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Nieves an asset behind, at plate
Nationals notebook
Date published: 9/21/2008
BY RICH CAMPBELL WASHINGTON-- When a catcher gains a reputation in baseball circles as a "catch-and-throw guy," it's usually a backhanded compliment. It's a nice way of saying the player's value is on defense, with the implication that there isn't much upside with the bat.Make no mistake, though, there is a place on major league rosters for catch-and-throw guys. Teams need backup catchers to spell their starters from the everyday grind. It's the reason Wil Nieves has been employed by the Washington Nationals this season. And Nieves--a true catch-and-throw guy with a .161 career major league batting average entering this season--has contributed more on offense than most in the organization expected. He carried a .264 average and 19 RBIs into last night, and he hit .293 in 12 games since starter Jesus Flores was lost for the season with a sprained left ankle. Nieves, who turns 31 this week, attributes his success at the plate to getting more at-bats. He never had more than 80 plate appearances in a season before this one. Entering last night, he had 181. "I think I have shown people now I can hit up here," he said. "They always knew I could play good defense. I think finally I showed that that I can do it, that I'm not just a minor league hitter. If I just play a little bit more, once every five days or once or twice a week, I can hit." Nieves' major league experience over the last three seasons was limited to a total of 35 games with the New York Yankees. They had an all-star-caliber catcher in Jorge Posada and the expectation of winning every day. Those circumstances conspired against Nieves, who wasn't afforded the opportunities to develop his swing through repetition. He signed with the Nationals in the offseason and, though he didn't make the team out of spring training, was called up from Triple-A in mid-April and stayed due to various injuries to Paul Lo Duca and Johnny Estrada, who were released July 31. Nieves' smile has been one of the few constants in Washington's clubhouse all season. He cherishes every day he spends in the big leagues because he knows that career .161 hitters don't get many chances to redeem themselves.
Date published: 9/21/2008
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