In the middle of winter, midseason form at ballpark
Pitchers’ greatest asset is behind plate for Giants
The Giants are about to launch a new season. A new iteration of a team that has had so much success over the past six years.
And once again, the cornerstone is Buster Posey.
The catcher has been the linchpin of three Giants championship teams. And with a retooled rotation this season, his leadership will be even more critical.
“It was very attractive to the guys coming in, getting a chance to pitch to arguably the best catcher in the game,” general manager Bobby Evans said. “Buster is very helpful in meeting
with some of these guys when his schedule permitted. And it gave us another level of confidence in the guys we were signing, that they have Buster to throw to.”
There are other factors that made the Giants attractive to free-agent pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto: the strong and stable infield playing behind them, the ballpark, the other standouts in the rotation.
But the rock is Posey, 28.
“Having a catcher as stable as Buster, to come here and get to throw to such a guy, is huge,” Giants right-hander Jake Peavy said. “The thing that makes Buster so special is that he has this calmness. He never lets his emotions get the best of him, no matter how big the moment is. He’ll come out to the mound and talk to the pitcher the same way. His body language has a total calming effect. He’s the antithesis of me.”
Peavy added, “He also treats his pitchers individually. He gets the best out of each one of us. He tailors what he has to do every night. It takes a special level of preparation and commitment.”
Neither Samardzija nor Cueto was wooed by Posey in the offseason, unlike Zack Greinke, who signed with the Diamondbacks despite getting a solid pitch from Posey.
But when he signed in December, Samardzija explained that Posey was part of the attraction of the Giants.
“Having Buster back there is icing on the cake,” he said. “There’s not too many opportunities in your career as a professional athlete that the guy you’re throwing to is a Hall of Fame guy, and has a head on his shoulders like Buster.”
When Posey arrived in the big leagues for good in 2010, the rookie caught a staff of Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner. Zito and Sanchez moved on, as has probably Lince- cum. Ryan Vogelsong and Tim Hudson moved in and then out. And now Posey has two new starters to learn.
“You can learn a lot just having a conversation with them,” Posey said. “I listen in on what they like to do even when I’m not catching them. But I’m going to try my best to catch Samardzija and Cueto in spring training so I can get a feel for them. I want to do everything I can to help these guys succeed.”
And when his pitchers don’t flourish, like last season when the starters struggled?
“As a catcher, when the staff doesn’t succeed you take it hard,” Posey said. “You definitely feel a responsibility.”
Posey is excited about the new rotation, filled with World Series rings, All-Star appearances and potential No. 1 starters — though the assumption is that title will still belong to Bumgarner. Posey thinks Cain is healthy and ready for a strong season. If Lincecum, a free agent, is gone, Posey said he will miss him.
Count Posey among those who think the Giants could do something special — again — this season.
“You’ve got to have high expectations,” he said. “The first year or two I was here, I felt like the staff was so good about having healthy competition among themselves. Hopefully this staff can bring that to the table.”
The competition is about to start. And, as usual, Posey is the key.