Young catchers aid Pirates
PITTSBURGH — Both came from other organizations and neither knew if he would be wearing a major league uniform this season.
But catchers Jason Jaramillo and Robinzon Diaz have found themselves in Pirates uniforms for much of the 2009 campaign.
And they're earning their keep.
"They're doing great," manager John Russell said. "You're talking about two guys with no prior major league experience stepping in for a guy who's been a big part of our team.
"Their contributions so far have gone beyond anything we had a right to expect."
Ryan Doumit was hitting .244 with two homers and nine RBI in 45 at-bats when he went on the disabled list April 20 with a broken wrist.
Doumit now is taking batting practice and making progress toward returning to active duty.
But the Pirates aren't rushing him. There's no need to.
Jaramillo and Diaz hit a combined .283 with three homers and 32 RBI in the team's first 59 games without Doumit. They've also thrown out 25 percent of would-be base stealers.
Jaramillo has homered twice in the last three games and is hitting .275 with 11 doubles in 34 starts. Diaz is hitting .289 in 90 at-bats and has 15 RBI in 24 starts.
"You never want to see one of your best players go down, especially for an extended period," Jaramillo said. "Ryan Doumit is an All-Star caliber catcher.
"Nobody can replace a guy like that. We're just minding the store."
Pirates left-hander Zach Duke said he has no problem pitching to either catcher.
"They know how to call a game and it's fun to throw to either of them," Duke said. "Those guys have worked hard to learn this staff in a relatively short period of time."
Jaramillo was acquired from Philadelphia for Ronny Paulino — a former starting catcher — despite having never played in the majors before this season.
Jaramillo hit .266 with Class AAA Lehigh Valley last year and led the International League by catching in 119 games. He caught in 118 games at Class AAA Ottawa in 2007.
"I'm used to catching a lot of games, but it's good to have two of us showing we can do the job at the major league level," Jaramillo said. "Sometimes you go to another organization and you get a chance to show what you can do.
"I know I came here carrying an all-defense label, but I always knew I could hit. I'm not surprised at what's been happening."
Diaz was acquired from Toronto as the player to be named in a trade for infielder Jose Bautista. A career .305 hitter in the minor leagues, Diaz had three hits in six at-bats with the Pirates late last season.
Jaramillo is 26 years old while Diaz is 25.
"I don't know where we'd be right now without them," Russell said.
