Q.  Who was that guy who had a piece on Johnson's offensive surge?

A:  One more plug for our good bud San-Man.  Here y'go amig-O.

.............

Q:  Is Rob Johnson a good defensive catcher, or not?

A:  Not that this ends the discussion, but .... scouts and coaches have always taken it as a GIVEN that Johnson is a plus defensive catcher.

This seemed a bit odd to me, too -- at Cheney it always seemed that there were three balls a game to the backstop (which is about a yard behind the catcher, LOL).

But nobody ever thought Johnson would hit.  He's in the game because the technical guys love his catching.

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=== Footwork, Dept. ===

Will say this:  the first thing they look at, is a catcher's footwork. 

They want to know that a guy can get up out of his crouch and get his feet into throwing position quickly. 

This quick-feet Grand Theme leads to:

(1) Good "pop time," the interval between the pop of the pitch and the pop of the throw into the SS's glove on a SB.   It also leads to

(2) Dependable 2-3 assists, and it

(3) Allows the catcher to recover pitches that get away from him but don't go to the backstop, and it

(4) Is connected with EVENTUAL ability to block pitches by shifting your bodyweight, and

(5) Creates a general "professional" target behind the plate, as opposed to having a blob back there who reaches for pitches and gets "Ball Three" called from the ump, and

(6) Pretty much everything associated with good ML catching connects back to footwork, as measured in quickness.

..............

Without question, Rob Johnson is tremendously light on his feet.  The dude must weigh 230 lbs., and he's one of the fastest Mariners.  He is a remarkable athlete, and it translates to agility.

(Kenji Johjima also has very good feet, even now.)

Danny Wilson, an ex-hockey goalie, came into the game with the feet of a second baseman (though this changed later).  He must have worn about a size-42 sport coat.  Johnson goes more like size 48.

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=== Arm ===

I don't know what the SB% say at the moment, and don't care.  Rob Johnson is a fine catch-and-throw guy and can deal with ML runners.

He doesn't have an Ivan Rodriguez howitzer, but Johnson is a big man with a powerful arm, and it is an accurate arm.   When he first came up, they took off on him and he gunned them down in leisurely fashion.

Every scout in the bigs would tell you, we're sure, that Johnson is a plus catch-and-throw guy.

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=== Pitchers ===

Johnson -- going by TV interviews, quotes, and what they say about him -- is evidently a likeable, intelligent man with a rep for chatting up the pitchers constantly.

As you know, his CERA has been wonderful.  Wok dismisses this as short-sample, which is fine.   But Wok has also promoted Johnson to #1 catcher.

Johnson's ability to call a game, frame a pitch, etc., to THIS eye are definitely a plus. The pitch sequences, locations ... the tempo the pitches show, etc ... it's all been great.

I mean, C'MON.  This staff is #1 in ERA and they ain't doing it with four John Lackeys and Jered Weavers.  :- )

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=== Another Double and Walk ===

Wednesday night, Johnson with a BB, a lashed 2B, and a line-drive 1B up the middle, continuing the "rampage."   (A rampage from a #7 M's hitter is like a stampede of wild bunnies, but y'know.)

Johnson stated that he has had his own "epiphany:  "The game is slowing down for me now," he said recently.  That would be "Noise", if it didn't come with a huge spike in his BB/K ratio.

................

Personally, I'm alarmed at how fast Johnson is improving, and how well he's playing.  Kenji Johjima dropped his hat, Johnson picked it up and I don't believe that Kenji will ever get it back.

What did you say we could get for Adam Moore, again?  :- )

Cheers,

Jemanji