During
Spring Training last March, I lobbied for the Giants to have Hector Sanchez be
the team’s backup catcher. The Giants did as I hoped and allowed Sanchez to be
the team’s backup catcher over Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart. So far the
decision has paid off for the Giants and it was most obvious against the Los
Angeles Dodgers, whom the Giants just shutout in three straight games. In two
of those games, Hector Sanchez was behind the plate for a pitcher who was
pitching shutout baseball.
When I talked about having
Sanchez become the team’s backup catcher, I talked about how important it was
to have a player who can hit the ball, especially on days they needed to give
Buster Posey a rest. I didn’t think the Giants would actually go with the
catcher who can hit because traditionally, the Giants have been reluctant to
try young players from the minor leagues on the Major League roster. Plus the Giants seemed more concerned about
having a backup catcher who can handle the Giants pitching staff rather than
one that can hit offensively which is why throughout most of this last
offseason they leaned toward bringing back Whiteside and Stewart.
Sanchez so far has not only proven
that he can hit the ball well for a backup catcher, but that he can play
defense pretty well too. That was the concern of the Giants going into the
season but Sanchez has eased those worries. He has caught for every game Barry
Zito pitches. Last season while rehabbing in the minor leagues, Zito first
experienced what it was like pitching to Sanchez and during his minor league
stint, Zito succeeded with Sanchez as his battery mate. Zito last year praised Sanchez’s catching abilities
and said how comfortable he felt pitching to him. Zito may have been the one to
convince the Giants front office to keep him on the roster this season and they
did so, thinking it would benefit Zito. Zito showed his comfort with Sanchez
against the Dodgers. After struggling for three straight starts, Zito pitched seven
innings of shutout baseball and got the win against the Dodgers on Monday.
After how bad Zito has pitched throughout his career with the Giants, anyone
who can make Zito look like a decent pitcher is a winner in my book. Sanchez
then did something he has not done often this season: he caught for pitcher Tim
Lincecum. Lincecum had been struggling all season with the Giants. Sanchez,
however, helped Lincecum regain his confidence and Lincecum responded by
pitching seven innings of shutout baseball and getting a win against the
Dodgers.
It is no coincidence that Hector
Sanchez has a way of helping struggling pitchers regain their form. Zito had
struggled recently only to get a big win against the Dodgers with Sanchez
behind the plate. Lincecum had been struggling all year but once he pitched to
Sanchez he was his old self again. I don’t know exactly how Sanchez keeps these
pitchers calm under pressure but whatever he is doing is working. This is not a
knock on Buster Posey. Posey is clearly the leader of the team’s pitching staff
and he has a World Series ring to prove it. However, having a backup catcher
like Sanchez who can catch the pitching staff well is a great asset to have. The
Giants wanted to give Buster Posey more rest this season after his severe
injuries last year but circumstance could have easily forced the Giants to play
Posey too much if the backup catcher was not playing good. That could have been
the case if Whiteside or Stewart were still the backup catchers. Instead, Posey
gets to rest every five days thanks to the good play of Sanchez. This keeps
Posey fresh and could be a reason Posey is hitting the ball so great right now.
That rest could pay huge dividends down the stretch as the Giants try to reach
the postseason. Having a great catcher like Buster Posey is valuable. Having a
good backup catcher like Sanchez is a luxury. Not many teams can say they have
both.
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