Jared Hughes and Rob Scahill spent a few minutes on a Sunday morning discussing their bullpen catcher Heberto “Herbie” Andrade and what he meant to the team.
Immediately, the two together said the same two words, “Herbie wins.”
Andrade’s competitiveness has allowed him to persevere and make a difference at the major league level for the past 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Andrade played a game as a young child in Venezuela where he substituted bottle caps for balls and sticks for bats where one had to catch the bottle cap before it would stop.
This experience allowed him to make an easy transition at age seven to touch a baseball for the first time.
Baseball is the top game in Venezuela and Andrade would go to the ballpark with his dad which is how he got the knowledge of the game and feelings developed for the sport.
In 1979, Andrade visited the United States for the first time by himself. It was as part of an interchange program and he went to Salt Lake City, UT. He was 12-years-old and played in the states for a week playing with teams.
Andrade signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs and played in their farm system from 1986-88.
“My goal was to play in the major leagues,” said Andrade. “I was more known for my defense. I learned to hit later and it was a bit late for the opportunity those years. That was a pretty good experience.”
After this Andrade played professional baseball in Venezuela, Italy and Colombia. Andrade wanted to come back to the U.S. to play again, however during this time there was the Gulf War and it made visas hard to come by.
“I was playing in other countries and gaining experience and growing up,” Andrade said. “The chance to come back never happened.”
Andrade retired as a player in 1996.
He has spent the past 19 years as a coach and catching instructor in the Venezuelan Winter League. It was during this time period that the idea of Andrade becoming a bullpen catcher materialized.
Reuben Amaro, Sr. had a discussion with then-Pirates General Manager Dave Littlefield and during the conversation asked if the Pirates needed a coach. Littlefield told Amaro Sr. that the lone position available was a bullpen catcher that could also serve as a coach.
Andrade’s name then came up as part of the conversation and Pete Mackanin, who now serves as manager for the Philadelphia Phillies, was asked about this. Andrade played for Mackanin and was thought of as the person who could attest to his abilities for the position.
In his time with the Pirates, Andrade likely throws or catches 350-500 times a day. Andrade is catching at least 2-3 pitchers in side sessions, bullpen sessions, a group of batting practice and possibly the starting pitcher in a day’s work.
To put this into perspective, if you take 350 times a day and multiply it over a 162-game season over 12 years [this does not include the team’s playoff runs in each of the past two seasons], then Andrade has thrown or caught a baseball 1,360,800 times.
“I just thank god to keep me healthy,” said Andrade. “I just work out and get my body in shape. Taking care of your body and being smart. Don’t fool around, know where you’re at and know how physical your job is.”
Many just assume Herbie is a bullpen catcher, however considering the various things he does in addition to catching pitchers, that is not the case. In the past, Andrade has served as a translator for any Latin player and assists with a smile.
“He’s a huge part of this team because he’s basically getting us all ready for the game,” Hughes said. “The thing about Herbie is that he’s a coach and he’s our bullpen catcher, but he also has so much good advice for us. He knows me so well because he’s caught me for so long so if he notices something is off, he can tell me in a second what’s going on and I’m going to listen.”
Andrade’s competitiveness stretches into the bullpen where he pressures the relievers and competes with them. It is all in good fun, though.
“Anytime you play a game with Herbie he’s probably going to win whatever little game it is,” said Hughes. “There’s always crazy games like the flinch game or where he’ll bounce a couple of balls up and we’ll try to catch them when we’re running out to go play catch with the outfielder. Pretty much whatever game you play with him he’s going to win, he’s super competitive in that regard. Even if you win, he’s going to find a way to where it was invalid and he actually won. Herbie’s a winner there’s no doubt about that, and we love him.”
Andrade responds that his competitiveness comes from core values he believes in that help define his identity.
“The sky is the limit you always have to push until you can say that there is no other way,” Andrade said, “You don’t give up, you can’t give up, it’s perseverance. If you persevere, you win.”
Andrade also served as one of two catchers during the 2006 Home Run Derby, an experience he called different and one in which found out that the competitors took it seriously even though it looked as though they were having fun.
He is thankful for a lot of things and takes pride and honor for being with the Pirates. Though his playing career had its ups and downs, he considers his overall career a win, however he still has unfinished business.
“I still have that fire for this game,” said Andrade. “The difference is I don’t want to play. When I chose to coach it’s because I said I was done as a player. This is something that not too many coaches have. When you choose to coach, you need to forget how good or bad you were.
“Now your duty is to make the players better and reach a high level. I’m still battling, learning and trying to get better every day. That will not stop until I don’t do this anymore.”
