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Posted by Calvin and Hobbs on 2008-09-26 18:30:32
Giants placing Posey on the fast track
Instructs, Hawaii offer chance to adapt to freedom, responsibility behind plate
By Jonathan Mayo
MLB.com
He wasn't there long, but there's no question it was a meaningful visit for Buster Posey.
The San Francisco Giants' top pick, taken No. 5 overall in June's Draft, spent all of a week in Scottsdale, Ariz., for instructional league action before packing up and heading to Hawaii to play for the Waikiki BeachBoys in the Hawaii Winter League, stopping for a look at AT&T Park on the way.
Not that moving around should bother the catcher at this point. Posey went from Florida State, where he had one of the better collegiate seasons in recent memory en route to winning the Golden Spikes Award, to the Rookie-level Arizona League. From there, he headed north to Salem-Keizer and the Class A Short-Season Northwest League before finishing his pro debut with some playoff action with San Jose in the Class A Advanced California League. It amounted to a grand total of 54 at-bats with plenty more to come in Hawaii.
"I'm learning to go with the flow a little bit and keep things in perspective," Posey said about his whirlwind summer. "I'm still getting the chance to play the game that I love."
At instructs, he's been able to get some more precise instruction about that game, particularly behind the plate. It's been a bit of a cram session, but one that will undoubtedly help him in the short and long term.
"The nice thing about instructs, like the beginning of Spring Training, is you get all the catchers in a group and go through all the drills," Giants director of player personnel Bobby Evans said. "It's the first time we've been able to get him in drills like that.
"It gives our catching instructor Brian Harper a chance to put him and the other catchers through every drill: blocking, popups, throwing to bases, calling a game, everything. That's what instructional league does over a four-and-a-half-week period. A week is not a lot of time, but he'll go to Hawaii with a foundation of everything we teach."
Evans pointed out that since Posey was able to get his feet wet in August, some of what was taught were things Posey had familiarized himself with already. Posey, who's only been catching for a couple of years, doesn't mind the repetition, knowing there's still plenty he needs to perfect as he adjusts to the pro game.
"I haven't played a lot of professional baseball, obviously," Posey said. "Defensively, it's different with me calling pitches. I've worked with Brian Harper and some of the older guys, like Todd Jennings. I get to see what they're doing.
"I still have a lot to learn. One of the main things I've learned so far is being able to communicate with the pitcher, getting on the same page with him and making sure he's comfortable with the pitch you're calling. So far, I've enjoyed having the freedom. It makes the game go by a lot quicker. There isn't that extra pause of looking over to pick the sign up."
Pitch-calling is a part of the game that often gets overlooked by fans, but one that can be tough for amateur catchers to adjust to. In college programs like FSU, Posey was directed from the dugout on everything, from pitches and location to pickoff moves and pitchouts. A quick study, it seems like he'll be one backstop who won't have difficulty becoming a good signal-caller.
"He's certainly advanced," Evans said. "He's going to be fine in his development. He's well on his way, and he's going to be fine going over to Hawaii and facing that level of competition. It's repetition; that's everything that baseball is, building confidence and consistency."
- Calvin and Hobbs 2008-09-26 18:30:32 (133 views)