Let Coste play!

2006 was Chris Coste’s rookie season in the Major Leagues, but Chris Coste wasn’t your average rookie. At age 33 a baseball player should be past his prime, not taking his first at bat in the Majors. Chris Coste is the exception to that rule. Coste spent the first 11 years of his professional baseball career with various Minor League clubs all across the U.S. Coste has confounded baseball teams for years. Originally he played second base, became a pitcher, switched to catcher, and while in the Minors learned first base, third base, and left field. Coste played all of these positions well and baseball teams didn’t know what to make of that. Now Coste has to deal with the stigma of having caught the deadly “growing older virus”.

Last season Coste almost didn’t make it to the Majors again. Coste took a hot bat to spring training hitting .472 in Clearwater. But he lost his roster spot when the Phillies traded for David Dellucci at the end of spring training. Later in the season the Phils managed to sneak him some at bats after the departure of catcher Sal Fasano.

This season Coste’s future in the Majors is once again in jeopardy. The Phils first plan was to use Coste in a platoon at catcher with Carlos Ruiz. However, the Phillies weren’t comfortable with Coste backing up Ruiz and signed Rod Barajas. Coste understands the situation, he commented to a reporter. Coste believes a " 'lack of experience' " is responsible for the Phillies not believing in him. He says the Phillies think his statistics are “a fluke". Sarcastically, Coste says "Because they don't see me as a top-line catcher, I must be bad." The Phillies have blinders on regarding Coste. They treat him like a fallen prospect when they should see a rising star.

Hindsight is supposed to be twenty-twenty, but with Coste that’s apparently not the case. Coste has put up monster numbers everywhere he has played. In Coste’s 3,480 career at bats in the Minors all Coste did was hit .301 with a .355 OBP and .450 slugging. In the Majors all he did was improve his stats, hitting .328 with a .376 OBP and .505 slugging. Coste’s numbers aren’t an aberration. Every once in a while a player comes along that does better once they get to the Majors. Coste is one of these players. In the Majors the coaches are better and the players have easier access to resources like game video to prepare themselves. It takes a brainy player like Coste-who found time to write two books during his slow climb to the majors-to take full advantage of these resources and excel.

Recently another threat has emerged to Coste's playing with the Phillies. Greg Dobbs, who the Phils recently claimed off waivers from the Mariners, is now competing for Coste’s roster spot. Dobbs did well with the Mariners last season when he was brought up for a cup of coffee, hitting .370 in 27 at bats. His Minor League numbers aren’t close to Coste’s, so I won’t bother comparing them. Bottom line- Coste has preformed better. Except that Dobbs at 28 years young has a less serious case of aging disorder.

Pat Gillick and the Phillies brain trust are unable to see the truth. Coste should not be a bench player but a starter because he has produced every time he has been given a shot. They need to find playing time for Coste because the numbers say that he is the Phillies best option at either catcher or even third base. His batting average and more importantly OBP are better than Wes Helms, Carlos Ruiz, and Rod Barajas. Those who disagree can counter that his 198 major league at bats aren’t a large enough sample size. That’s true, but why not see if he can reproduce those numbers over the long term. Logic and history say that he will. I have two simple requests for Pat Gillick and Charlie Manuel: look at the numbers and LET HIM PLAY!

Sources:
For Coste, coast is not clear
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

Time to step up for some Phillies
Marcus Hayes / Philadelphia Inquirer

First picture of Chris Coste from comcastsportsnet.com, second picture of Chris Coste from phillies.com