1) Someone did run on Thole and he was safe by a mile, though Thole did do a good job of calling the game up to that point and blocking some balls in the dirt.

>I must have missed that, but I saw him throw earlier in the Spring and the throws are like cannon fire and very accurate.<

2) Murphy is going to get killed at 2b

>Yeah. I saw that. The guy is so determined but it just takes time. I REALLY hope he doesn't get injured again because eventually I think he can will himself into being a decent second baseman.<

3) All Mets hitters putting up good ABs... Torres/Murphy working the count full and fighting off pitches was a good sight, as was Duda going the other way with a ball on the outside corner.

>I like the approachs. Yesterday was a very dirty day and they need to clean it up alot, but there is talent there. They do need to be fundamentally sound, however.<

4) Santana is done after three innings. PERIOD.
>I look at that as an endurance thing. He'll get better as time goes on. He looked really good in the first two.<

He strikes me more as a potential Jason Kendall.

>That's not a bad thing. He was a pretty decent catcher. I remember him when he was a Buc. Very good defensive, good enough nobody cared about the .250 batting average because the pitchers loved him.<

Defensively he already looks much better. Still can't throw out anybody so still has a bit to go.

>I don't know. Earlier in ST he let loose with a couple of absolute rifle shots, fast and accurate.<

I noticed this last year and again in the spring games thus far...he closes his eyes on every pitch just before it hits his glove. It's amazing he catches any of them. I know some catchers blink when a batter swings but Thole does it on every pitch. Weird. Wonder if it's just something I just picked up or all catchers do it. I played some back in another lifetime or two and don't every remember blinking.

>Oh, I did. Maybe it was because I got hit with a tip in the nose (broken) in a softball game without a mask. Duh, I know. I can't fault any of them for a little flinch every now and then.<

What Piazza was you watching? He was terrible as a catcher. The only thing going for him was his hitting and even that left us holding the bag more than not. Yea he had numbers...HR's and RBI's but not many when we needed them.

Thole needs a good coach behind him. He has all the tools...just has to put them all together.
If "Pudge" ain't going to play maybe he could be picked up as a coach. The Mets could use an accomplished catching coach throughout the system.

The generally accepted opinion that Piazza was a horrid defensive catcher isn't supported by the statistics.

Was he Johnny Bench or Jerry Grote? Not by a long shot, but he was hardly the abomination behind the plate that people make him out to be. Piazza at his best is about as good as Thole is now with Thole set to improve.

Agreed.

other than his arm piazza was pretty decent behind the plate.

Calling a Mets fan "spoiled" about anything is preposterous

"I noticed this last year and again in the spring games thus far...he closes his eyes on every pitch"

David Wright taught him this. Close your eyes and hope for the best.

"My prediction is that in 3 years he will be one of the better catchers in the league. Not the best but in the top 10 due to his average,OBP and CS rate. "

Well, currently he's one of the worst catchers in the game so I would be thrilled if your prediction came true.

he strikes me more as a potentail Brian Schneider

God forbid. I don't think he's an everyday major league catcher so I was being kind.

He's also a singles hitter. He needs to hit at least around .290 for me to call him "good".