A personal favorite I’m glad is finally with the Braves, though he’s nearing the end of the line. Pratt has spent most of his career bouncing between the Mets, the Phillies, and the minors. A Red Sox draftee, he was mired in their farm system during one of their clueless periods until they cut him loose after the 1991 season (when all he did was hit .292/.360/.516 in AAA) because they’d rather play Tony Pena’s rotting corpse, and signed with the Phillies. He finally made the majors in 1992, at age 25, and hit pretty well in limited action. In 1993 he backed up Darren Daulton for the Phillies’ pennant run. But in ’94 Daulton was hurt, Pratt didn’t hit, and Mike Lieberthal came up. Pratt was let loose and signed with the Cubs, backing up Scott Servais. He was awful and his career looked pretty much over. He didn’t play in 1996 on any level; he was either hurt or in Japan. In 1997, he signed with the Mets, beginning a career as one of baseball’s finest backup catchers.
He backed up Todd Hundley, and he backed up Mike Piazza. After four good years, he hit a slump in 2001, and the Mets traded him to the Phillies for Gary Bennett, who had only one plate appearance for the Mets before getting shipped to the Rockies. Pratt continued to struggle, but revived his career in 2002 and 2003, backing up Lieberthal — few can match that, backing up four legitimate All-Stars (Daulton, Hundley, Piazza, Lieberthal) including a Hall of Famer. He hasn’t played all that well in the last two seasons. He’ll take a walk, but his power hasn’t been there. He was 38 last year, after all, and maybe there’s not much left in the tank.
Pratt is a righthanded hitter with a major platoon split. Since most teams don’t platoon at catcher (preferring either to work their starters regularly except for needed off days, or, as the Braves have, assigning one pitcher for the backup to catch) he’s still gotten most of his at bats against righthanded pitching. Presumably this will continue, with Pratt catching one pitcher, maybe Hudson, though I think a platoon would be very effective… His career line is .255/.350/.403, but that’s the product of great years and bad ones; it’s really only in the last two seasons that he’s actually hit at about that level. Normally either he’s hit .275-.290 or battled the Mendoza Line and lost. That happens when you’re a backup.
Off topic: Dayn Perry tells us that Mattingly, Murphy, Gooden and Hershiser dont belong in the H.O.F.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5218194
Does he actually watch baseball or does someone just tell him what to write?
Pratt is a great addition to the ball club. He said his ultimate goal w/ Atlanta is to teach and mentor McCann!
considering Bobby lets the vets usually pick their own catcher…. I’d say it’s a safe bet that Smoltz and Huddy throw to Heep…
Hudson worked with Estrada a lot down the stretch. I don’t think he had anything against McCann, though, it was just how it worked out. I’d thought that Pratt might have caught Thomson in the past, but he was out of Flushing before Thomson’s time there.
In 1996, Pratt was neither in Japan nor injured. He was managing a pizza parlor.
Erin Andrews in the HIZZOUSE.
Act 1. Scene 1.
EXT. Orange Bowl.
As two legendary head coaches embrace at midfield, Erin, sporting a tight fitting orange sweater, firmly grasps her microphone, bringing it to her mouth slowly, and gasps.
Erin: Coach Paterno, what do you say to your critics who refer to you as “Raterno” due to your rat-like appearance and call for your retirement.
Paterno: I smell cheese….gimme some cheese pleese.
Bowden: Dad gummit.
Erin: Bobby, any second thoughts on placing the game on the foot of a Nole’s kicker.
Bowden: Awe schucks, I don’t know. We done good, as good as we did and better n’ sum’
All right, this has nothing to do with Todd Pratt, but I just have to get it off my chest: John Donovan is the most retarded columnist at SI. By a long shot. Some pearls from today’s column:
1. “As for the aforementioned Manny Ramirez and Miguel Tejada trade rumors, if I’m Baltimore (and, at times, I’ve felt a little crabby), I’m not letting Tejada go to Boston for anything less than Ramirez, a good starting pitcher and a replacement at shortstop that can start. Absolute minimum. It’s just not worth it otherwise.”
The Red Sox don’t HAVE a replacement at SS, you idiot! That is what Red Sox fans have been complaining about for weeks! No Renteria, no Hanley, NOTHING! Who exactly are they supposed to trade? Do you know how to READ?
2. “I also don’t see how any Red Sox fan can say — and I’ve had these exact e-mails — that Boston is better off without Johnny Damon. Maybe he was too expensive (OK, he was). Maybe the Yankees will regret signing him for four years (very possibly, they will). But the Sox have lost a decent center fielder, a very good leadoff man and a media magnet who takes a lot of heat off other players. That’s going to be way hard to replace.”
Okay, so your point is that Damon’s contract is too long and too expensive. And yet, you want the Red Sox to have agreed to said contract? What logic is this? Way to argue against yourself, John.
3. “The Braves thought they had one when they drafted Joey Devine of North Carolina State last year — and maybe they do — but Devine’s first efforts were not good. He gave up late-game grand slams in his first two outings in August, and allowed the 18th-inning homer to Houston’s Chris Burke in the clinching Game 4 of the Division Series between the Braves and Astros. The Braves don’t sound like they want to lay all that on Devine’s young shoulders just yet, so they’re still looking for a closer.”
Okay, so John’s *expert* opinion is that because of two bad outings and a cheapshot home run in a tiny park after 9 innings of total offensive incompetence and Farnsworth’s meltdown, Devine’s abilities are in doubt? Please, John, never go into player development. EVER.
4. “I’d be a fool to pick against the Braves (again). I’d be even more foolish to pick the Mets. But a new mindset pervades the Mets, from general manager Omar Minaya to manager Willie Randolph. And you have to admit that the Mets are improved, while the Braves probably are worse. It’s too early to make picks yet. Give me another six weeks or so. But I don’t know, Billy. I’m yammering here …”
The gist of this paragraph is that John Donovan is saying he’s a moron. Only he doesn’t realize it. “I will not pick against the Braves, because that would be dumb, but it would also be dumb to pick against the Mets, yadda yadda, however it is dumb to pick against the Braves but I like the Mets.” Okay, John, you’re dumb. Thanks for boxing yourself in for us!
5. “Here’s how I defend Little and how I question his booting from Boston, even knowing all the stories about him ignoring the pleas of his bosses, pinch-hitting for big hitters too early in games, leaving some starters in too long, going to the bullpen at odd times and otherwise mismanaging games: He won 93 games one year and 95 the next, holding together a fractious team when others couldn’t. How badly could he have mismanaged?”
Badly enough that he cost his team a trip to the World Series and the owner wanted to fire him in July but was for some reason talked out of it. This is the worst paragraph I’ve ever seen. First he says that Grady Little made a lot of terrible moves, but his TEAM won games, right, so he must be good. It is possible, John, to win IN SPITE of someone, not because of them. Terry Francona has had even more success.
I apologize for the long rant. But this guy is so stupid I can’t stand it.
No problem. The top entry should be considered an open thread pretty much always.
csg Mattingly, Murphy, Gooden and Hershiser aren’t hall of famers.
Wish we could have had a younger Pratt but for the 40 or 50 games that he is going to play he’ll be fine.
Of course if McCann has problems and Pratt suddenly is the number 1 catcher then we are in deep kimchee.
A-Rod to play for USA. Can someone please help this guy make a decision!!
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5220644
I agree that Murphy, Hershiser, Gooden & Mattingly all come in under the bar when it comes to Hall-of-Fame evaluation. I love the Murph as much as any ballplayer, but he wasn’t dominant long enough in my mind.
I agree that Joey Devine (despite his great drag-queen name) may not be ready to be a closer. Can’t close the book on him, but what he did last year was…kinda remarkable.
I also agree that those Erin Andrews posts are drifting dangerously close to stalker-ville. Careful with that computer, hombre, it’ll get you in trouble.
Weren’t we turned down for the Marte-Lugo swap. Apparently Boston is close to pulling of the trade.
http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=119817
Jeez, A-Rod. Hard to imagine that someone so monstrously talented, decently attractive, young, and a star in New York, could come off looking like a twerp in everything he does and says.
Derek Jeter could blow his nose and eat his own snot and still look classier than Alex Rodriguez.
Jeter pays someone to do that for him.
So, the net effect for the Sox is acquiring Lugo for Renteria and $11M. Trades take time to accurately analyze, but that looks a lot like a bad exchange to me.
Leaving Boston out of this, who would you rather have received for Andy Marte? Edgar Renteria and $11M, or Julio Lugo?
Jenny,
I think you are reading too much into this guy’s comments and are taking him too literally. What he said isn’t that stupid. With respect to Tejada, all he is saying is that the Red Sox don’t have enough to get him. I’m sure he realizes the Sox don’t have a shortstop to give, viz he is saying the trade should not go down.
With respect to Damon, he is just saying they won’t be as good a team without him–which seems indisputable. He acknowledges that Damom was too expensive, but he is simply decrying the idea that the Sox won’t miss him. I don’t see anything stupid about that.
Same thing with Devine. I don’t see how these comments constitute giving up on him–he is just making the obvious point that his initial appearances were bad.
As for the Mets/Braves, he is just saying he is unsure. What’s stupid about that; I respect his willingness to show his uncertainty more than those morons that say this or that will absolutely happen and then they don’t.
As for Little’s mistakes, I thought he should be fired for leaving Pedro in, but if you listen to a lot of complaints on this blog about Bobby Cox, you would conclude that he should be fired too.
In short, I don’t understand your problem with this guy. I’ve seen a lot worse. In fact, is there anyone on TV or the media or anywhere that you actually like?
Lugo sucks, if someone got the better end of the deal it was us.
I’m on record as saying that Tom Verducci is the world’s worst baseball writer, so Donovan isn’t even SI’s worst.
Mac in 2002:
“Oh, Bobby Valentine thinks the Mets can stand pat and win the division next year. Which I suppose is possible, if the Braves lose Maddux and Glavine. And Kevin Millwood tears up his arm. And Gary Sheffield decides to join a monastery.”
This reminds me of how amazing Cox/Schuerholz have been. The Braves did in fact lose Glavine and Millwood the next year, and Sheffield and Maddux the year after, and still won.
Marc,
My problem with Donovan is that he sounds a lot like Bill Plaschke. There ARE columnists I like: Peter King, Will Carroll, Gordon Edes, Michael Wilbon, Michael Silverman, Michael Smith (hmm, a lot of Michaels!), Sports Guy, Peter Gammons, Jayson Stark, Rick Maese, Don Banks, Charles Robinson, and some others I’m probably forgetting.
As far as TV personalities, the crop has been pretty thin the last few years.
Apparently the Mets are no longer after Baez:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-dodgers-metstrade&prov=ap&type=lgns
Let us hope that means we didn’t over pay to get him. And I’d much rather have Renteria than Lugo. Boston is nuts to actually want him…
Marlins sign Ligtenberg to a minor league deal.
Baseball Minimum Wage went up to $327,000.00 I wasnt sure if anyone had mentioned this already.
Ligtenberg is a veteran setup reliever who was with the Diamondbacks last season. In seven games, he had a 13.97 ERA, giving up 15 runs in 9 2/3 innings.
OUCH!
Did everybody click on the link Mac put up about Tom Verducci? Mac wrote the item Sept 10 2002. “Fred rick” posted a comment about – umm, not really sure what it’s “about” – on April 15, 2003. Just leaving his little mark on the world?
Odd…
It is some sort of spam, or more likely a test for a spammer since there’s no link. I could delete it.
That makes sense – it just struck me as very funny
Not the fact that you’re getting spammed, but the text itself…
Good for Kerry–I hope he can catch on somewhere. Too bad the Marlins couldn’t fix Tim Spooneybarger, huh?
Terry Mulholland was signed by the Diamondbacks today to minor league contract.
By the way, not to put too fine a point on it, but I would like to nominate the entire sports editorial staff of the AJC for the coveted award of worst baseball writer in the world. Tom Verducci, to his credit, is coherent, if banal. The Journal-Constitution’s baseball columnists manage to juggle incomprehesibility with massive stupidity.
Hoo boy, I don’t get sued over that sentence. I probably said something “actionable.”
The Mets gave up on Baez, and got Duaner Sanchez from the Dodgers instead, with Jae Seo moving to LA, and Schmoll and Hamulack also switching teams. It’s a better move for the Mets, certainly, since TB was only willing to accept Heilman in return, but I’m still surprised that they’re so blind to their need for insurance in the rotation that they’re willing to trade a prospect ready to be their 5th starter for, at best, a slightly above average setup man.
I guess Heilman gets a look now as 5th starter, but if he’s not quite ready, or if any of their weary arms break down, they’re set for the collapse we’re all eagerly awaiting.