azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Dan Zeiger, Tribune
TUCSON - Kelly Stinnett’s latest spin on the major league highway began on Monday, when he stepped into the batter’s box at Tucson Electric Park against a Colorado Rockies farmhand named Marcos Carvajal.
The veteran catcher sent the first pitch over the left-field fence for a home run and embarked on a 360-foot trip around the bases on wheels that, while a little worn, still grip the road just fine.
"I think I’ve still got a lot of rubber in my tires," the 35-year-old Stinnett said. "It’s been a fun ride."
In more than 15 seasons as a professional, nine of them in the majors, Stinnett has visited all corners of the baseball map, sticking around not by posting gaudy statistics or making highlight-reel plays, but by finding a niche and doing it well enough to be annually wanted.
This spring, he is with Arizona for his second tour of duty with the team, providing the Stinnett resumé — solid defense and the ability to work with pitchers — while helping mentor youngsters Koyie Hill and Chris Snyder, who are battling for the starting catching duties.
"The ultimate compliment is to have a pitcher go into the manager’s office and say that you are the guy he wants catching him every time out," said Stinnett, a lifetime .238 hitter with 57 home runs and 204 RBIs.
"I’ve developed a good reputation, and I play hard. I think the players I work with every day know what I’m about."
Stinnett — who has played for six major league teams, including a 1998-2000 stint with the D-Backs — has performed as advertised during camp, manager Bob Melvin said.
"Kelly is a work-ethic guy," Melvin said. "They call him a grinder for a reason. He comes in and goes about his business and serves as a mentor to the other guys. Our young guys don’t really need one, because they are so ahead of their years in how they conduct themselves behind the plate.
"But he provides a good influence for them when they need it, and that’s why we brought him here. He knows what he needs to do to prepare for a backup role."
Although Stinnett is a nonroster invitee, he has been projected to make the team as a backup to Hill or Snyder, with the other playing each day at Class AAA Tucson.
However, all of Stinnett’s miles in baseball have taught him a valuable lesson: Assume nothing.
"There are three catchers and two spots, so the math won’t be good for one of us," Stinnett said. "I’ll help out (Hill and Snyder) whenever I can, but I’m most concerned about making the club.
"We all know what’s going on. There’s no guarantee for me or the other two guys."
Stinnett — whose 2004 season in Kansas City was cut short in June by an elbow injury — has not hurt his chances the last two days.
Against Milwaukee on Sunday, the 5-foot-11, 255-pounder chugged his way to a pair of triples. For the spring, he is batting .429 (6-for-14) with four RBIs.
"When you’re out as long as Kelly has been, it can be especially tough for a catcher," Melvin said. "But he’s had reason to feel good about his game."
Stinnett will feel even better later this year, when he passes a significant mile marker on the highway — a full decade of major league service.
"Once that happens, you start showing your age," Stinnett said, "but you
also show that you’ve been around for a while."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37988
TUCSON - Kelly Stinnett’s latest spin on the major league highway began on Monday, when he stepped into the batter’s box at Tucson Electric Park against a Colorado Rockies farmhand named Marcos Carvajal.
The veteran catcher sent the first pitch over the left-field fence for a home run and embarked on a 360-foot trip around the bases on wheels that, while a little worn, still grip the road just fine.
"I think I’ve still got a lot of rubber in my tires," the 35-year-old Stinnett said. "It’s been a fun ride."
In more than 15 seasons as a professional, nine of them in the majors, Stinnett has visited all corners of the baseball map, sticking around not by posting gaudy statistics or making highlight-reel plays, but by finding a niche and doing it well enough to be annually wanted.
This spring, he is with Arizona for his second tour of duty with the team, providing the Stinnett resumé — solid defense and the ability to work with pitchers — while helping mentor youngsters Koyie Hill and Chris Snyder, who are battling for the starting catching duties.
"The ultimate compliment is to have a pitcher go into the manager’s office and say that you are the guy he wants catching him every time out," said Stinnett, a lifetime .238 hitter with 57 home runs and 204 RBIs.
"I’ve developed a good reputation, and I play hard. I think the players I work with every day know what I’m about."
Stinnett — who has played for six major league teams, including a 1998-2000 stint with the D-Backs — has performed as advertised during camp, manager Bob Melvin said.
"Kelly is a work-ethic guy," Melvin said. "They call him a grinder for a reason. He comes in and goes about his business and serves as a mentor to the other guys. Our young guys don’t really need one, because they are so ahead of their years in how they conduct themselves behind the plate.
"But he provides a good influence for them when they need it, and that’s why we brought him here. He knows what he needs to do to prepare for a backup role."
Although Stinnett is a nonroster invitee, he has been projected to make the team as a backup to Hill or Snyder, with the other playing each day at Class AAA Tucson.
However, all of Stinnett’s miles in baseball have taught him a valuable lesson: Assume nothing.
"There are three catchers and two spots, so the math won’t be good for one of us," Stinnett said. "I’ll help out (Hill and Snyder) whenever I can, but I’m most concerned about making the club.
"We all know what’s going on. There’s no guarantee for me or the other two guys."
Stinnett — whose 2004 season in Kansas City was cut short in June by an elbow injury — has not hurt his chances the last two days.
Against Milwaukee on Sunday, the 5-foot-11, 255-pounder chugged his way to a pair of triples. For the spring, he is batting .429 (6-for-14) with four RBIs.
"When you’re out as long as Kelly has been, it can be especially tough for a catcher," Melvin said. "But he’s had reason to feel good about his game."
Stinnett will feel even better later this year, when he passes a significant mile marker on the highway — a full decade of major league service.
"Once that happens, you start showing your age," Stinnett said, "but you
also show that you’ve been around for a while."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37988
