Paulino Poised For Second Half

By Rob Rossi
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, July 15, 2006

It was hard to forget a month such as the one Ronny Paulino experienced in the minors last season.

"It was terrible. I made six errors," recalled Paulino, who split his 2005 season between Class AA Altoona and Class AAA Indianapolis. "Every time I went to throw out a runner..."
Paulino paused, took a healthy swig of his Gatorade and then revealed a point that should relieve Pirates fans worried about his nine errors in the first half of this major-league season.

"In one month, I made six errors," said Paulino. "You should look at how many I finished with."

Eight was enough, as it turned out.

"I know exactly what happens when I make a throwing error," Paulino said. "I try to throw too hard, and I'm too quick. If you look back at every throwing error that I've made this season, you'll see the same thing."

Pirates manager Jim Tracy thought for a minute, then concurred with his 25-year-old backstop.
"When he gets into trouble, it's because he is rushing, and he tries to get too fast. That is true," Tracy said. "And you know what? That's totally understandable for a young catcher."

Tracy rarely criticizes Paulino.

The rookie catcher closed the first half by batting .350 over his final 11 games. His average of .308 is second among National League rookies and Pirates regulars.

He has proven as adept at hitting against left-handers (.306) as he has right-handers (.309), and his .273 average with runners in scoring position was fourth-best among the position players that started last night for the Pirates against the Washington Nationals.

Offensively, Paulino has proven almost as refreshing a surprise as Freddy Sanchez, who led the senior circuit in hitting going into last night.

"We couldn't ask for anything more from (Paulino) with the bat," Tracy said.

Defensively, though, the numbers point to Paulino having room to improve.

His nine errors are most among National League catchers that qualify for fielding statistics. His fielding percentage of .980 also is the worst among such backstops. His six passed balls place him tied for second-to-last.

Paulino has played the majority of the Pirates' games since being recalled April 16. The possibility exists that he was experiencing some mental fatigue as the All-Star break approached.

"The possibility?" Tracy said. "When you think of how much we've asked of this kid, I'd say it was more than a possibility he was a little bit tired mentally.

"And even though some of his defensive statistics suggest he could improve, there are also some that suggest he's handling himself quite well."

That much is true.

Paulino's caught-stealing percentage in the first half was .368, third in the league.
More important was the Pirates' staff ERA with him behind the plate -- 4.14, second behind only All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca of the New York Mets.

"He reminds me a lot of Paul, they have some of the same characteristics in their mental approach to the game and a very similar passion," said Tracy, who managed Lo Duca in Los Angeles.

"Ronny's ability to call games, his feel for things that instantaneously pop up during an at-bat and his definitive understanding of how to carry out an at-bat -- it's uncanny. Lo Duca was good at it, too ... but not just like that. Ronny is further ahead right now than Paul was when he was younger."

Having established himself as the Pirates' catcher of today and tomorrow, Paulino expects to have little trouble taking care of his few defensive disappointments.

"I'm seeing a lot of things for the first time that I know I can't let happen again," said Paulino. "I keep a list of everything that I've seen so that I'm not surprised by anything the second time around.

"The second half is when you see what you've got. If you finish strong and make improvements -- that's when you prove your worth as a player."

Rob Rossi can be reached at rrossi@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5635.