Don’t mean a thing if it doesn’t swing

Rick Devereux

The job of the catcher on a baseball team is a lot more complicated

than an untrained eye might see.

A catcher must be able to set up a target exactly where the

pitcher needs to throw the ball. A catcher must be able to signal to

the players in the field where to adjust to for the relay throw. A

catcher must know what the situation is and what the baserunners and

batter will do in that situation as well as what needs to be done to

counter their actions.

Basically, a catcher is the quarterback and coach for the

defensive team.

And then he must be able to hit.

Jeff Sanchez had the defensive requirements handled, but the

Newport Harbor High senior was coming off a season in which the coach

was using a designated hitter to replace Sanchez’s bat.

But, through hard work, Sanchez is once again contributing to the

Sailors on offense and defense. He went 5 for 5 with three RBIs and

two runs scored in Newport Harbor’s first two games of the season to

earn Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week honors.

“I struggled [at the plate] the last couple of games my junior

year,” Sanchez said. “[In the off-season] I did some weight training

in order to get bigger and I worked with [batting coach Joe] Urban on

my swing. I had a big dip in it before. I would tend to pop up

pitches. My eyes would get all big and I would try to yack it. Now I

keep my shoulders even and I try to hit line drives.”

Sanchez said changing his mentality was more difficult than

changing his mechanics. He wanted to swing for the fences every time,

but his patience at the plate has paid off.

“His bat was his biggest drawback,” Coach Joel Desguin said. “He

is really solid defensively. Pitchers are not afraid to call a pitch

that is possibly in the dirt with runners in scoring position because

they know he can block the ball [from getting away and allowing the

other team to score].”

Sanchez is not just able to stop runners in scoring position from

crossing the plate, he is able to stop runners from getting into

scoring position if they try to steal a base.

“He has great arm strength,” Desguin said. “When colleges are

looking at catchers, they want to see him get the ball to second base

in 2.0 seconds. Jeff is consistently from 1.95 seconds down to 1.8

seconds. He is always less than 2.0.”

Desguin said Sanchez has the makings of a collegiate catcher if

his offense stays as hot as it was when the senior safely reached

base in all six plate appearances in Newport’s opening two wins of

the season. Desguin said the only drawback is Sanchez needs to put on

some pounds.

Sanchez is 6-foot-3 and weighs 165 pounds. Amazingly enough, that

is about 20 pounds heavier than what he weighed last year. Collegiate

catchers are around 210 to 215 pounds.

“I want to hit 180 pounds when I graduate and want to get

drafted,” Sanchez said.