clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Mike Rabelo as the catcher

Boy, you write something in a Chum Bucket post and the next thing you know a professional sports writer covers the same topic.  Now I'm not dumb enough to believe that one as anything to do with the other, but it is a nice coincidence .

Before sitting out Sunday afternoon's win against San Diego -- he hasn't started a day game this season -- Rabelo had served as Florida's starting backstop in 15 of 21 games since coming off the disabled list. Naturally, this has some believing Rabelo has displaced Matt Treanor as the team's everyday catcher, despite their near-identical numbers.

''[It] kind of seems like he is the everyday guy now, if you ask me,'' starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson said.

``I mean, just because of the amount of time he's playing.''

Manager Fredi Gonzalez won't declare it, though. Rabelo won't even admit to aiming for that No. 1 spot.

Follow up questions to yesterday: I agree that Rabelo seeing most of the time behind the plate is trade justification, but exactly who is the front office justifying it to?  It can't be the fans, while I don't think they are totally oblivious to what the fans think, they don't seem to concern themselves very much with the opinions of the loyal Fish followers.  And it surely isn't the local press, they seem to be on the same roller coaster as the fans trying to figure out what the heck is going on much of the time.  Their peers in baseball? Doubtful.  Then who?

I'm not saying Treanor should catch everyday or even get most of the starts, but I'm just saying that I don't see why he sits on the bench and Rabelo plays when I can't see a definitive reason for the decision.

Your thoughts on this are more than welcomed.  Oh, and please come up with something other than Treanor is a backup catcher since that is all Rabelo has been before now.

I'm just curious.  And I promise the rest of the week won't contain quizzes.