exactly THIS to someone like Evan Gattis, hypothetically. They cut him down to size by belittling him. And here I was thinking that I was not going to have to use this same shrinking analogy again, BUT here we are.
Let me explain something to you folks. Evan Gattis has played in 42 games as a catcher, and 38 of those were starts. A typical starting catcher will play between 110-120 games in any given regular season. El Oso Blanco has only been a catcher for just over 3 months, or half a season. In that time, his offensive numbers have not changed. In fact, they keep trending upward. The "small sample size" isn't so small anymore. Nor, will my bear buddy ever be!
Not only that, but his defense is not as "subpar" as some keep making it out to be. He has the same number of defensive runs saved above average as Jason Castro at 4. He's an above average framer and an excellent game caller, as proof by both the post game interview props from the pitching staff and his catcher ERA of only 3.46. The league average is 3.9, and Jason Castro currently has one at 4.07. That may not seem like a big difference, but it really is.
The only thing on his defense that I've seen that looks remotely out of tune is his blocking and wild pitch prevention. But here's the deal: He's a 6"4" 270 pound guy with a lot of body to move around. Plus, the game scorer tallies wild pitches for the very reason that they are the fault of the PITCHER. Passed balls are considered the fault of the catcher, and Evan only has 4 on the season. As stated many times before, this season has been a crash course for him on both sides of the ball. Come spring training next year as STARTING catcher, he will get an early taste of the action and be able to turn his game into something very close to, if not already elite, on both offense and defense. In other words, THE BEAR NEEDS AND DESERVES MORE PLAYING TIME!!!!
So try as you might, critics, doubters and haters, you will NEVER make Evan Gattis a small sample size of anything. And while you continue to belittle him, I will take the high road, and do THIS:
That's right! I'm gonna keep building him up instead of tearing him down! Lift him up high instead of pulling him down low! Grow his game and image rather than shrink it away! So long as I am still breathing, no one will ever mess with Evan Gattis, online or otherwise, without going through me first!
On that note, I want to end this post with a message for some of you out there. I've been getting way too many messages from people wanting to me to ask Evan to unblock them. Two problems with that:
1. I don't really have that kind of outlet yet. I'm still waiting patiently for a follow from him, and I don't even know if it will come, even though I continue to hold out hope everyday that my wish will be granted soon enough. I'm doing things I can already to establish a good rapport with Evan and those around him.
2. Evan has a history of depression and anxiety. He's made that clear throughout interviews, documentaries, etc. If people would take more of a vested interest in learning about him as a person and not just a baseball player, they would know that. Truth be told, if Evan ends up blocking you on social media, there was obviously a good reason. I'm sure, having met him twice already, that he would admit to a misunderstanding if there actually was one present. He's more than man enough, and treats everyone with kindness, dignity and respect. If you're not willing to show the same to him, then you'll have to live with the consequences, which include being blocked. Evan doesn't need further negativity in his life.
Lesson here being: THINK BEFORE YOU POST!!!! Now, let's relive Evan Gattis' two clutch hits as well as a nice throw down from this past series with the Oakland Athletics, shall we? Or as I like to call these plays, POETRY IN MOTION!!!!
"I'm not sold on him catching full time."
"His knees won't hold up a full season as starter."
"He's had health issues in the past."
"There are so many better defensive options out on the market."
"Those offensive numbers are just a fluke."
"Who cares about offense for a catcher?"
"That stat line of him as a catcher is just a small sample size."
These quotes do exactly THIS to someone like Evan Gattis, hypothetically. They cut him down to size by belittling him. And here I was thinking that I was not going to have to use this same shrinking analogy again, BUT here we are.
Let me explain something to you folks. Evan Gattis has played in 42 games as a catcher, and 38 of those were starts. A typical starting catcher will play between 110-120 games in any given regular season. El Oso Blanco has only been a catcher for just over 3 months, or half a season. In that time, his offensive numbers have not changed. In fact, they keep trending upward. The "small sample size" isn't so small anymore. Nor, will my bear buddy ever be!
Not only that, but his defense is not as "subpar" as some keep making it out to be. He has the same number of defensive runs saved above average as Jason Castro at 4. He's an above average framer and an excellent game caller, as proof by both the post game interview props from the pitching staff and his catcher ERA of only 3.46. The league average is 3.9, and Jason Castro currently has one at 4.07. That may not seem like a big difference, but it really is.
The only thing on his defense that I've seen that looks remotely out of tune is his blocking and wild pitch prevention. But here's the deal: He's a 6"4" 270 pound guy with a lot of body to move around. Plus, the game scorer tallies wild pitches for the very reason that they are the fault of the PITCHER. Passed balls are considered the fault of the catcher, and Evan only has 4 on the season. As stated many times before, this season has been a crash course for him on both sides of the ball. Come spring training next year as STARTING catcher, he will get an early taste of the action and be able to turn his game into something very close to, if not already elite, on both offense and defense. In other words, THE BEAR NEEDS AND DESERVES MORE PLAYING TIME!!!!
So try as you might, critics, doubters and haters, you will NEVER make Evan Gattis a small sample size of anything. And while you continue to belittle him, I will take the high road, and do THIS:
That's right! I'm gonna keep building him up instead of tearing him down! Lift him up high instead of pulling him down low! Grow his game and image rather than shrink it away! So long as I am still breathing, no one will ever mess with Evan Gattis, online or otherwise, without going through me first!
On that note, I want to end this post with a message for some of you out there. I've been getting way too many messages from people wanting to me to ask Evan to unblock them. Two problems with that:
1. I don't really have that kind of outlet yet. I'm still waiting patiently for a follow from him, and I don't even know if it will come, even though I continue to hold out hope everyday that my wish will be granted soon enough. I'm doing things I can already to establish a good rapport with Evan and those around him.
2. Evan has a history of depression and anxiety. He's made that clear throughout interviews, documentaries, etc. If people would take more of a vested interest in learning about him as a person and not just a baseball player, they would know that. Truth be told, if Evan ends up blocking you on social media, there was obviously a good reason. I'm sure, having met him twice already, that he would admit to a misunderstanding if there actually was one present. He's more than man enough, and treats everyone with kindness, dignity and respect. If you're not willing to show the same to him, then you'll have to live with the consequences, which include being blocked. Evan doesn't need further negativity in his life.
Lesson here being: THINK BEFORE YOU POST!!!! Now, let's relive Evan Gattis' two clutch hits as well as a nice throw down from this past series with the Oakland Athletics, shall we? Or as I like to call these plays, POETRY IN MOTION!!!!
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