Rob Brantly, C

[emkayseven]

I mean, he isn't Bob Brantley or anything
--------------------
he's his own person, dammit

[Erick]

So you like John Buck?

[Bobbob1313]

By all indications he has a very strong arm which is something I think we've been lacking behind the plate for a while. And from what I've read, his footwork etc. needs a little bit of work but he is expected to be an above average defensive catcher and that makes me happy.

Also, he's a lefty hitter and I am naturally biased toward lefties.

These things all sound like Kyle Skipworth, so I don't really get it...

[HUGG]

Well, Skipworth wasn't thought of as a good defensive catcher. Although that's the one area he's actually improved a good deal.

[emkayseven]

These things all sound like Kyle Skipworth, so I don't really get it...

SIGH.

When we drafted skip I was upset because he was a need pick and it's stupid to pick for a positional need in the MLB draft. With how barren the system was thought we needed a more ready hitter, someone who was closer to the majors who could either play for us or be decent trade bait for someone else. Yes, Smoak sucks, but he got Texas Cliff Lee. I do not hate high school prospects but I feel that we have taken high school players for the wrong reasons (positional need) and I think we need players right now who are closer to ready, given the state of our system. If we were a team like the Yankees, or the Rays, or the Rangers, I would be fine with taking the chance on a high school player and hoping he turns into something special. For a team in our situation, though, I don't think it is a wise decision. I only started saying told you so when he was sucking and Smoak was almost in the majors and my "told you so" was not so much in reference to his sucking but more that we should have drafted someone closer to ready. But instead, like everything on this board, it became "mk7 said he knew skipworth would never be good even though he was a high school catcher who he never saw play," even though that was not anywhere close to my original point.

And again, with regards to players I never saw play, I assume you are talking about skipworth and again, I never said that I knew he'd be awful (in fact one of my "reasons" at the time was that his name was Kyle Skipworth and no one with that name could be a good player) but I said he was not the right choice at the right time.

if we could find the original thread which we can't since jj is a vagina, you would see that i kept saying i hoped i was wrong about him

The Marlins drafted a high school bat due to a positional need which you should not use the MLB draft for. There wasn't ever any doubt about his power but there were always questions about his average and his catching abilities. Sure, he was the best catcher in the draft, but they literally drafted him because there wasn't another catcher in the system and we had Paul fucking Hoover in the big leagues at the time. You don't draft a questionable 18 year old bat because you need him in the major leagues. That was my point then, and that was my point now. Under the BEST case scenario - if he hit at every level - he'd MAYBE be in the majors later this year, right? You're telling me we were drafting for July 2011 in June 2008?

like, I get it, MK7 hates Skipworth was a fun meme for a long time, but I nothing him. I don't like him, I don't hate him. I don't think he was the right pick at the time for a number of reasons but I don't wish for his untimely death or anything.

[Bobbob1313]

I just don't get why you like this guy. It has less to do with Skip than that.

[emkayseven]

because he's a plus defender and he'll be able to step in when Buck is gone and hopefully bridge the gap to Realmuto/something more stable so we don't have to spend another $15-20 million in free agency on a below average catcher just because we need one

didn't I already pretty much say that? or were you too busy doing a thing to read that post?

[Bobbob1313]

I said I wasn't doing a thing. I'm trying to understand your reasoning, and it doesn't really make sense. Sorry.

[emkayseven]

Oh.

[Bobbob1313]

Yeah, my bad.

[HUGG]

Can't he just like him because he likes him?

[Bobbob1313]

Certainly. If that's what it is, whatever. I'm just trying to understand why he is excited about him.

If it's "I just like him" whatever. That's not what he said, though.

[emkayseven]

I mean, it can't be that hard to understand.

1. He is a plus defender.
2. The Marlins have not had a plus defender playing catcher in sometime.
3. Therefore, I am excited.

1. The Marlins do not have catchers nearly ready for the majors.
2. Once John Buck leaves, the Marlins will need a replacement catcher.
3. Without near-ready catchers, they would need to sign a below-average catcher just to have someone to catch the ball when it was thrown.
4. Rob Brantly is nearly ready for the majors.
5. Therefore, I am excited.

[Erick]

6. Kyle Skipworth actually really sucks so they're different.

[Big Z]

Think Gregg Zaun