A backup catcher

Somewhere around the mid-'80s I decided that the best job in baseball was that of backup catcher. They last forever, and the expectations are low.

Of course, it's not that easy to get the job.

I haven't attempted to prove this statistically, but it's my notion that the Twins organization generates a lot of career backup catchers. One such is Chad Moeller, now with the Baltimore Orioles. (Moeller's the tall guy in the photo; the other is Dave Trembley, the Baltimore manager.) Moeller started his career in the Twins system, caught briefly for them in the majors (48 games in 2000), and is now with the Baltimore Orioles, his seventh major league team.

Here, from the New York Times, is Moeller on some of the various pitchers he's handled over the years. I'm struck by the difference between Brad Radke and Curt Schilling. Radke was about keeping it simple, Schilling anything but.

It worked for each.