Avila Accepts Risks That Come With Being A Catcher
Alex Avila doesn't want to do anything stupid with his legs while catching.
He acknowledges it could happen anyway.
Twice in the last 10 days, Avila has blocked a runner off the plate with his left foot, then made a tag complete a double play on a fly ball to the outfield.
On June 21 at Dodger Stadium, he was there when James Loney slid, Loney's one leg too high and the other sliding over Avila's shin guard. Loney arrived just before the throw from Magglio Ordonez, but Avila's leg blocked him successfully off the plate.
It happened again Thursday in Detroit's 5-2 victory over the New York Mets.
Left fielder Brennan Boesch lined up a flyout by Josh Thole and fired a one-hop strike to the plate. It looked on first view that Lucas Duda had beaten the play. The replays showed that not to be the case.
"He probably could have really messed up my knee," Avila admitted afterward. "What I was doing, I speeded up a little bit; it could have been a nightmare for my knee.
"I saw the replay. I was in a good position, but I opened up my leg. I exposed my knee and ankle. I knew it was a chance, but you take chances as a catcher all the time."
The Tigers don't want Avila to become a Buster Posey, someone who loses a season because an opponent gets a wild hair and decides to see if Avila's body is stronger than a toothpick.
Avila is one of the emerging catchers in baseball, a guy who just threw out Mets shortstop Jose Reyes trying to steal second in the third inning. Reyes has stolen 30 and been caught six times.
"Early in the game, I took a foul ball off my shoulder," Avila said. "It could have been bad. But I've got a job to do, and I'm going to do it to the best of my ability -- without being stupid."
He needs to be careful. While Victor Martinez is a solid receiver, the Mets stole four bases on him the other night. Avila can mask the occasional pitcher who can't hold runners on. For Martinez, that's a problem.
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