May 10, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Derek Norris (36) waits for the pitch during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco FIeld. Seattle defeated Oakland 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The main problem starts with Derek Norris. After an 0 for 2 night with a walk Norris’ average has dropped to a dismal .218 and his on base percentage has dropped to .364. Now some may argue the above average on base percentage makes Norris have at least some value offensively. However, when you are a slow base runner and have no one hitting behind you either your value is exponentially diminished.

Coupled with those numbers for Norris comes the more alarming stats that show Norris has become a rally killer. With runners on base Norris is hitting .243. With runners in scoring position he is hitting .263. With the bases loaded Norris has not gotten a hit in his three plate appearances.

The only positive that comes from a Norris at bat it seems is that he averages over four and half pitches per at bat. That accounts for over 14 pitches a game. That is one player costing a pitcher an entire inning worth of pitches on one hitter.

The rest of the lineup behind Norris has been a revolving door of disappointment recently as well. This includes Nate Freiman, Adam Rosales (who has been getting hot in his defense), Eric Sogard, etc. When the top of the lineup is getting on base the bottom of the lineup has to be fundamental in their approach. They need to start getting runners into scoring position or simply moving them up 90 feet closer. Good things happen when runners get on base for most teams, but for the A’s it seems to be a non issue of leaving them stranded. Through 33 games played the A’s had left 233 runners on base good for a Top 10 worst in baseball standing. For a team who has to scratch runs to win leaving men on base at that rate has to change.

The A’s offense, mainly Derek Norris, has struggled as of late. With the pitching staff struggling too the disaster radar is starting to flicker a little. The A’s need the 7-9 hitters to begin to produce. This does not necessarily mean getting on base or driving in runs, though that would be nice obviously. More so this means they need to continue to move runners forward thus giving the top of the lineup the chance to do what they are supposed to do.

May 3, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher A.J. Griffin (64) pitches against the New York Yankees during the second inning of a game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The lineup put forth by the Yankees was very different from the who’s who of AL All Stars we’re used to seeing.  In the place of Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez stood Eduardo Nunez, Lyle Overbay, and Jayson Nix.  While Nix did go 2 for 3 in the game today, the lack of punch from this lineup was clearly evident as Griffin navigated his way through 7 scoreless innings of work on 6 hits and a walk, he struck out 4.  Griffin only was seriously threatened in the 3rd inning when a Chris Stewart walk, followed by a Robinson Cano ground rule double put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, a harmless Vernon Wells pop up ended the threat.  Otherwise the Yankees had a baserunner here and there but never threatened to score again.

The A’s offense was fairly limited as well, with the Rosales home run and a Derek Norris RBI single in the 6th inning accounting for the only scoring in the game.  The A’s did have 10 hits though, 8 of which came against Sabathia, so they had chances for more but couldn’t convert.  But with Griffin on his game like he was, it didn’t matter so much.  Nate Freiman and Jed Lowrie each were able to tally 3 hits apiece, Adam Rosales and Yoenis Cespedes each reached base twice.

The A’s and Yanks take to the field once again tomorrow in a matinee as Bartolo Colon (3-0, 3.38 ERA) takes on Phil Hughes (0-2, 4.67 ERA) as they try to take the series on the road.  Yankee Stadium, both old and new, has always been a tough place for the A’s to win, so taking this series would be a huge step for this team.  Colon can follow much of the same strategy that Griffin did in his victory today, pitch to contact and let the defense do their jobs.  Pitch to the big power alleys and let the Yankees get themselves out.  It’s a strategy that normally wouldn’t work with this team, but with the current cast of characters it can.

Oct 10, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Derek Norris (36) between pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the fourth inning of game four of the 2012 ALDS at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Norris was scouted as a low batting average high on base percentage type hitter and it proved to be correct last season. Even though his on base percentage was not high, Norris’ patience proved vital at times during the season leading to extended at bats and a base hit or walk every once in awhile. While I mentioned earlier today that sophomore slumps do occur in Norris’ case he pretty much was at rock bottom offensively in 2012 and therefore only can improve with some seasoning in 2013.

Part of the reason for the low offensive numbers for Norris could be the adjustment of accustoming himself to a new pitching staff. For a young catcher trying to plant his feet in the Major Leagues the hardest part is gaining a rapport with your pitching staff. When the pitching staff is made of mostly young guns the learning curve steepens. The only way to improve on both sides of the ball for Norris is time and practice.
Manager Bob Melvin, a former catcher in his own right, will continue to work with Norris on his defensive capabilities. Fresh in all A’s fans minds is last season’s playoff exit to the Detroit Tigers. One of the main reasons the A’s lost was because of poor defense. Norris let too many ball go past him due to lack of reaction time or bad fundamentals. The good news about this is that Norris’ defense will only get better with experience and practice.

Derek Norris is young and has a good chance to be the A’s everyday catcher for years to come. His offense is certainly not above average but he will occasionally get on base or hit a home run which is a plus considering the amount of offense the A’s have seen from the catching position in recent years. If he can continue to improve in 2013 and get some help from fellow platoon partner John Jaso Norris may have a chance to become a special player for the Green and Gold for years to come.