Spring Training Update for 3/18/03
Tue, Mar 18, 2003
by Geoff Young
So the Toreros are the #13 seed in the South and play Stanford this Thursday. The way I look at it, if you’re in, you’ve got a shot. Right?
- Notes: Eaton shows toughness (padres.com). Adam Eaton worked five solid innings against the Brewers. Alex Pelaez made some nice plays at third filling in for Sean Burroughs. The catching situation is becoming less muddled, with Gary Bennett the likely favorite to win the starting job. Wiki Gonzalez and Michael Rivera look to be fighting for the backup spot.
- Padres in a real pickle at catcher (NC Times). Then again, maybe the situation isn’t as clear as all that. Me? I’m torn. On the one hand, I’d like to see what Rivera can do; on the other, I think a guy like Bennett could help the young pitchers. I’ve seen enough of Gonzalez as a starter. I think he’s a useful ballplayer, but if it wasn’t clear when the Padres traded Ben Davis to the Mariners, it is now: Gonzalez is a backup catcher. Give him 60-70 games behind the plate, he’ll be solid. No reason he can’t have a career like that of, say, Doug Mirabelli or Bill Haselman. There’s no shame in that.
That’s about all for now. Questions? Comments? Drop me a line. Maybe we can do a mailbag entry one of these days.
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