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06-10-2005, 10:10 PM
<b>Team lacks depth behind the plate</b>
It was small consolation, but Milwaukee Brewers officials recently discovered they are not the only major-league club facing a catching shortage.
"It's concerning, but we are not alone," assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "It's an industry-wide problem. The supply of quality catchers appears to be at an all-time low."
The Brewers' dearth at the position was exposed recently when No. 1 catcher Damian Miller was sidelined with a groin strain. Left with only backup Chad Moeller as a healthy catcher, general manager Doug Melvin and Ash canvassed other clubs for possible help.
"You look at some of the other guys and you realize they're not any different than what you have," Melvin said.
In the end, the Brewers summoned 33-year-old Julio Mosquera from Class AAA Nashville to provide insurance for Moeller. Mosquera is a journeyman with more than 1,100 games in the minors but only 11 in the majors, and none since 1997.
Melvin refused to second-guess himself for selling 42-year-old catcher Pat Borders, who was at Nashville, to Seattle a couple of weeks ago. With both of their catchers injured, the Mariners were desperate for help and the Brewers obliged, deciding Borders deserved another shot in the majors.
In any event, if you're afraid to deal a 42-year-old catcher, you're in pretty big trouble behind the plate.
"There's not much you can do," Melvin said. "You might make a trade with somebody but most teams won't put a catcher in a trade because they don't have the depth."
The Brewers' desperate need for a proven catcher was exhibited over the winter when they were willing to give the 35-year-old Miller a three-year deal for $8.75 million. No other club was willing to commit beyond two years to a catcher of that age.
But Moeller, 30, did not hit enough last season (.208) to warrant being given the starting job, and has continued to struggle this year with a .162 average. Luckily for Moeller, he handles himself well enough behind the plate to at least guarantee a backup job in the majors.
"I started catching when I was 11," Moeller said. "I was told when I was a little kid, be a left-handed pitcher or a catcher. A cousin who played 12 years in the minors and manages in the White Sox organization told me that. It was good advice."
Miller started catching at age 8, also for a good reason.
"Nobody else wanted to do it," he said. "I'm lucky I did. Otherwise, I'd be selling insurance somewhere."
When Mosquera was called up, it left Nashville with only one catcher: Mike Rivera, who had been purchased from the independent Atlantic League only a few weeks earlier. Nestor Corredor, who has a .211 batting average in 150 minor-league games, was promoted from Class A to provide backup.
Of the catchers now playing for the four full-season teams in the Brewers' farm system, only Lou Palmisano is considered a major-league prospect. Selected in the third round of the 2003 draft, he was a standout in rookie ball at Helena and performed well for the most part last year at Class A Beloit but has been treading water this season with Class A Brevard County.
Palmisano, 22, was selected to the Florida State League midseason all-star team but is batting only .253 with three home runs and 21 runs batted in.
"He's improving; he's working at it," Ash said. "But he's still got a long way to go."
At one time, Kade Johnson was considered the Brewers' catcher of the future. Taken in the second round of the 1999 draft, Johnson had a powerful bat and strong arm but his career was derailed by injuries. Now 26, Johnson is in extended spring training in Phoenix, recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
The Brewers have hopes for 19-year-old Angel Salome, taken in the fifth round of the 2004 draft and now awaiting the start of rookie ball in a couple of weeks. Salome stands only 5 feet 9 inches but has a strong arm and a live bat.
"At this point, he's accomplished with the bat but has some work to do behind the plate," Ash said. "He has an unbelievable arm but has to work on his receiving skills and calling a game."
Racine native Vinny Rottino, the Brewers' minor-league player of the year in 2004 at Beloit, is a utility player dabbling in catching at Class AA Huntsville. Ash thinks it was a wise choice to add that work to his résumé.
"At some point, when he's in the big leagues, he'll be a utility guy and third catcher," Ash said.
The Brewers selected three catchers in the 2005 draft this week but none before the 13th round. They passed in the third round on the University of Texas' Taylor Teagarden, considered the second-best college catcher, mainly because he is represented by hard-line agent Scott Boras.
"We heard he wanted money greater than the round he was in," Melvin said. "He's a good defensive catcher but the bat would have been a question."
With the understanding that Borders can't go on forever, Seattle drafted Southern California catcher Jeff Clement with the third pick of the first round. Clement is highly rated but originally was expected to be taken near the bottom of the first round.
"A lot of teams have over-drafted catchers," Melvin said. "Ben Davis was one of the top catchers drafted (No. 2 overall by San Diego in 1995) and he didn't turn out like they thought.
"Teams don't want to waste their draft picks and over-draft catchers. Most catchers develop a little bit later. And most teams' catchers are either positional changes or came from another organization. Very few teams have developed their own catcher."
Many of the new breed of catchers in the majors, such as Cleveland's Victor Martinez, San Diego's Ramon Hernandez and the Molina brothers - Yadier (St. Louis), Bengie (Los Angeles Angels) and Jose (Angels) - came from Latin countries. Among U.S.-born catchers, only Minnesota's Joe Mauer, the first player taken in the 2001 draft, has generated much buzz at the big-league level.
Why the shortage of talented catchers coming out of this country?
"I have a reason for it: mothers," said Brewers coach Rich Donnelly, a former catcher.
"That might sound crazy but mothers don't want their kids to play football or catch in baseball because they're afraid they'll get hurt. You go to a Little League game and nobody wants to catch. They put the big kid behind the plate."
Ash has another theory for the shortage: laziness.
"Most kids think it's too demanding of a position," he said. "They don't want to put the time and energy into it that it requires to be good. They'd rather swing the bat."
It was small consolation, but Milwaukee Brewers officials recently discovered they are not the only major-league club facing a catching shortage.
"It's concerning, but we are not alone," assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "It's an industry-wide problem. The supply of quality catchers appears to be at an all-time low."
The Brewers' dearth at the position was exposed recently when No. 1 catcher Damian Miller was sidelined with a groin strain. Left with only backup Chad Moeller as a healthy catcher, general manager Doug Melvin and Ash canvassed other clubs for possible help.
"You look at some of the other guys and you realize they're not any different than what you have," Melvin said.
In the end, the Brewers summoned 33-year-old Julio Mosquera from Class AAA Nashville to provide insurance for Moeller. Mosquera is a journeyman with more than 1,100 games in the minors but only 11 in the majors, and none since 1997.
Melvin refused to second-guess himself for selling 42-year-old catcher Pat Borders, who was at Nashville, to Seattle a couple of weeks ago. With both of their catchers injured, the Mariners were desperate for help and the Brewers obliged, deciding Borders deserved another shot in the majors.
In any event, if you're afraid to deal a 42-year-old catcher, you're in pretty big trouble behind the plate.
"There's not much you can do," Melvin said. "You might make a trade with somebody but most teams won't put a catcher in a trade because they don't have the depth."
The Brewers' desperate need for a proven catcher was exhibited over the winter when they were willing to give the 35-year-old Miller a three-year deal for $8.75 million. No other club was willing to commit beyond two years to a catcher of that age.
But Moeller, 30, did not hit enough last season (.208) to warrant being given the starting job, and has continued to struggle this year with a .162 average. Luckily for Moeller, he handles himself well enough behind the plate to at least guarantee a backup job in the majors.
"I started catching when I was 11," Moeller said. "I was told when I was a little kid, be a left-handed pitcher or a catcher. A cousin who played 12 years in the minors and manages in the White Sox organization told me that. It was good advice."
Miller started catching at age 8, also for a good reason.
"Nobody else wanted to do it," he said. "I'm lucky I did. Otherwise, I'd be selling insurance somewhere."
When Mosquera was called up, it left Nashville with only one catcher: Mike Rivera, who had been purchased from the independent Atlantic League only a few weeks earlier. Nestor Corredor, who has a .211 batting average in 150 minor-league games, was promoted from Class A to provide backup.
Of the catchers now playing for the four full-season teams in the Brewers' farm system, only Lou Palmisano is considered a major-league prospect. Selected in the third round of the 2003 draft, he was a standout in rookie ball at Helena and performed well for the most part last year at Class A Beloit but has been treading water this season with Class A Brevard County.
Palmisano, 22, was selected to the Florida State League midseason all-star team but is batting only .253 with three home runs and 21 runs batted in.
"He's improving; he's working at it," Ash said. "But he's still got a long way to go."
At one time, Kade Johnson was considered the Brewers' catcher of the future. Taken in the second round of the 1999 draft, Johnson had a powerful bat and strong arm but his career was derailed by injuries. Now 26, Johnson is in extended spring training in Phoenix, recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
The Brewers have hopes for 19-year-old Angel Salome, taken in the fifth round of the 2004 draft and now awaiting the start of rookie ball in a couple of weeks. Salome stands only 5 feet 9 inches but has a strong arm and a live bat.
"At this point, he's accomplished with the bat but has some work to do behind the plate," Ash said. "He has an unbelievable arm but has to work on his receiving skills and calling a game."
Racine native Vinny Rottino, the Brewers' minor-league player of the year in 2004 at Beloit, is a utility player dabbling in catching at Class AA Huntsville. Ash thinks it was a wise choice to add that work to his résumé.
"At some point, when he's in the big leagues, he'll be a utility guy and third catcher," Ash said.
The Brewers selected three catchers in the 2005 draft this week but none before the 13th round. They passed in the third round on the University of Texas' Taylor Teagarden, considered the second-best college catcher, mainly because he is represented by hard-line agent Scott Boras.
"We heard he wanted money greater than the round he was in," Melvin said. "He's a good defensive catcher but the bat would have been a question."
With the understanding that Borders can't go on forever, Seattle drafted Southern California catcher Jeff Clement with the third pick of the first round. Clement is highly rated but originally was expected to be taken near the bottom of the first round.
"A lot of teams have over-drafted catchers," Melvin said. "Ben Davis was one of the top catchers drafted (No. 2 overall by San Diego in 1995) and he didn't turn out like they thought.
"Teams don't want to waste their draft picks and over-draft catchers. Most catchers develop a little bit later. And most teams' catchers are either positional changes or came from another organization. Very few teams have developed their own catcher."
Many of the new breed of catchers in the majors, such as Cleveland's Victor Martinez, San Diego's Ramon Hernandez and the Molina brothers - Yadier (St. Louis), Bengie (Los Angeles Angels) and Jose (Angels) - came from Latin countries. Among U.S.-born catchers, only Minnesota's Joe Mauer, the first player taken in the 2001 draft, has generated much buzz at the big-league level.
Why the shortage of talented catchers coming out of this country?
"I have a reason for it: mothers," said Brewers coach Rich Donnelly, a former catcher.
"That might sound crazy but mothers don't want their kids to play football or catch in baseball because they're afraid they'll get hurt. You go to a Little League game and nobody wants to catch. They put the big kid behind the plate."
Ash has another theory for the shortage: laziness.
"Most kids think it's too demanding of a position," he said. "They don't want to put the time and energy into it that it requires to be good. They'd rather swing the bat."