Frequent mound visitor Sanchez vowing to adjust

TAMPA — If Gary Sanchez didn’t lead big-league catchers in mound visits last season he was very close.

Now, with MLB’s new policy on managers, coaches and players trucking to the mound, which limits six visits per nine innings to supposedly quicken the game, everybody is going to have to adjust.

“Big change? I am not quite sure but it’s going to be different and difficult because you are limited on the amounts you can go out there,’’ Sanchez said through an interpreter Tuesday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Many of Sanchez’s trips, and those of other catchers, were made to change signs because sign-stealing remains a big part of the game.

“That’s all they are to me, change the sign,’’ Yankees catcher Austin Romine said of the reason catchers trudge to the mound. “Some are to calm [the pitcher] down and some are stalling and that comes from the dugout. Other than that it is usually to change signs. In the past it was mainly to change signs.’’

Sanchez said it was a buffet of reasons for the walk that stalls the game’s action but often is necessary in a big spot of a big game.

“It’s a combination of things. Sometimes you go out there to help in any way possible to calm [the pitcher] down. Sometimes it’s to change the signs, sometimes it is both,’’ Sanchez said. “It’s a combination of things. There is not one main reason why. It depends on what is going on in the game.’’

Whatever a catcher’s opinion of the rule, it will be of little help.

“The reality is that they made the change and now it’s up to us to adjust to it,’’ Sanchez said.

Romine, who said six visits per nine innings is fair, didn’t kill the grass moving from the plate to mound so the new rule won’t change his plan.

“I don’t like to go out so I don’t know if it will bother me too much,’’ Romine said. “You are definitely going to have to keep the count and don’t mess it up.’’