Sanchez prepared to play at whatever infield position Pirates need him
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – The National League’s reigning batting champion doesn’t really know what position he’s going to play, and he doesn’t care much either. Freddy Sanchez is taking everything in stride just a few months after he hit .344 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sanchez excelled at third base last season but has performed exclusively at second in the opening days of camp, largely because the Pirates are trying to determine where two other competing infielders, Jose Castillo and Jose Bautista, fit into the team.
If Sanchez is troubled by that, it isn’t showing.
“I’m not worried about that at all. I’m used to it,” he said. “Wherever they play me, I’m ready for either. Obviously, I’m going to have to work hard at each position. It’s possible I might not know which one I’m playing until three days before the opener, but that’s fine. If I work hard at both all spring, it won’t matter.”
Manager Jim Tracy doesn’t sound too concerned, either. He said he would like to choose between Castillo and Bautista by the time there are roughly two weeks left in the spring, then give Sanchez the rest of the time to get comfortable with the position he’ll be playing regularly.
“We’re not talking about someone who can’t play second base,” Tracy said of Sanchez.
Sanchez, 29, made 18 starts at second base last season and performed well. He also made 92 starts at third base and 27 at shortstop. Despite all that shifting, he finished the season with 10 total errors.
Sanchez spent time again Sunday working with Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski, widely considered one of the greatest defensive second basemen, on footwork and pivots for double plays.
“Who better than Bill Mazeroski to work with?” Sanchez said. “It’s unreal. I’m new to second base, and I’m learning from him.”
“Freddy can be a fine second baseman,” Mazeroski said. “He already is, I think. And he can play anywhere.”
Not having a position would have been no big deal for Sanchez last spring.
The Pirates considered him a reserve player, a versatile type, and they entered the season using him in a backup role. But batting .333 in March and .360 in April put him into the lineup on the way to becoming Pittsburgh’s first batting champion since Bill Madlock in 1983.
Sanchez had quite the offseason, too.
“Freddy Sanchez Day” was declared in his native Burbank, Calif., the same day Burbank High School retired his No. 21. He also received the Roberto Clemente Award from the Pittsburgh chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, emblematic of the Pirates’ most valuable player.
“Nothing’s going to change about me, I can promise you that,” Sanchez said. “Nothing’s going to change as far as the hunger and the way I play my game, no matter what happened last year. My game stays the same.”
NOTES: The Pirates added an intrasquad scrimmage to their schedule for Tuesday. Twelve pitchers will be used. Ten pitchers worked bullpen sessions and threw live batting practice during the two-hour workout Sunday. Outfielder Xavier Nady, slowed by a stomach ailment, did light workouts away from the team.