Baker not opposed to personal catchers
JUPITER, Fla. — Astros manager Dusty Baker would be in favor of pitchers picking seasonlong personal catchers, somewhat of a departure from his predecessor.
A.J. Hinch, a former big league backstop, had a longstanding aversion to assigning personal catchers. Toward the end of last year, though, Hinch acknowledged his philosophy changed through the course of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole’s sensational Cy Youngcaliber seasons.
Robinson Chirinos caught all of Verlander’s starts during his Cy Young campaign while Martin Maldonado caught Cole’s final 10 starts — nine of which featured double-digit strikeouts.
“I’ve seen both. Some guys work better with certain guys and sometimes I’ll ask the pitcher without letting the catcher know ‘How, do you like this guy or that guy,’ ” Baker said Friday. “The personal catcher is not bad, because it gives the other catcher a day off and he knows he’s going to be off every fifth day or every fourth day or whatever.”
Maldonado, offseason acquisition Dustin Garneau and minor league starter Garrett Stubbs comprise the Astros’ big-league ready catching depth. Maldonado has familiarity with Verlander from two previous stints in Houston.
Maldonado and Zack Greinke teamed up in Milwaukee during the 2011 and 2012 seasons before reuniting in Houston last year.
Maldonado caught Greinke during his Grapefruit League debut on Friday against the Marlins.
Verlander threw to Garneau during his simulated game on Thursday in West Palm Beach — the first time the battery connected in a game-like situation.
“It’s been great,” Verlander said. “He asks a lot of questions and (we’re) working on getting our feel together. Maldy’s caught me quite a bit before. I think he knows what I like to do and not much has changed. I think it’s important for Dustin and I to work together.”
Parking spot, Marlins no issue for Greinke
Two hours before his Grapefruit League debut, Zack Greinke drove his four-door truck near a back field at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Employees informed him the players parking lot was full.
So, Greinke guided his vehicle onto an empty berm just behind the third-base dugout. The pitcher put it in park, grabbed his duffel bag and jumped out. He started stretching while the rest of his team took pregame batting practice. Between rounds, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve noticed the truck in this unusual spot.
“Dude,” Correa said, “is that your truck?”
Greinke gave a wide grin and confirmed it was. The trio started a conversation. Catcher Martin Maldonado joined in.
“I’ve heard he’s been more talkative this spring than he was all (last) year,” new Astros manager Dusty Baker said.
Baker acknowledged it’s been “hard to get a read” on Greinke, the enigmatic 36-year-old righthander who reported to his first Astros spring training 10 days late. But the week since his arrival has evidence that Greinke is growing more comfortable around his teammates and new organization.
“So far, spring training has been pretty nice,” Greinke said Friday. “Most people probably talk more in spring than they do in the middle of the year when there’s a lot of stuff going on.”
Any on-field worry over Greinke’s late arrival to spring training was tamed Friday, too. He threw 28 pitches in two efficient innings against the Miami Marlins, allowing just an infield single and unearned run.
Twenty-two of his 28 pitches were strikes. His fastball velocity was normal — around 88-90 mph on the stadium radar gun — and Greinke mixed in his numerous secondary pitches to all sides of the plate. Three of the final five hitters he faced struck out.
“I was kind of just trying to throw everything in different locations and I felt pretty good,” Greinke said. “It wasn’t in midseason form or anything, but all my pitches were pretty close. Just command needs to get a little bit better and pitches a little more consistent.”