Interview with Twins' Catching Prospect Chris Herrmann

Chris Herrmann (courtesy of Tia Ann Chapman, Hartford Courant)

The Minnesota Twins used their sixth round selection in 2009 to draft Chris Herrmann, a native of Tomball, Texas. Herrmann transferred from Alvin Community College to the University of Miami. He had been drafted in the tenth round of the 2008 draft by the Baltimore Orioles, but did not sign. Herrmann is in his fourth season in the Twins' minor league system, currently playing for the Rock Cats. He is the team's starting catcher, but also plays left field and serves as designated hitter.

His ascension through the minor league system has been steady. He played 59 games for Elizabethton in 2009, played the entire 2010 season in Ft. Myers, and started 2011 in Ft. Myers but quickly was promoted to the Rock Cats. Last season, Herrmann batted .258/.380/.392 for New Britain, with 14 doubles and 7 home runs. So far in 2012, Herrmann is hitting .253/.309/.405 with 14 doubles and 5 home runs. As you can see, although the on-base percentage is lower, Herrmann is hitting for more power this season (the exchange of more power for fewer walks is interesting to note). He has thrown out 36 percent of base-stealers this season, and has yet to commit an error. This is notable because he has played 33 games at catcher, 11 in left field, and 1 at third base.

As I have recently mentioned, I believe that Herrmann is a candidate for promotion this season. Aside from the pitchers that the Rock Cats have sent up to Rochester this season, there haven't been many standout position players worthy of promotion. My guess is that Herrmann will probably be the first. If he can get that batting average and on-base percentage up just a little bit, I would not be at all surprised to see him in a Twins uniform this September. He's 24, he is hitting for more power this season, and he is a good catcher. Also -- and just as importantly -- there's not much depth behind Joe Mauer. Drew Butera, Rene Rivera and J.R. Towles certainly should not stand in Herrmann's way. In the best case scenario, I believe that Herrmann can take the place of Ryan Doumit next season, for about 15 percent of Doumit's salary, and make a positive difference for the Twins. Herrmann's emergence in Minnesota next season also would solve the Drew Butera problem. Finally, Herrmann is also useful because he has the ability to play the outfield when necessary, and is not a defensive liability in left field. Yes, he's not a perfect prospect, but looking at the Twins' catching depth chart, he might already be second in the entire organization. Herrmann would be a very good part-time catcher in 2013, and it's not tough to think that he could be a good full-time catcher in a couple years if Mauer makes a move to another position in order to save his knees. Before Saturday's game, Herrmann was kind enough to sit down and chat with me for a few minutes in the New Britain Stadium dugout.
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Q: You're from Texas originally, so who did you watch growing up -- what were your favorite teams and players?

A: I'm from the Houston area, so growing up I always just watched the Houston Astros play, caught a few games. Got to watch them live, so that was fun. Also was a Rangers fan, liked them a lot too. Now I am Twins [fan], so that's the main team I'm focusing on and watching all the time.

I definitely looked up to [Ivan] Pudge Rodriguez a lot, especially when he was with the Rangers. I just grew up watching him -- always had his mitts. He was kind of my idol growing up.

Q: If you had to use one word to describe life in the minor leagues, what would it be?

A: Tough.

You know, we don't get paid a whole lot, our living situations aren't always great, you know it's just something you have to battle. It's hard when you have 3 or 4 roommates, you don't really get much personal time. So, it's fun, but it's tough at the same time.

Q: How do you like being in the Twins organization?

A: It's great. Everybody in the staff are good guys, and they treat you good, and I'm having a lot of fun here right now.

Q: Have you been to Minnesota?

A: Yea, my first time was Twinsfest this year, so I got to check out the Metrodome and saw a little bit of Target Field. But other than that it was cold, which I'm not really used to being from Texas. Overall it was a good experience.

Q: Last week you had consecutive games with 4 hits. Was that a first for you as a professional? [Note: in those 2 games, Herrmann was 8-for-9 with 2 doubles]

A: There's been a few times where I've gotten 4 hits in a game, but there's never been a time where I got 4 hits in back-to-back games. [Laughs.] You don't ever really see that coming.

Q: Did you feel more dialed-in, or do you think it was just a mix of making good contact and the usual luck that goes along with hitting?

A: I was definitely dialed in, and I had a few balls that I got lucky on, so that helped!

Q: Is it ever tough to focus on the day-to-day stuff. You're 1 or 2 steps away from getting the call. I can imagine you have to focus on the day-to-day stuff to get your job done, but how much do you look to the future?

A: Yea, when things are going good you tend to look to the future a little bit. I really don't like to do that too much, cause, like you said, we have to focus on our day-to-day stuff. I'm here right now so that's what I need to focus on to get to the next level.

Q: I know you've been in big league camp at Spring Training Have you talked to any of the Twins players like Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau?

A: In big league camp I got to spend a little time talking to Joe about catching stuff. He's a nice guy -- kind of keeps to himself. I talked to some other guys, too. They all treat you like you're part of the team, which is great. I hear that some organizations aren't really like that.

Q: How do you like living in Connecticut?

A: Ahh . . . it's ok. The weather's not too great. There's been a lot of rain. I feel like we had a lot better weather last year. With the rain, it's tough --- we can't get much [work] done before the game.

Q: Last question: when you close your eyes and think about it, where do you see yourself in 2 years?

A: Hopefully I'll be in the bigs by then. Obviously I gotta keep working hard. Nothing's going to get handed to me, so I have to prove myself ready for the big leagues in 2 years. That's my main goal -- keep working hard and proving to the staff and the managers that I'll be ready to go by then.
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Herrmann was extremely kind, very down-to-earth, and just seemed like a nice guy. Easy to root for. I'm hoping to interview a couple other players before the season is over. I want to thank the Rock Cats, especially Jeff Dooley and Patrick O'Sullivan, for arranging this for me, and of course Chris himself, for taking a little time during what is a really busy pre-game schedule that the players are kept on.

Candidate for Promotion: Chris Herrmann

If you want to see Chris Herrmann playing
for the Rock Cats, my advice would be
to get a ticket soon

Catching depth in Minnesota is . . . interesting. In fact, I'm not sure that "depth" is the correct word. There's Joe Mauer. And then there's a pretty big drop off. Ryan Doumit can catch, technically, but he is not good defensively. And Drew Butera can call a good game, but I'll be surprised if he can hit above the Mendoza line, and most fans acknowledge that his best role is one in which he doesn't accumulate more than 250 plate appearances per season.

Over in Rochester, there is J.R. Towles, who is 28 years old and batting .183 in 21 games, and Rene Rivera, who you probably remember as one of several bad catchers that were given a shot last year. Rivera, who will be 29 in July, is hitting .193 in 28 games.

There's no perfect back-up catcher currently playing for the Twins, or on the Red Wings. Either the player is not predominately a catcher, is past his athletic prime, is an offensive liability, or is some combination of those things. All of this brings me to Chris Herrmann. Herrmann, 24 years old this season and a native Texan, is in the middle of another solid season in the Twins' minor league system. I'm just going to focus on this season and last season for reference. In 2011, Herrmann was called up to AA New Britain mid-season and appeared in 97 games. His batting line was solid: .258/.380/.392. He had 14 doubles, 5 triples, 7 home runs and 46 RBIs in that time. In 2012, again in New Britain, Herrmann started off very cool, struggling in the first month of the season to get the average above .200. But then, as with the New England weather, Herrmann heated up. As of today, here is Herrmann's slash line: .260/.310/.410, with 14 doubles, 4 home runs and 17 RBIs in 44 games. As you can see, although he has some work to do with the on-base percentage, the power has been increasing. As I mentioned, he has been playing better lately, recording 4 hits in consecutive games last week. Over his last ten games, Herrmann is .324/.405/.405 with 3 doubles and 5 walks (he has 13 walks on the season, so it's nice to see him showing more patience at the plate recently).

It's also worth noting that Herrmann has frequently stayed in the lineup on days he doesn't catch, either serving as designated hitter or playing left field. I have seen him in left field, and he did not appear to me to be a defensive liability. I'm not sure how baseball professionals would describe his defensive ability at catcher, but he seems, at the very least, solid to me. He does have a good arm.

I'm not sure how much more Herrmann has to do to earn a promotion to Rochester, or even to Minnesota. It's clear that Towles and Rivera are nothing more than minor league depth. At 24, Herrmann has a lot of baseball in his future. Clearly, there is room for improvement in his game, but I'm not certain that sticking it out in New Britain the rest of 2012 is the best thing for Herrmann's development. I've (sort of) jokingly been calling Herrmann "Mauer's 2013 backup," but he really could be more than that.

Most people reading this post are prudent enough to realize that Joe Mauer won't be catching full-time by 2014 or 2015. In Herrmann the Twins have a young catcher, capable of playing multiple positions, who has the ability to hit and get on base, and has shown more than occasional power. As much as I have enjoyed watching Herrmann at New Britain Stadium, I think it's time to see what he can do at the next level. In fact, by the end of this summer, I think it's time to see what Herrmann can do at Target Field.

Sabermetrics and the Plain Meaning Rule

I'm an attorney by trade, and I spend a lot of time reading and analyzing state statutes and judicial decisions. This post is a legal-baseball hybrid. Caveat Emptor. Many jurisdictions in the United States have enacted the so-called "plain meaning rule." It's a rule of judicial interpretation intended to guide courts as they review state statutes in their analyses of cases. Particular rules differ from state to state, but a typical plain meaning rule might go something like this: "In the construction of statutes, words and phrases shall be construed according to the commonly approved usage of the language. Technical words and phrases shall be construed, understood and defined accordingly."

The overarching goal is to prevent courts from interpreting statutes in a bizarre fashion, and to ensure that laws are read and applied word-for-word. In theory, it sounds great. In application, it sometimes proves difficult. Contrary to what one may expect, legislative language is not always clear, and statutes sometimes may be susceptible to multiple, reasonable interpretations. Nonetheless, the plain meaning rule serves as a general guide to courts and individual judges as they attempt to uniformly apply laws to unique cases and sets of facts.

The plain meaning rule is applicable in the baseball context, as well. For the record, I think that some advanced stats are very useful. Wins Above Replacement is fantastic for comparing one player to another. And although I don't have a great understanding of Ultimate Zone Rating, I believe that anything that can help us to better understand and compare defensive stats is noteworthy. After all, a shortstop with no range who commits 7 errors over the course of the season is not necessarily better than a shortstop with fantastic range who commits 20 errors. Sabermetric stats have helped baseball fans, and front offices, to better understand the minutiae of the game.

But for my money, I think that batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage are still pretty great stats. The percentage of time that a player is on base has a substantial correlation with runs scored, which is how games are won. And sure, RBIs are largely a team statistic, but it's certainly hard to ignore a player that drives in 130 runs in a season, regardless of who bats in front of him. ERA still is a good, although imperfect, measure of a pitcher's effectiveness, as can be the average number of innings pitched per start. There's no heavy analysis needed for these stats: the players that hit more often and get on base more often, and the pitchers that allow fewer runs per innings and last longer into games. are generally more effective, and better players. Sure, we can -- and often should -- get more specific. But the "plain meaning" of these basic baseball stats is often enough for this fan.

Joe Mauer's 2009 season is a great example of why sabermetrics aren't always necessary. As a friend said to me yesterday when we were talking about Mauer, to over-staticize his 2009 season almost detracts from how great it was, and how great it looked in person (and on television). I think it's sufficient to cite the .365/.444/.587 slash line (1.031 OPS), 28 HR and 98 RBIs over 137 games primarily as a catcher, as well as the .996 fielding percentage and 26% caught stealing rate (though that, in itself, is somewhat dependent on the particular pitcher --- Carl Pavano I'm glaring at you). What more do we need to know about how great that season was? Using those stats only, we can accurately compare Mauer's 2009 season to the other historic seasons for MLB catchers. I don't need to know how much better Mauer played than a replacement level player, or even how much value the Twins got for the $12.5 million they paid him. And in any event, I think we saw the definition of "replacement" value in 2011 watching Drew Butera, Rene Rivera and Steve Holm, and then comparing that product -- with our eyes only -- to what Mauer brings to the table, even on a not-so-great day.

This post isn't intended to be an indictment on sabermetrics. To the contrary, advanced stats have their place, especially in front offices when teams need to compare similar players as they decide to whom, and under what provisions, to make a contract offer that could either be great for the team, or be an albatross for years to come. And I have no beef at all with fans and other bloggers that really get into sabermetrics. In fact, I like reading most if it, and have learned a lot along the way. I do, however, think that it's important to not forget to see the forest as we delve into the trees. A .300 batting average and .400 on-base percentage generally make for a pretty good player. Give me a team with 5 or 6 .300-hitters, and I'll show you a team that might have a chance in October. Give me a pitching rotation with a staff ERA under 4.00 and I'll show you a team that could dominate in the postseason. Sabermetrics can definitely advance the analysis of the game, but in some cases plain meaning is enough.

Ideal Mix for Mauer

Not surprisingly, our athletic, superstar catcher -- yes, the same guy that could have played D1 football in Florida, was pretty darn good at basketball, and apparently is a respectable golfer and bowler, as well -- didn't embarrass himself at first base last night in Chicago. He committed no errors, made a couple nice plays in the field, and also was 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs. All in all, a good night. Now that Mauer ha cleared this first hurdle, it raises the larger and more imminent question: Where exactly do we go from here?

Justin Morneau is out at least until the beginning of August, and perhaps longer. That leaves at least a few weeks worth of games where Morneau will be unavailable to play first. Mauer, for his part, apparently views the move as both temporary and rare, saying "Like I said, the manager asked me to go over there and play, and I did tonight, and I had fun doing it. But I'm a catcher, and I think sometimes we lose track of that. That's what I'm here to do." Forgive us, Joe, if we have "lost track" of that; maybe it's because you didn't play a game at catcher for 2 of the first 3 months of the season?

If Joe Mauer is sincere about doing whatever it takes to help his team win and get back in the AL Central race (and I would like to think he is), here is what I think should happen until Morneau makes it back: Of the 5 starting pitchers, Mauer should catch for 3. This seems to be about all he can handle right now, anyway, and this will hopefully keep his legs fresh enough so that he is productive in the event the Twins are playing meaningful games in September. Ideally, on one of the other two days, he can play first base, and on the other of the two days, he can DH or sit, as the case may be. So that adds up to: 60 percent catcher; 20 percent first base; and hopefully a split of approximately 10 percent DHing and 10 percent sitting. This mix, which will of course be unnecessary when Morneau returns, also will allow Cuddyer to play more right field, a position at which he is much more comfortable, and where his good arm is of more use.

As far as which particular pitchers Mauer catches, I could care less. I really don't think that Carl Pavano deserves a personal catcher, but the way things have gone thus far, Pavano can have his way and have Butera catch his starts; perhaps Liriano can have Butera or Rivera, as well. Butera and Rivera are absolutely pathetic with a bat, so this is far from an ideal situation, but if Joe begins swinging well, I want his bat in the lineup as often as possible.

Further, easing Mauer into the idea of playing another position now, in 2011, is going to make the inevitable conversation that takes place in 2012 or 2013 that much easier for the front office and Gardy. The Twins are establishing a precedent now that Joe Mauer is not exclusively a catcher, and that he is a versatile athlete who will play wherever his manager directs him to play.

I have long since given up on the notion that Joe Mauer will be worth $23 million annually for his play on the field. Few of these contracts are ever really worth it to the team. I still think signing him was the right thing to do, though. Now, the focus should be on maximizing Mauer's value. He (hopefully) has several years left as an elite hitter, but now we know that his years as a youthful, vibrant catching phenom are past. The best value from the Twins' standpoint is to take advantage of the fact that Mauer, when healthy, can bat close to .350. They can find a place, or places, on the field for him in the future. To destroy part of his value now by acquiescing to his statements that he is "here to catch" will be a disservice both to Mauer and to the organization.