Gerald Laird Part 2 ??

[tonyballs]

Have a feeling that crusty old Leyland will play Laird more than he would any other backup that the Tigers might have acquired otherwise. Whatever, we will see what else the Tigers brass does or doesn't do this off-season, but IMO, Leyland could pencil in a Sunday afternoon lineup with the roster as it is now that would be pretty damned horrific than ever before, on BOTH offense and defense.

You're damn right we're going to see Laird catch more. Avila was run into the fn ground last year because there was no reliable backup. Now, we supposedly do in Laird?? Are you fn kidding me?? Oh, but he's cheap though and he knows the pitching staff!!! Fn priceless...lol!! Expect to see Laird at least twice a week, sometimes three. You can count on it. Absolute, positively brutal.....

 

[kalinecountry]

Have a feeling that crusty old Leyland will play Laird more than he would any other backup that the Tigers might have acquired otherwise. Whatever, we will see what else the Tigers brass does or doesn't do this off-season, but IMO, Leyland could pencil in a Sunday afternoon lineup with the roster as it is now that would be pretty damned horrific than ever before, on BOTH offense and defense.

You're damn right we're going to see Laird catch more. Avila was run into the fn ground last year because there was no reliable backup. Now, we supposedly do in Laird?? Are you fn kidding me?? Oh, but he's cheap though and he knows the pitching staff!!! Fn priceless...lol!! Expect to see Laird at least twice a week, sometimes three. You can count on it. Absolute, positively brutal.....

Lard was one of the if not last available I wanted as the backup catcher, but I can understand some of the posters wanting him.
As Tony says, and also with the way leyland does give some starting players more time off than most of us want, having laird more than 1 game a week or every 7 games will suck.
It is for 1M, which comes cheap. This might be a reason they didn't go after say doumit, barajas, molina, hernandez or any other catcher for salary as well as these other catchers may have been looking for more than 1 year contract.
Now I have a reason to get up for a snack or take a leak for another Tiger when at bat; Inge, and Raburn(first 3 months of season).

 

[Thumb]

I was not wanting Laird, I don;t think anyone else who was defending the move did either.

We're simply not going to cry our eyes out into our pillows at night over it, it's a backup catcher...not the end of the fucking world.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go by stock in Kleenex, cause some of you are going to cause it to skyrocket.

 

[jimrice]

Hopefully, he just plays against lefties. He's much better with the bat against southpaws, career .729 OPS. Obviously, he must be used effectively to be decent. Much like Inge, Laird is significantly worse against right handers.

 

[turok]

KalineCountry[/color]]

You're damn right we're going to see Laird catch more. Avila was run into the fn ground last year because there was no reliable backup. Now, we supposedly do in Laird?? Are you fn kidding me?? Oh, but he's cheap though and he knows the pitching staff!!! Fn priceless...lol!! Expect to see Laird at least twice a week, sometimes three. You can count on it. Absolute, positively brutal.....

Lard was one of the if not last available I wanted as the backup catcher, but I can understand some of the posters wanting him.
As Tony says, and also with the way leyland does give some starting players more time off than most of us want, having laird more than 1 game a week or every 7 games will suck.
It is for 1M, which comes cheap. This might be a reason they didn't go after say doumit, barajas, molina, hernandez or any other catcher for salary as well as these other catchers may have been looking for more than 1 year contract.
Now I have a reason to get up for a snack or take a leak for another Tiger when at bat; Inge, and Raburn(first 3 months of season).

Its obviously not unheard of for a player on another team who is languishing on the bench and/or on a team that usually is languishing in the middle of the pack or worse, to become motivated by being traded for or acquired by a contender. The Tigers benefited from that by this past season's performances of Peralta, and to a lesser degree Young and VMart (who must be psychic by leaving the troubled Dread Sux prior to last season and we all know what Victor said after he signed with the Tigers) Fister as well who also was a VERY pleasant surprise, and I considered him to be the Tigers' #2 SP by season's end.

There is next to ZERO chance that Lard would be any better behind or at the plate than he was in '10 and IF anything he most likely will be even worse on offense and defense. Where is Gerald's motivation to perform at the highest level (lol) that he is capable of??? He has also now "won" a World Series ring, nearly by rote with the Cards.

Its the devil that we know all too well in Lard, that is why I despise his being signed, and if the Tigers were to have signed another backup catcher that ended up doing as awful as Lard is quite likely gonna be next season, at least there was perhaps a 50-50 chance that whoever they got might be able to bat over .200. Gerald would not surprise me at all if he starts/plays in ~50 games and has a BA of around a Dunn-like .165 at best, with maybe a homer or two and a handful of two baggers, that is, IF he gets lucky.

 

[zonietigerfan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0

 

[spockmaster]

Good lord, its a 1-year, $1 million deal for a backup catcher. its not the end of the world.

 

[tigers99888]

I don't mind the acquisition as he could be a quality backup.. Keyword being backup..

 

[tonyballs]

Good lord, its a 1-year, $1 million deal for a backup catcher. its not the end of the world.

Never said it was the end of the world, but to defend this putz (Laird) is unexcusable. Sorry....

 

[stonecold2136]

hopefully Avila rips his knee apart in the 1st month , and we'll see the same guys here who love this signing , bash the hall outta Laird when he has to become the #1.

If Avila gets hurt Martinez would take over full time catching duties. Laird would still be a back up..... he will on catch 30 games a year either way

 

[biggunsbob]

I am about ready to delete this thread...

 

[byco42]

Laird's signing does not hurt this team.

what does it help thou, other than another body behind the plate, he doesn't hit and he isn't even considered a good Catcher.like someone said earlier, it isn't the mill. that he's gonna get, it's him period.. he ain't worth a shit and will not add anything productive to the team.

I'm reminded that neither Jim Price or Dwight Lowry hurt the WS chances of the 1968 and 1984 Tigers.

He's not a good catcher? Okay. His value is in that Avila will not resemble the chopped-up knight in the Monty Python movie next season. The Tigers are good enough for this luxury of a defensive-first backup.

 

[hellifino]

what does it help thou, other than another body behind the plate, he doesn't hit and he isn't even considered a good Catcher.like someone said earlier, it isn't the mill. that he's gonna get, it's him period.. he ain't worth a shit and will not add anything productive to the team.

I'm reminded that neither Jim Price or Dwight Lowry hurt the WS chances of the 1968 and 1984 Tigers.

He's not a good catcher? Okay. His value is in that Avila will not resemble the chopped-up knight in the Monty Python movie next season. The Tigers are good enough for this luxury of a defensive-first backup.

but neither of them had Leyland for a manager. if Laird was only gonna be a back-up, then I wouldn't have that big of a problem with it, but watch and see how much playing time/at bats he's gonna get under Leyland.


yep solid behind the plate... #51 page #2 http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding/_/position/c/league/nl/count/41/qualified/false/order/true

 

[turok]

So if MLB is in a mood to make changes, like adding two more WC slots to the postseason, and having interleague play throughout the regular season, then I wish that they would also permit AL teams to designate ANY position to be filled by the DH, so then when Lard is catching, and esp. when the Tigers are batting vs a RH, then HE can be hit for b/c there are some Tigers' pitchers that I would MUCH rather see at the plate taking their cuts, and they will need to get their reps in when the Tigers are on the road vs an NL team next season.

I can only imagine what the teams' lineup might be like when they are playing an NL team on the road on a Sunday afternoon in June, say with Lard C, the SP du-jour, Inge 3B, Don Freaking Kelly RF, Dr.Shinebox LF, Worth 2B, Santiago SS and AJax CF leading off...Yikes!! (((shudder)))

To an aside re: the "invisible" cowardly member who is lurking here..FU!!

 

[biggunsbob]

Larid can bunt....

 

[Thumb]

biggunsbob[/color]]I am about ready to delete this thread...

Why?

I thought the biggest difference between here and ESPN is people can discuss things without the mods getting all upset.

Maybe not.

 

[kalinecountry]

Seems like good comments 'pro and con' on Laird/Lard.

 

[hellifino]

lets look at it like this, if you had bad hamburger somewhere, would you go back and order it again. lol

 

[kingofdetroit57]

lets look at it like this, if you had bad hamburger somewhere, would you go back and order it again. lol

Yep, we all do it all the time at McDonald's, Burger King, etc. It's cheap, disposable, and usually nothing more than a stop gap until you can find real food. Laird is the fast food to Avila's home cooking.

 

[Thumb]

lets look at it like this, if you had bad hamburger somewhere, would you go back and order it again. lol

Yep, we all do it all the time at McDonald's, Burger King, etc. It's cheap, disposable, and usually nothing more than a stop gap until you can find real food. Laird is the fast food to Avila's home cooking.

Excellent way of putting it.