
  The same Bill James? Why do you say that? It sounds like you're suggesting 
Bill James had something to do with overhyping the kid to death. Au contraire;
he was fairly critical of him after his ROY campaign, noting that he wasn't
all-world as a catcher or a hitter. He called him basically average when
everyone *else* in the media was predicting the next Johnny Bench or Roy
Campanella. 


  Which reports are those? 


  I like Hernandez a lot, but if Piazza can catch the ball, you've gotta play
him IMHO. He's a much better hitter, although Hernandez isn't a *bad* hitter.
Right now, it sounds like Piazza will catch most of the time and Hernandez
will be Candiotti's caddy since he can catch the knuckler. As long as they
play up to their abilities, the Dodgers could have a very good catching
tandem.  


  I think both are overrated defensively (see Nichols' Law of catcher
defense), but that's something that's difficult to prove or disprove from
your viewpoint or mine. About the only tangible thing we can look at is
opponent's SB%, and that's clouded by how well your pitchers hold runners.
Catchers ERA is a possibility, but it's subject to way too many biases. 

  As for them 'playing on a team that is not so much in need of another big
bat', I disagree here too. About the only chink in the Braves' armor is that
they're weak offensively at several positions (CF, C, 2B, SS if Belliard
plays, 1B unless Bream and Hunter form another super-platoon) and very weak 
defensively if Blauser plays. I'd like to see the Braves give at least one of
Mel Nieves, Javy Lopez or Chipper Jones a shot, but much like the talent-rich
Jays of recent years they'll be conservative and stick with what they have. 
I'm not saying that's wrong, just conservative. 
 