ARLINGTON -- Gerald Laird has thrown out 37 of 91 baserunners attempting to steal on him in the 149 games he has caught at the Major League level. That includes 134 games started, and his success rate of 40.7 percent is the fourth highest among active catchers who have started at least 130 games. Only Yadier Molina (45.9), Ivan Rodriguez (44.3) and Henry Blanco (41.4) have a higher success rate. Of course, Rodriguez has also started 1,878 games. Even Molina, with 268 starts, has started twice as much as Laird. But now Laird, the Rangers' Opening Day catcher in 2004, has a chance to make up some serious ground. After 2 1/2 years of backing up Rod Barajas, Laird is once again the Rangers' No. 1 catcher. 先讨论Laird兄的狙杀率，发现有不错的表现～并拿出Molina，I-Rod来做一下比较 ，先做个信心喊话～～当然Laird的出赛是比前两位少很多了～～不过～～ 现在他必须要担起重任～～变成我们第一的当家捕手了 There is still a question of who will back him up, and the Rangers are expected to make one more move at catcher this winter to add depth to their Spring Training roster. But Laird goes into Spring Training as Texas' starter, a job he had at the start of the 2004 season until a fractured thumb knocked him out of the lineup. He has been either in Triple-A or Barajas' backup since then. "Anytime you ask a guy to take on a new role, there's some unknown," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "But in the five years Gerald has been in the organization, we've seen improvements in every facet of his game and think he's ready for the challenge." JD说他已经在这里五年～也准备好接受挑战～～ Laird started seeing more playing time as last year progressed, and he was the Rangers' de facto starting catcher at the end of the season while Barajas dealt with some physical issues. Laird ended the season hitting .296 with 46 runs scored, seven home runs and 22 RBIs in 78 games and 243 at-bats. That was the 12th-highest batting average among Major League catchers with at least 70 games played, and his .470 slugging percentage as a catcher was the ninth highest. His ranking would have been higher, but he batted .191 with a .279 slugging percentage in September. He may have been tired or it may have been having to face more right-handed pitching. Laird, a right-handed hitter, batted .400 (34-for-85) against left-handed pitching last year, compared to .241 (38-for-158) against righties. 这边探讨Laird的打击表现～～提出他去年的数据来讨论～～并讨论他对左右投手 的打击表现～～对右投手比较差一点～～先大致翻到这边～～剩下之後有时间补齐～ 谢谢大家 "More than his offense, what stood out last year is how he's matured handling the pitching staff and calling a game," Daniels said. "When he first got to the big leagues, he was considered an offensive catcher. There was some immaturity to his game and I'm not sure he grasped how important preparation was for a catcher. "He's come 180 degrees to the point where that's a strength of his game right now. It was a big year from him on and off the field. I give him and [third-base coach] Don Wakamatsu a lot of credit for his development." The Rangers still have to decide on a backup catcher, and Miguel Ojeda is one candidate. Ojeda, who will turn 32 this month, had 13 at-bats for the Rangers in 2006, and he has 486 career at-bats at the Major League level, batting .224 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs. He has a career .289 batting average with runners in scoring position. The Rangers have also signed Guillermo Quirez, a former top prospect from the Toronto Blue Jays organization who was the starting catcher for the World team in the 2003 Futures Game. Quirez was an All-Star in the Florida State League in 2002 and on Baseball America's Double-A All-Star team in 2003, but he has hit just .200 (18-for-90) at the Major League level in trials with the Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners claimed him on waivers from the Blue Jays just before the start of the 2006 season, and he batted .267 (54-for-202) with 11 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBIs in 54 Minor League games. The Rangers also have Kevin Richardson, who hit .271 with a .358 on-base percentage and a .498 slugging percentage at Double-A Frisco in 2006, as well as Emerson Frostad. Frostad was a left-handed-hitting infielder until the Rangers converted him into a catcher, and he hit .320 in 79 games and 291 at-bats for Class A Bakersfield. They helped give the Rangers some depth at a position ravaged by injuries last year. But what is also true is catching could quickly turn into a major strength for Texas over the next several years. The Rangers have used their third-round pick in each of the last two First-Year Player Drafts to take a catcher, picking Taylor Teagarden out of the University of Texas in 2005 and Chad Tracy out of Pepperdine last year. Teagarden missed all of last season because of Tommy John elbow surgery, but he is healthy again, while Tracy hit .262 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 252 at-bats at Class A Spokane. The Rangers are also hoping for big things out of two prized Latin American signings who are coming off major arm injuries: Cristian Santana (shoulder) and Manuel Pina (elbow). "No position in the system was hit harder by injuries than our catchers," Daniels said. "The silver lining was it created opportunities for other guys to step up, and Richardson and Frostad turned in excellent seasons. We added Tracy in the draft, and the Spokane staff raved about his bat and leadership. "With Teagarden, Pina and Santana back healthy -- the reports have been excellent with all three cleared to play at the end of [last year] -- we'll be looking at an organizational strength again. And when you analyze catching in the industry, that's saying something. To be able to develop your own catchers, all of whom have above average athleticism and ability, is a competitive advantage not many clubs have." But all of that is in the future. Right now, the job belongs to Laird. -- 2007- Rangers,Spurs and Wizards GoGoGo !!!!! --

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