The 25-inning game was just the start of catcher Tony Sanchez's wild five-week baseball odyssey that has led him to Appalachian Power Park as a Power catcher.
The 25-inning game was just the start of catcher Tony Sanchez's wild five-week baseball odyssey that has led him to Appalachian Power Park as a Power catcher.
For one thing, catching 25 innings in one game probably ranks as some sort of baseball record. As Boston College's catcher, Sanchez caught every inning of the Eagles' 3-2 loss to Texas on May 31 in the NCAA Regional tournament in Austin, Texas, and he still remembers the anguish.
"That's the first time I felt like I had knives for ACLs [anterior cruciate ligaments],'' Sanchez said Saturday at Appalachian Power Park. "From the 20th inning on, every time I squatted was pretty tough. The next day, my arm felt like Jell-O. But it was nothing a little ice couldn't help.''
Not long afterward on June 9, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected the 21-year-old Sanchez in the first round - and the fourth overall pick - of the amateur draft, elevating him from collegian to professional as part of a process that, one hopes, will lead to a long and productive career as a big-league catcher.
In the meantime, a busy Sanchez ...
Spent a few days in his Miami home during the draft;
Traveled to Pittsburgh's PNC Park to sign a contract that included a $2.5 million bonus and address a press conference;
Returned to Miami "for a day or two";
Traveled to the Pirates' spring-training complex in Bradenton, Fla., for three days of workouts;
Drove from Bradenton to Charleston, knowing he would spend much of the season there;The 25-inning game was just the start of catcher Tony Sanchez's wild five-week baseball odyssey that has led him to Appalachian Power Park as a Power catcher.
For one thing, catching 25 innings in one game probably ranks as some sort of baseball record. As Boston College's catcher, Sanchez caught every inning of the Eagles' 3-2 loss to Texas on May 31 in the NCAA Regional tournament in Austin, Texas, and he still remembers the anguish.
"That's the first time I felt like I had knives for ACLs [anterior cruciate ligaments],'' Sanchez said Saturday at Appalachian Power Park. "From the 20th inning on, every time I squatted was pretty tough. The next day, my arm felt like Jell-O. But it was nothing a little ice couldn't help.''
Not long afterward on June 9, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected the 21-year-old Sanchez in the first round - and the fourth overall pick - of the amateur draft, elevating him from collegian to professional as part of a process that, one hopes, will lead to a long and productive career as a big-league catcher.
In the meantime, a busy Sanchez ...
Spent a few days in his Miami home during the draft;
Traveled to Pittsburgh's PNC Park to sign a contract that included a $2.5 million bonus and address a press conference;
Returned to Miami "for a day or two";
Traveled to the Pirates' spring-training complex in Bradenton, Fla., for three days of workouts;
Drove from Bradenton to Charleston, knowing he would spend much of the season there;
Boarded a plane for State College, Pa., where he played in four New York-Penn League games and batted .308 (4-for-13);
Attended the Johnny Bench Award ceremony in Wichita, Kan., where he was one of three finalists for the award as the top college catcher;
Joined the Power in Lake County (Eastlake, Ohio) on June 30 and in three games hit .357 (5-for-14).
The 6-foot, 220-pound Sanchez, who graduated from high school with a 4.0 grade-point average, would have made his Charleston debut Saturday night, but rain forced a postponement of the Power's scheduled game against Lakewood. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader beginning at 5:05 p.m. today.
In an era when high draft picks often hold out for maximum bonus money, Sanchez quickly agreed to the Pirates' offer.
"It was a priority of mine. I wanted to get out here and start developing relationships with my teammates and coaches,'' he said Saturday. "That was my game plan: the quicker I'm out here and getting my feet wet, the better I'm going to get. I don't look at myself as a big bonus-baby kind of guy. I think of myself as a grinder. I was extremely happy with what they gave me, and I was fortunate to be a first-round pick.''
It's early, but things seem to be falling nicely into place for the Power's upbeat catcher.
"The ballpark is great,'' he said, "the guys are great, the coaches are great. I haven't had a chance to play in front of the fans, but I'm sure they're great as well. I'm excited.''
Reach Mike Whiteford at 304-348-7948 or mikewhitef...@wvgazette.com.
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