John Buck 2011: Getting Better

[Party]

Mr. Buck now has a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/#!/14Buckshot

[Ramp]

John Buck is All About the Film Room

JUPITER -- Randy Choate pitching to Manny Ramirez would be called a mismatch by anybody with a baseball pulse.

But John Buck made it work. And many would call that genius.

“He took charge of the situation,” Choate, the Marlins’ zany, crafty lefty said last week at Roger Dean Stadium. “If he calls slider, I’m going to throw a slider.”

Choate didn’t need a slider to retire one of the most feared hitters of this generation. But all it took was two pitches: an inside fastball Ramirez looked at for strike one and a changeup away that produced a harmless groundout. Choate never remembered facing Ramirez in his career — even during all those seasons in the American League with the Yankees — and, really, why would a lefty specialist ever be brought into a game to face Ramirez, except in a mid-March Grapefruit League game against the Rays where there were no consequences.

Which is exactly Choate’s point about Buck, 30, who the Marlins signed in the offseason to be their starting catcher. Choate struggled mightily that day. He took his only loss of the spring. But he did get Ramirez out, and afterwards, in the team training room at Roger Dean Stadium, Buck gave Choate a supportive hug.
“It’s baseball. You’re going to have down days,” said Buck, who saw Choate and Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire going to watch tape of Choate’s mostly disastrous outing and followed them down the hallway.

“I could tell he wasn’t happy with where he was at,” Buck said.

Choate is 35. He has bounced around many bullpens and looked into many catcher’s masks. But that gesture by Buck made a lasting impression.

“It’s just part of the position,” said Buck, the only active major-leaguer to have been born in Wyoming. “You look at [Boston catcher Jason] Varitek, the way he prepares. He didn’t get to where he is by just catching. It’s also preparing, before and after. It’s his attention to detail.”

LEARNING BY EXAMPLE

Before embarking on the first seven seasons of his big-league career in the American League with the Royals (2004-09) and Blue Jays (2010), Buck was in the Astros’ minor-league system, learning from Houston catching mainstay Brad Ausmus and his backup, Gregg Zaun.

“I kept [Zaun] in the rolodex,” Buck said. “He was always a player I could bounce stuff off of.”

Zaun, Ausmus and Paul Bako, Buck’s backup with the Royals in 2006 — twere quality, close-up examples of what a catcher who cares should act like. So on March 16, after Choate was roughed up by the Rays, Buck didn’t just want to be there for encouragement. He wanted to go over it and try to correct it.

“It’s more me feeling more comfortable when we go into our meetings,” Buck said. “If I have something to say, I’m able to project it. I’ve seen it.”

The three-year, $18 million deal Buck signed last November was lucrative by Marlins standards. The organization brought him in hoping he could provide some power to a team that lost sluggers Dan Uggla, Cody Ross and Jorge Cantu from last season.

But his leadership could be Buck’s most important contribution.

“He’s thorough in everything he does,” said Brett Hayes, Buck’s likely backup in 2011. “He prepares with the best of them.”

Choate knows that now, and he’s thankful he will have a guy like Buck to lean on this season, especially on those bad days.

“He takes a lot of pride in knowing every pitcher, and how they do stuff,” Choate said. “He wants to get to know everybody.”

Choate recalled how last Wednesday, when the Marlins played the Braves at Lake Buena Vista, Buck stayed in Jupiter to catch right-handed reliever Edward Mujica in a three-inning, minor-league game. Like Buck, this is Mujica’s first season with Florida.

“[It’s] knowing guys’ tendencies, where they want to get to,” Choate said. “Pitchers are pretty picky. It’s something where he wants to get to know them so they’re comfortable.”

IS BUCK DIFFERENT?

The humble, unassuming Buck really doesn’t believe he’s doing anything out of the ordinary.

“If you’re not doing it as a catcher, you’re not normal,” he said. “It’s a normal thing to do.”

Choate, who has experienced the ultimate as a member of the 2000 World Series champion Yankees, doesn’t think Buck is run-of-the-mill normal.

“What makes him different? It’s just the way he goes about his business,” Choate said. “Whether it’s on the field, in the dugout or in the clubhouse. It makes you want to follow that person.”

Choate, who spent the past two seasons with Tampa Bay, is just glad both of their paths led to South Florida.

“I talked to a couple guys who played with [Buck] before,” Choate said, “and they said, ‘Oh, loved playing with him.’ ”

Buck and Choate share more than the same agent. They now share a bond.

“To take note of whether my pitchers are feeling comfortable or not, I want to be a part of that, so if it starts to go south … then I’m part of how they can be comfortable [again],” Buck said.

That process already worked once. The damage was done back on March 16, but Buck calmed Choate down enough to get the great Manny Ramirez out on two pitches. That’s no small feat.

“He knows his hitters,” Choate said. “He’s going to do his studying.”

It wouldn’t be any other way with Buck. Just doing his job, like Ausmus, Zaun and Bako all those years ago.
“They were guys when I was young, [I was] trying to evaluate and go about my business the way they did,” Buck said.

Choate admitted he has never been a film guy. He will never forget his first real session with Buck though.
“He said I’m going to be OK,” Choate recalled.

Coming from Buck, he was bound to really believe it.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/3...john-buck.html

[Miamarlin21]

Good article.

I remember not liking Buck at all when he was with Kansas City. I'm liking him more now. Even if he doesn't do anything close to his performance of last year, I think what he'll do defensively and all the extra stuff will make up for it.

[Party]

Buck becomes the first Marlin to hit a grand slam on Opening Day since Enc did it in 2005.

[Beef]

That is not correct

[Party]

Totally forgot Hanley in 2009. My mistake.

[Beef]

It's ok!

[Mainge]

You edited your post!

[Party]

According to Retrosheet:

Grand Slams

2011- Buck
2009- Hanley
2005- Encarnacion

JRS Opening Day HRs in Marlin debut

2011- Buck
2009- Boner (inside)
2004- Hee Seop Choi
2003- Pudge
2001- Eric Owens
1997- Moises Alou
1995- Terry Pendleton

[Beef]

Preston grannied against the Expos in 02

[Party]

Not @ home.

[Beef]

It was opening freakin day!

You only specified home in list #2!

[Mainge]

JJ broke Buck's cup throwing a curve in the dirt.

Yes this hurt and it was a curve ball that broke it! Its not everyday that a potential #CyYoung break your cup

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ehe nutty buddy

[emkayseven]

According to this he's been pretty good defensively and has saved 1 run this year: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/201...y-2011-edition

He hasn't done anything great and hasn't done anything poorly either.

[Swifty]

He's basically everything I thought he'd be. I'm happy, just wish he wasn't making $6.5 million.

All that said, when Baker comes back, if we still let Bake catch, I think the two will complement each other wonderfully.