Spring Training: Pirates have a full plate of competition at catcher

Dejan Kovacevic

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Feb 26, 2006

5:00 AM

BRADENTON, Fla. -- At a time when quality catchers are rare throughout Major League Baseball, the Pirates have an uncommon equation entering this spring training:

Three viable candidates for two roster openings, and no chosen starter.

There is Ryan Doumit, a young switch-hitter with power to all fields. There is Humberto Cota, the best in the organization behind the plate. There also is prospect Ronny Paulino, coming off a sizzling season in Class AAA. Although it is unlikely he will push into the picture soon, no one in management is ruling it out.

In fact, no one is ruling out pretty much any scenario involving the catchers, and that seems to delight the front office.

"That's one spot where we're kind of anxious to see how it plays out," general manager Dave Littlefield said. "Doumit has spent only four months in the big leagues, and we'll see how he continues to improve in all areas. Cota just had a nice season for his first time playing a lot. And we're very pleased with what Paulino's done. I feel good about the catching situation."

"We have three good catchers," manager Jim Tracy said. "Our attitude is we're looking forward to seeing what they can do."

In all likelihood, Doumit will get the majority of starts but share the duty with Cota, perhaps a 100/62 split of games. But that breakdown will depend on the performance of all three in the mix.

Doumit, who will turn 25 the day of the season opener, showed intriguing but inconsistent offense as a rookie last year. He slumped at .177 in the first two months after his June promotion, but his .364 mark in August was best in the majors among rookies. He wound up at .255 with six home runs and 35 RBIs in 75 games.

He describes that early stretch as a necessary dose of humility.

"I thought I had the world in my hand when I got called up," Doumit said. "I needed that. I needed to be put in my place, and it was a good learning experience. Now, I know how to cope with failure. I know how to make the adjustments I need to be successful this year."

Much of Doumit's focus was his defense, which was not considered on par with his bat in the minors, particularly his receiving of pitches. Some in management spoke apprehensively about his ability to catch in the majors. But that changed as Doumit improved, enough that the matter no longer is raised much.

"I kind of know where I stand this year in the organization," Doumit said. "I know what I have to do."

He seems aware it will require more than simply showing up and, to that end, he reported to camp visibly bulkier and stronger. And speaking in tones no less determined than those he used last year.

"I don't think the starting job is going to be handed to me. Cota's a great catcher, and I'm sure he feels the same way about wanting to be the everyday catcher. So, we're going to compete for it, and may the best man win."

Cota, 27, barely left the dugout in his first four major-league seasons, other than those bimonthly occasions when Jason Kendall took a breather. But he appeared in 93 games last season -- nearly triple his previous high -- and batted .242. The average was disappointing, but he also had seven home runs, 43 RBIs and some of the season's most memorable hits.

He was given a shot last season to beat out veteran Benito Santiago and journeyman David Ross for his first major-league starting duty, but none of the three was productive. Doumit was summoned and, before long, Cota was in the background again. Despite that, Cota -- as straightforward as any player in the clubhouse -- never publicly bemoaned the lost opportunity, choosing instead to speak of the team.

That approach might best explain why he is bristling at the notion of a catcher's duel.

"I really hate that word, 'competition.' I don't see it that way," Cota said. "Me and Ryan, we can push each other. We can both get better. We're not hating each other or anything like that. Bottom line is we both want to get the best out of our pitching staff and help this team win more games. If we keep going like that all year, it's going to be good for everyone."

Paulino, who will turn 25 in April, earned a September call-up after tearing through two levels of the minors. At Class AA Altoona, he batted .292 with six home runs in 43 games. At Class AAA Indianapolis, he fared even better at .315 with 13 home runs in 77 games. He also hit the dramatic, eighth-inning, three-run home run in the playoffs that sent the Indians to the International League final.

The default view is that Paulino will return to Indianapolis. But the Pirates are stressing a push for more offense, so a standout spring might earn him more than pats on the back.

"All I can do is work hard and hope I get a chance," Paulino said.

Paulino, a hulk of a catcher at 6 feet 4, 240 pounds, carries the same weight as last season, but he is significantly more chiseled, something not unnoticed by management.

The Pirates' excitement about their catchers, as the numbers will show, is based more on potential than recent production.

The team's offensive output from the position last season was no better than ordinary, their .250 average and 15 home runs ranking eighth in the 16-team National League. The defense was below that: Cota's .992 fielding percentage ranked 17th among the league's 29 catchers with 50 or more games caught. Doumit's .975 was last.

Still, the presence of so many youngsters behind the plate -- including Neil Walker, the organization's best hitting prospect, in the low minors -- has led to optimism that an area of weakness for many organizations could be a strength for the Pirates for quite a while.

"Certainly, to have three catchers at the upper end of the depth chart and under our control for a few years, that's something that can help us win right now," Littlefield said. "But it also can be an asset if you want to make a trade, as we've seen with our left-handed pitching. I don't know where our catching depth ranks in baseball, but we're happy with it."

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
In all likelihood, Ryan Doumit will catch the majority of the games, but don't expect him to approach Jason Kendall numbers.
Click photo for larger image.