Pirates need to fix catcher problem
The season many are referring to when trying to draw a simile to the Pirates’ current catching situation is 1988.
?The Pirates used six catchers that season, including the rifle-armed Ruben Rodriguez, who has yet to reach my prediction of future stardom.
However, with their top three catchers injured, the Pirates’ current predicament is more akin to 1999. That was the season when Jason Kendall dislocated his ankle while trying to beat out a bunt in a July 4 game against Milwaukee at Three Rivers Stadium.
Kendall’s injury left the Pirates with Keith Osik as their only experienced catcher and he was strictly a No. 2-type. Nearly three weeks after Kendall’s injury, the Pirates solved their problem by acquiring veteran catcher Joe Oliver and catching prospect Humberto Cota from Tampa Bay in a trade for Jose Guillen, who had fallen out of favor with management barely more than two years after making the jump from Class A to the major leagues as 20-year-old.
Oliver was an offensive zero for the Pirates as he hit .201 with one home run in 45 games. However, he gave the Pirates credibility behind the plate as he was the starting catcher on Cincinnati’s 1990 World Series winner.
Oliver also led former Reds teammate Bret Boone to ask one of the great questions of modern times: What would you rather have, $1 million or Joe Oliver’s head full of nickels?
Regardless of his hat size, Oliver had a calming effect on a cadre of young Pirates starting pitchers that included Jason Schmidt, Kris Benson, Todd Ritchie and Francisco Cordova.
The Pirates did not contend that season but did finish 78-83. They have not won that many games in any succeeding season.
The longer the Pirates keep playing solid baseball this year, the more it looks like they have at least a fighting chance of cracking .500 and ending their North American major professional sports record of 18 straight losing seasons. The Pirates downplay the significance of .500, but it is extremely important to the fans and, deep down, to the psyche of the organization.
Left with Dusty Brown and Mike McKenry, players with a combined 30 games worth of major-league experience, behind the plate, the Pirates owe it to their young starting rotation to acquire a veteran backstop with defensive chops. Among those available are the Chicago Cubs’ Koyie Hill, San Diego’s Rob Johnson and Tampa Bay’s Kelly Shoppach.
General manager Neal Huntington should waste no more time in securing the services of one of that trio and give the Pirates the best chance of winning as many games as possible.
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John Perrotto is the national writer for BaseballProspectus.com