Montero catching up to high hopes Since tryout at 17, catcher has impressed with his talent, passion
Nick Piecoro
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 15, 2006 12:00 AM There were perhaps 50 players at the tryout in Venezuela, all hoping to impress and earn a job with the Diamondbacks.
But Junior Noboa liked just one.
Noboa, the Diamondbacks' top Latin American scout, saw the 17-year-old catcher take just six or seven swings and make only a couple of throws to second base. It was all he needed to see to know he liked Miguel Montero.
Noboa noticed Montero's quick swing, noticed the ball jump off his bat. He saw Montero's baseball instincts and he couldn't help but see the energy and passion the kid had for the game.
Montero was the only player signed that day and now, five years later, he is the Diamondbacks' prized catching prospect, poised to challenge for the club's everyday job in 2007.
Montero, with the Diamondbacks now as a September call-up, isn't expected to get many at-bats. But over the past two seasons, he has shown the organization what he can do with the bat.
He had a breakout 2005 with 26 home runs between Class A Lancaster and Double-A Tennessee, and carried that over to this season, hitting a combined .286 with 17 home runs at Double-A and Triple- A Tucson.
Montero had pretty pedestrian minor league numbers before 2005, and he credits his offensive jump to time spent in winter ball at home in Venezuela, where he plays for Pastora in a highly competitive league.
"It made me a different player," Montero said. "It gave me a little more experience, and I was able to play with older guys."
Among his teammates in Venezuela was Baltimore catcher Ramon Hernandez, whom Montero says has helped him in his development.
"He was kind of my coach," Montero said. "He would talk to me about the flow of the game, about your attitude in the game, your mind-set at the plate."
The last time he talked to Hernandez?
"About five days ago," Montero said. "He laughed and said, 'Nice debut.' "
Montero's big-league debut was memorable, but not in a good way: He was in the lineup the night the Diamondbacks were no-hit by Florida's Anibal Sanchez. He went 0 for 3 that night and after five at-bats is still looking for his first hit.
Bill Plummer, who managed Montero in Lancaster last season and in Tennessee this year, said Montero's improvements the past couple of seasons aren't limited to his hitting.
"He understands how to handle a pitching staff," Plummer said. "He has a much better feel for how to deal with opposing hitters, and his ability not to take his offense back behind the plate with him. He really improved in those areas."
Montero's attitude has never needed improvement. Noboa saw that right away. After signing with the Diamondbacks, Montero went to the Dominican Republic to play for the club's summer league team there, then went to Tucson for instructional league.
After he went home for the holidays, Montero called Noboa in January. He told him he wanted to go back to the Dominican to work out at the club's academy.
"He said, 'I don't care if I have to pay for my own ticket, I want to be 100 percent ready to come to the States,' " Noboa said. "I said, 'You don't have to pay for that.' When I heard that, I knew this kid really has passion. I knew he was going to make it."
Noboa believes he could be something special.
"He can hit .290 to .300 with 20-plus home runs," Noboa said. "That's the type of player I think he can be in the big leagues if he has a chance to play every day."
