(Photo Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports)
Most major league catchers make their debut in low-leverage situations. Tony Sanchez made his first career catching start in a larger atmosphere. With back-up catcher, Michael McKenry shut down for the rest of the season, the team looked to Sanchez in the heart of a pennant race. To make things even more interesting, manager, Clint Hurdle set that first start against the St. Louis Cardinals in the middle of the “Biggest series in PNC Park history.”
For Sanchez, it was the peak of a longer than expected journey through the minor leagues that included a broken jaw and a rough stretch in AA, but Sanchez tried to remain positive and composed.
“You lie to yourself, you tell yourself. You try to take yourself back to the times in college when you had a lot of success and you were really good. I didn’t have a lot to go back on besides low-A ball or high-A pre-jaw injury and you tell yourself, you were picked at that spot for a reason. They obviously saw something in you that you’re not seeing right now, but you were picked in that spot for a reason and you’re good, you’re a good ballplayer. You’ve been a good ballplayer your entire life. Keep trying to have fun. As hard as it is, just keep trying to have fun.”
He would break out of that slump and be promoted to AAA Indianapolis in 2012 where he would hit .233 over 62 games. He would start 2013 in AAA, but his numbers would improve as he has hit .288 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI in 76 games for the Indians. Those numbers were good enough to get him a DH spot during the Pirates series in Anaheim.
“It’s funny, I mean, all this time it’s been my defense that’s gotten me everywhere and in Anaheim it was my bat that got me my major league debut. Getting that first hit out of the way in my first AB was all genuine, jubilation, overwhelming, standing on second base just thinking oh my God, I finally did it, I’m here, I got the first hit out of the way. I was so nervous before playing even through a pitch, I had to ask (Chris) Iannetta what to do, you know, it was all very overwhelming.”
He didn’t disappoint, either, as he would get his first career hit in his first at-bat, a ground rule double that got stuck in the scoreboard on the right field wall.
“That was genuine Sanchez, right there. It would only happen to me to take away my first major league RBI, but you know, it was funny, it was unique and part of my personality is my uniqueness and not many people can hit a ball and get it stuck in a wall, but I sure as hell found a way to do it.”
He would be sent back down to AAA after the Angels series, but it wouldn’t be long-lived as he would be back up after the McKenry injury and starting in the heart of a pennant race. His first career major league start at catcher would come in the second game of a double header against St. Louis, who trailed the Pirates by a ½ game. Sanchez would play a role in the game by hitting a rare sac fly for the Pirates in their 6 – 0 victory.
“You got a guy on third base with less than two outs, doesn’t matter what the score is, you try to get the job done. You’re in the big leagues for a reason and that is because you can get the job done. I fell down 0 – 2 and was like ‘alright you have to battle here.’ Took a couple tough pitches, got a pitch I could drive into the outfield and got the job done. I was happy with that AB, it was a good AB and it prepares me for the next one.”
Sanchez said later that it finally has sunk in for him. “It happened the second night I was here, walking to get dinner with Vic (Black). I’m a major leaguer, not many guys can say that.”
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