Game 1 of the World Serious was postponed because of heavy rain, so Yankees manager Joe Torre used the occasion for a gentle ramble about which is the most important position–catcher, shortstop or center-fielder.
The question was triggered when Torre described Derek Jeter, his rookie shortstop, as a “dynamite” player. Torre then launched into a panegryic on Javier Lopez, the young Atlanta catcher who led the Braves’ postseason offense with a .484 batting average.
“Everything they (the Braves) had hoped he would be has turned out,” Torre observed. “He was a pull hitter when he first came up and got fooled a lot, but he has made the necessary adjustments. He’s developed into a very good defensive catcher and a strong opposite-field hitter.”
Then Torre said: “Shortstops, catchers and center-fielders–they are special people. Strength up the middle is crucial.”
Which led to an often-asked question: Which position is the most important?
“I’m a little partial,” said Torre, who was a catcher during much of his big-league playing career. “To me, catchers probably are the most important. They’re the next step to the manager. They have to have their head in the game.
“Once the game begins they can’t have any down time–even for one pitch. If the ball gets by the catcher, it shows up more than when a shortstop or an outfielder makes an error. And if the catcher can’t throw, every batter who reaches first base will steal on him. So it’s like giving up a double.”
Torre also noted the high percentage of catchers who become managers. Many of the most successful managers, beginning with the legendary Connie Mack, wore the “tools of ignorance”–shin guards, chest protector and face mask.
It’s a misnomer, of course. Catchers usually are among the smartest players. Moe Berg, a third-string catcher, was a graduate of the Sorbonne and a founding member of the American Linguistic Society. Berg spoke seven languages, which he used to our advantage during World II when he was with the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Connie Mack was even smarter. Despite lengthy stays in the second division, Mack holds the record for managerial longevity–50 years. He was never fired, for one good reason: He owned the club.
Torre acknowledged that catchers have an advantage in the managerial derby, and indicated that Yankees catcher Joe Girardi, a former Cub, appears to have the right stuff and could be a manager at the conclusion of his playing career.
“He has a good feel for the game,” Torre said. “And that’s something that’s hard to teach. A catcher has a better chance to acquire that feel because he’s more connected with the pitchers and the managers and coaches.”
Torre said he and Girardi are almost always on the same page.
“We think a lot alike,” Torre said. “And we talk a lot between innings. For that reason alone, he has so much more going into his head than the other position players.”
Torre has had a long career as a dugout wizard. He has managed four clubs, and as a player and manager has been in more than 4,000 major-league games. Though the Yankees are his first World Series club, there isn’t much he doesn’t know about handling players and running a game.
A reporter asked Torre if he had been giving Girardi the advantage of his vast storehouse of diamond wisdom.
“Do you mean have I been helping him?” Torre asked.
There was a long silence.
“I can’t really help him,” Torre insisted. “I know he is a graduate of Northwestern University and that’s a very tough school. I don’t know there’s a whole lot I can tell him. He’s very intelligent.”
But certainly Girardi must ask a lot of questions.
“He does,” Torre said, brightening. “He’s always asking, `Where’s a good Italian restaurant?’ “
