2008 R-Phils Spring Training Guide

Catching on

Catchers play the most grueling position on the diamond.   They get nicked up more than anyone else on the club. It’s the position in all Minor League systems that sees the most movement because of the numerous foul tips, balls in the dirt, errant swings and the occasional home plate collision. 

It’s also a position that can’t always be measured by stats. Toughness, cunning, leadership and the ability to handle pitchers and control the running game make it so. That being said, we’ve profiled seven catchers that could play in Reading, three of them – Tim Gradoville, Lou Marson and Tuffy Gosewich - are in Major League spring training.

Gosewich, an Arizona State product, spent 2006 at Clearwater and last season at Lakewood where he was an All-Star.  He had a career-best 24 double in 2007.  

It's probably not that much of a stretch to say that Gradoville is one of the top five throwing catchers in all of baseball.  The opposition's running game simply does not exist when he's behind the dish.  Pitchers love him because he calls a good game and while most catchers call for a lot of fastballs when men are on base to better their chances of throwing out runners, Gradoville can care less if you roll him the ball.  He's split the last three seasons between Reading and Triple-A, including a September call-up to Philly in 2006.  How the IronPigs roster shakes out could determine where he starts the season.  Jason Jaramillo figures to see most of the action in the Lehigh Valley.  The Phillies also have Pete La Forest in camp.  He's been back and forth between the Majors and Triple-A since 2003.  He also plays first and third which could mean the Phillies roll with three catchers at Triple-A to take advantage of La Forests versatility.  If that's the case, Gradoville has a great chance to be one of them.  If they don't, he'll be glad he has air conditioning for the drives on RT 222.  Should Carlos Ruiz or Chris Coste unfortunately land on the disabled list, nobody would be surprised if it was Gradoville that got the call.  

Orlando Guevara started last year at Clearwater but his season ended in June with a knee injury.  In 2006 the Venezuelan caught for all four full-season clubs in the Phillies system.

Tim Kennelly split last year between Williamsport, Lakewood and Clearwater, mostly Williamsport.  The Australian probably starts somewhere in A-ball.

Fellow Australian Joel Naughton is probably also ticketed for A-ball unless there are injuries in spring training or during the year.  He hit .259 in 56 games for Lakewood last year.

John Suomi was acquired from Washington for cash  and sent to Clearwater last June around the same time Guevara was lost for the season.  Before becoming a Phillie, the Canadian caught 36 games for the Nationals at Harrisburg and five for Triple-A Columbus.  If he doesn't start the season in Reading chances are he'd be the first catcher summoned if there was a need.    

Last but not least is Lou Marson, like Gosewich, a Scottsdale, AZ resident.  Marson is the Phillies top catching prospect and #8 overall according to Baseball America.  He's advanced one level at a time since being drafted out of high school in the 4th round in 2004.  With that track record, and after hitting .288 with 24 doubles for Clearwater's championship team last year, he should get the bulk of the reps behind the plate for Reading this season.  Baseball America touts his receiving and game calling skills as above average and his arm as slightly above average.  In today's Philadelphia Daily News, Mike Arbuckle told Paul Hagen that Marson has a "good ceiling"; which in Arbuckle-speak means they think he's going to get even better.  Like Clearwater, Lakewood won the South Atlantic League championship with him behind the dish in 2006.  He has plenty of experience handling the Phillies top pitching prospects.  

This story was posted on February 29, 2008