flamarlins.com---joe frisaro

 

JUPITER, Fla. -- Pick a glove, any glove. Chances are Josh Willingham has that model stored in his locker or inside the duffle bag he carries onto the field.

 

Prepared for just about everything, Willingham has three different types of gloves at his immediate disposal. For now, the 27-year-old is getting a crash course on catching. But if it doesn't pan out behind the plate, he carries a first baseman's glove and an outfield mitt.

 

Willingham jokes that he left his third base glove back at his Florence, Ala., home for obvious reasons. With two-time All-Star Miguel Cabrera locked in at the hot corner, Willingham figured there was no use for his infield glove.

 

A converted third baseman, Willingham actually was switched to catching a few years back because of the presence of the power-hitting Cabrera.

 

Now Willingham is battling for the starting catching spot along with Miguel Olivo, a career catcher and solid defender.

 

How Willingham performs behind the plate defensively will help dictate where he eventually plays. The Marlins are impressed by Willingham's hitting and are eager to get his bat into the lineup on a regular basis.

 

"It all points to how he progresses over the next six weeks," manager Joe Girardi said of Willingham's status as a catcher. "Obviously we want him to get his at-bats. We've said it all along -- we believe he is going to be in the lineup somewhere. We're just not sure where. But he's got the best instructor you can have. We'll see how much progress he makes over the next six weeks."

 

Willingham will be under the tutelage of new bench coach Gary Tuck, a highly respected catching instructor. And Girardi, a former catcher, is already giving pointers.

 

"As far as Joe, who better to learn from than someone who has been in the league as long as he's been?" Willingham said. "And Gary Tuck, any time you're called a 'guru,' I think that's a very good word. That's somebody I'm anxious to learn from. I have the opportunity to learn from two of the best in the business. That's what I need. If I can do it, I can. If I can't, I can't."

 

Plan B, should Willingham struggle, is left field.

 

After being selected in the 17th round of 2000 First-Year Player Draft, and spending most of his six professional seasons in the Minor Leagues, Willingham isn't being picky about where he ends up playing.

 

"My goal is to make the team," he said. "That's my first and foremost goal."

 

The on-the-job-training approach to finding a position for Willingham doesn't bother him. Whether he ends up catching or in the outfield, he's happy for the opportunity.

 

"That's kind of a compliment to the way I've hit my whole Minor League career," he said. "They know I have the potential to produce offensively. Everybody wants someone who can hit. If you can play multiple positions, which I can ... obviously they'd like me behind the plate. But if it doesn't work out, I can go to left or be a utility guy."

 

The organization's intrigue is in the fact Willingham has put up big Minor League numbers, batting .324 with 19 homers and 54 RBIs in 66 games at Triple-A Albuquerque last year. In 2004, he belted 24 home runs and drove in 76 runs in 112 games for Double-A Carolina.

 

Admittedly, Willingham says he needs more polish defensively. Some days he feels he's picking up the finer points, while other days he struggles.

 

"I have to work on every aspect of my game defensively," he said. "My throwing has gotten better. I have to work on my blocking. I've always been good as far as getting in front of the ball. My technique may not always be great. I have to keep working on things like that. I'm smart. I think I can call a good game, but you can always work on that. The main thing is working with your pitchers on what they can do and what they can't do."

 

With his power potential, Willingham is projected to hit in the middle of the order, possibly in the fifth or sixth spots, assuming Cabrera bats cleanup.

 

Willingham notes that catching on a regular basis does take its toll at the plate because the demands of the job defensively.

 

"That's the one thing I noticed in '03 when I started [catching], is you get physically tired and mentally tired," he said. "If you have a 15-minute inning and you have to come in and lead off an inning, it's hard. I don't like taking pitches, but sometimes you have to take a pitch."

 

Based on his Minor League statistics, Willingham is confident he can deliver in the big leagues.

 

"I've always produced, but it doesn't always look pretty. Last year, I didn't hit anything in Spring Training," he said. "And in Albuquerque, I was hitting like .180 through two weeks into the season. That's a pretty good while, and then I caught fire. I'm streaky that way. Once I get into a rhythm, I've been good. But that's the case. Once you go through a bad streak, you have to work through it to get back into a good streak. My numbers have always been there, so I have no reason to believe they won't this year if I get 400 at-bats."

 

I just think he is so much more valuable to this team if he is the starting catcher, or atleast starting 5 of every 7 games (I dont know what that equates to on the year). Now if he isnt good enough to be a catcher for more than once a week, then I dont have much of a point here

The more I've been thinking about it a lot lately, I'd rather see Willy patrol LF and let a more experienced catcher in Olivo handle the young staff. My concern is Willy focusing too much on a new position and distracting him from hitting. Besides, I wonder how difficult it is to learn a new position and also handle a mostly inexperienced pitching staff. If Willy is happy playing LF and produces at the plate, more power to him.

He's only valuable if he can get to the level of Mike Piazza catch and not-really throw.

 

If he's just letting any runner get into scoring position no questions asked, then it's going to be a problem.

 

Personally, I'm pulling for him to make it as a catcher, could be something real special for the next 4 or 5 years.

He's only valuable if he can get to the level of Mike Piazza catch and not-really throw.

 

If he's just letting any runner get into scoring position no questions asked, then it's going to be a problem.

 

Personally, I'm pulling for him to make it as a catcher, could be something real special for the next 4 or 5 years.

 

Anyone got Lo Duca's % on hand?... and Hammer has a strong arm, he just needs to get better footwork, which hopefully(and I am sure they are) working on

I would rather have Willingham in LF as well. I don't need him wearing down from catching all the time and would rather have him in the lineup every day.

 

That and I don't think there's the alternatives in LF will produce as much as Olivo will. I think Willingham in LF and Olivo behind the plate are our best options both offensively and defensively.

 

I'd rather have Olivo working with our pitchers too.

Regardless of what happens with the lineup this year, Willingham will be more valuable in the long term as a catcher. We should not be shortsighted in this. If he can handle the catching it will be great for the club for the next 3-5 years. We are working toward another World Series run (especially with all the young pitchers the club has stockpiled, both for the Marlins pitching staff and for trading bait). Willingham will be more valuable to a playoff-caliber team behind the plate than in left field.

I would rather have Willingham in LF as well. I don't need him wearing down from catching all the time and would rather have him in the lineup every day.

 

That and I don't think there's the alternatives in LF will produce as much as Olivo will. I think Willingham in LF and Olivo behind the plate are our best options both offensively and defensively.

 

I'd rather have Olivo working with our pitchers too.

 

 

I totally agree.

Didn't I read somewhere that Willingham had knee problems as a catcher (looking down at my two surgically repaired knees as I type) and wonder whether having not been a catcher all his baseball life he may be more prone to injury than say someone who's been doing it since little league?

 

He admits in the story above as much and has not yet come to grips with the toll catching takes day in and day out, and that he tired after long innings in the minors.

 

In no way are these thoughts to be taken as anti-Willingham. But I do wonder whether it's almost too late for him to begin a major league career behind the plate because he hasn't been stretching out those ligaments and tendons for twenty years the way someone who always caught has.

 

Anyone who wishes to disagree is welcome to. I'm not professing to know Willingham, his physical condition or his true desire to play that position. Like many players in camp he wants a major league career more than anything, and if for the time being he's behind the plate I have no doubt he'll do everything he can to succeed there.

This from someone who took grounders at 2B last Spring Training to make himself more valuable to the team

He's only valuable if he can get to the level of Mike Piazza catch and not-really throw.

 

Are you saying Piazza is of minimal value?

 

In recent years catchers have averaged a .700 OPS. If you get a guy who is capable of posting a OPS over a hundred points greater than that (i.e. Willingham), that's extremely valuable whether they give up 20 passed balls or can't throw out more than 10% of baserunners (let's ignore LoDuca's own defensive liabilities for a moment). Let alone if like Piazza with have an OPS greater than .950. That's 35% better than the average catcher.

He's only valuable if he can get to the level of Mike Piazza catch and not-really throw.

 

Are you saying Piazza is of minimal value?

 

In recent years catchers have averaged a .700 OPS. If you get a guy who is capable of posting a OPS over a hundred points greater than that (i.e. Willingham), that's extremely valuable whether they give up 20 passed balls or can't throw out more than 10% of baserunners (let's ignore LoDuca's own defensive liabilities for a moment). Let alone if like Piazza with have an OPS greater than .950. That's 35% better than the average catcher.

 

No no no, I was saying that Piazza is bad defensively but not kill the team defensively.

 

I was aiming at offensive production from the catcher (Willingham) while having minimal, yet serviceable, defensive skills. Hence, "catch and not-really throw." Said nothing of the bat.

 

If Willingham can't catch or throw any runner out (I've yet to see him do so in the majors) then he is no good behind the plate no matter what the OPS tells you, but if he can catch the ball consistently, throw out some runners here and there, well, I think we'd have a Piazza like catcher on our hands which is a good thing.

Willingham needs to be in lf and will be there opening day.

Willingham needs to be in lf and will be there opening day.

 

 

thanks for adding to the conversation das :thumbup

 

where would we be without this past input?

Willingham needs to be in lf and will be there opening day.

 

 

thanks for adding to the conversation das :thumbup

 

where would we be without this past input?

 

look, there really is no other real alternative in left field. I'm not sold on Aguila, although I'm not sold on Willingham neither, though he does have more potential.

 

Willingham isnt good behind the plate, Olivo has the skills necessary to get it done, though he has had some struggles with the bat.

 

Its the best situation for us currently. By far.

Willingham needs to be in lf and will be there opening day.

 

 

thanks for adding to the conversation das :thumbup

 

where would we be without this past input?

 

look, there really is no other real alternative in left field. I'm not sold on Aguila, although I'm not sold on Willingham neither, though he does have more potential.

 

Willingham isnt good behind the plate, Olivo has the skills necessary to get it done, though he has had some struggles with the bat.

 

Its the best situation for us currently. By far.

 

 

Moving Willingham to LF is not in the best intrest of the team for the long term. It will be easier to find a LF in the next few years (with all the pitching porspects to trade) than it will be to find a catcher with a bat like Willingham's. He is more valuable to the team in the long term if he can handle the catching.

 

I think he will be able to handle it, and I am not alone on this. The the Marlins seem to think he can handle it. If he is moved to left field now, the Marlins have wasted the last four years of his professional career. Remember the Marlins askd him to switch to catcher. Let's stick with it and let it play out.