All-Decade Team: 2000s – Catchers

[Freakshow]

I realize that the Current Events Forum has recently run polls on this. However, those ballots appeared to be drawn up somewhat unsystematically, the OF were all thrown together, and they weren’t even in alphabetical order. I think we can do this a bit better. Here’s my format:

• We’ll create a 25-man team, which will be the ballot for the final election.
• We’ll have ten preliminary polls, one for each position.
• We’ll vote for two players at each position (16 players total), plus five starting pitchers, plus four relievers. DH will not be listed separately, since only a handful of significant players played a majority of their games there.
• Data will be provided: total Win Shares 2000-2008 plus top 3 seasons in the decade; total WARP3 2000-2009 plus top 3 seasons; MVP award top 3 finishes in the decade. Other stats (OPS+, RC, etc.) are as of the 2009 all-star break.
• Players will be ranked only on their play in the decade 2000-2009; performance before 2000 should be ignored. Active players should be projected only to the end of this season; what you think they might do after this season is irrelevant.
• I’ll try and get the ten polls up fairly quickly. They’ll stay open for about a month.

We'll vote for two catchers. If a catcher is one of the Top 2 in a stat among these players it's highlighted below.
Player 3MVP ASG OPS+ RC OBP SLG G GG WARP3 Top 3 WS Top 3
Jason Kendall x-x-x 1 89 709 0.360 0.362 1410 35.9 (7.1-6.3-5.3) 156 (25-24-23)
Victor Martinez 7-18-21 3 119 506 0.370 0.465 809 31.1 (7.0-6.1-5.7) 100 (29-22-20)
Joe Mauer 4-6-x 3 134 451 0.404 0.474 625 39.5 (9.4-8.6-8.3) 109 (30-30-22)
Brian McCann x-x-x 4 123 331 0.360 0.499 542 24.0 (7.0-6.0-5.4) 61 (22-18-15)
Mike Piazza 3-13-x 5 127 580 0.360 0.512 931 21.6 (5.5-4.7-3.5) 119 (28-21-19)
Jorge Posada 3-6-x 5 129 819 0.387 0.490 1248 59.4 (8.5-8.4-7.9) 195 (29-28-24)
Ivan Rodriguez 10-23-x 6 112 678 0.337 0.481 1169 5 54.8 (7.2-7.1-6.7) 152 (25-24-22)

[Jsquared83]

Mauer and Pudge have the most talent in their peaks. However, Mauer's dominance only began a few years ago and Pudges' has been waning over the last 3. Voted for Pudge and Jorge though. Jorge cause he's probably the most linear and the bulk of his career has been during this decade and still putting up a good year this year as well. Pudge cause he's the complete package HOFer that's done enough this decade to merit inclusion. Piazza would be third. McCann is a guy who's flying under the radar, a slightly poor man's Mauer for the NL.

[nerfan]

Jorge and I-Rod. Mauer's got a better peak but didn't play close to the whole decade.

[jjpm74]

I'd be surprised if Posada doesn't run away with this. He's been the most consistent catcher of this decade.

[PVNICK]

Posada and I guess I-Rod, only b/c Mauer just has too few games and Kendall has the volume stuff but is average.

[Senor Octobre]

Posada and I guess I-Rod, only b/c Mauer just has too few games and Kendall has the volume stuff but is average.

Ditto for me.

[Freakshow]

Posada and I guess I-Rod, only b/c Mauer just has too few games and Kendall has the volume stuff but is average.With Mauer working on his 3rd MVP-type season of the decade I went with him over Pudge. By the end of the season Mauer will be only about 20 win shares total behind IRod for the decade, despite his late start.

[JDD]

Posada and I guess I-Rod, only b/c Mauer just has too few games and Kendall has the volume stuff but is average.

Well said... that guided my vote. Piazza heads my "post strike/lockout team".

We can get a decade out of that and maybe start a year early... 1993 to 2003 when the drug testing kicked in. What an awkward name for an era tho'.

If only I had a better name for it.
:think:

[Francoeurstein]

Sigh... I have already attemped this.

[Jsquared83]

Interesting point that Posada may very well win this little poll over some pretty sizable names, however his HOF credentials are 50/50 at best to this point.

[KCGHOST]

I picked Posada (who I really like), but would have went with Mauer except for the discrepancy in playing time.

[Freakshow]

I picked Posada (who I really like), but would have went with Mauer except for the discrepancy in playing time.Let me take this opportunity to remind everyone to VOTE FOR TWO, not just one.

Actually, this is not a poll designed to name the best catcher of the decade. This, and the other polls, are a runoff to decide which two players make the all-decade 25-man team. We will then ask voters to rank all 25 to decide the best players of the decade, in order, as well as the best player at each position.

[Fielding Marshall]

Posada and Mauer.

Pudge is a really good defensive backstop, but had a horrible batting eye (in comparison to these guys, though he probably has the worst batting eye among active players who can actually hit) and probably benefited from playing in Texas.

Wondering if Russell Martin deserved a spot on the ballot...

[dgarza]

Posada & Rodriguez

[Edgartohof]

First, I went with Posada - obvious choice.

But the second pick was a bit harder . . .

1.) There is I-rod, who has been 2 players (at least as a hitter) this decade.
He had a 132 OPS+ from 2000-2004 and an 89 OPS+ from 2005 on . . . Yes he did win 5 GG's and somewhat deserving of most of them. Yes, while he was good defensively, his reputations certainly played a part in a couple GG's. And on top of this, we have the ties to steroids/PED'S . . . do what you want with that.

2.) Then we have Joe Mauer. Though he only came on the scene in 2004, he has had an immediate impact - winning 2 BA titles (including last season), and is currently having quite possibly the greatest season by a Catcher period! His .365/.434/.611/1.045 line suggests a lot, especially considering he is leading the league in all 4 categories - as well as his 179 OPS+. That couples with his GG caliber defense, just puts me in awe of him.

But maybe it is just because Mauer is in the here in now and I-Rod is just a shadow of his former self - just another testament to how quicl the past can be forgotten - that this argument comes up.

Either way, my vote has been cast, the decision is final, I choose Mauer.

[Paul Wendt]

Joe Mauer is my first choice. He has been a good MVP candidate. It seems likely that both WARP3 and WS will credit him with all three of the best catcher seasons of the decade.

I realize that the Current Events Forum has recently run polls on this. However, those ballots appeared to be drawn up somewhat unsystematically, the OF were all thrown together, and they weren’t even in alphabetical order. I think we can do this a bit better.
Will anyone do it after the decade is complete?

[Freakshow]

Will anyone do it after the decade is complete?EVERYONE will do some kind of this-er-that-of-the-decade thing after the decade is complete. I'm trying to beat the rush.

[Freakshow]

Only two days left in this poll, and Mauer is still trying to catch IRod for the money spot.

[yankillaz]

In a weak decade for the position, Posada gets the node.

[yankillaz]

Where's Varitek in there anyway?