WORCESTER - The Worcester Red Sox’ three main catchers batted .467 last season.
That is adding up the averages. Seby Zavala hit .165, Blake Sabol .167 and Chadwick Tromp .135.
Defense is always the No.1 priority with catching, but at some point there has to a hit or an RBI once in a while. So far, the WooSox are doing much better in that department. This seaon’s trio is hitting .916 if you add up the averages and include games at other positions.
Through last weekend’s games Mickey Gasper and Jason Delay were both at .333, Matt Thaiss at .250. Manager Chad Tracy has been rotating the trio so far and the plan has worked well.
“While we have all three of these guys,” Tracy said, “we’ll let each of them catch two games a week and that puts us in a really good position.” Gasper will also play first base and get into maybe five games a week. The other two will DH on occasion.
So far the plan has helped the WooSox get off to the best start in franchise history.
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Joe Morgan, 95, was back in the baseball news after being part of the celebration of the 1986 Red Sox pennant winners. He gave Alex Cora some simple, but sage advice as part of the visit, saying, “You know what I don’t like? Hitters with men in scoring position taking fastballs right down the middle.” Morgan managed 1,259 Triple-A games, all with Pawtucket, by far the most in the Boston farm system, as well as 563 in Boston.
He is the third-oldest living former Major League manager behind Bob Lillis and Jack McKeon, who spent a year at Holy Cross, and is the eighth oldest living former major league player overall.
This columnist spent 90 minutes visiting him at his home in Walpole last week. Cora should take his advice since Morgan has not lost his fastball.
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This is hardly a surprise but third baseman Anthony Seigler is the very first player listed on a Red Sox Triple-A roster with a “B” in the columns of both Bats and Throws, although he has yet to throw left-handed for Worcester. It would be a memorable moment if Seigler played both third base and first base in the same game and switched lefty-righty gloves in the process. Including pitchers Devin Sweet and Alec Gamboa the WooSox have six switch hitters on the roster. That includes position players Allan Castro, Mickey Gasper, Nick Sogard and Seigler. … We tried, but could not connect, with Columbus pitcher Trenton Denholm last week to see if he was descended from the Denholms who founded Worcester’s famous department store. Like most American baseball players, the Columbus Denholm grew up in southern California. . … It will be hard to match Sunday as a better sports day for local fans. The three teams closest to their hearts, and their addresses, combined to go 3-0 and outscore their opponents by 25-6. The WooSox won by 8-2, Boston won by 9-3 and the Railers beat Greensboro, 8-1.
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Worcester is playing at Nashville this week. It is the inaugural between the two teams and will mark the WooSox’ third straight series against a city that is a state capital. It leaves only two International League teams left that Worcester has not played against.
Those are Omaha and Indianapolis.
Nashville’s roster includes two former Worcester pitchers, Shane Drohan and Thomas Pannone. Drohan is down from Milwaukee where he made his major league debut earlier this month. Pannone is on the injured list. The Sounds’ manager is Rick Sweet, no relation to Worcester’s Devin Sweet.
While this is the WooSox’ first visit there, the Pawsox played there decades ago. Their last visit was a two-game series in May, 1991. The teams split the series with Pawtucket winning the second game, on May 23, 4-0, behind a shutout performance (9 innings, imagine that!) by lefty Kevin Morton.
That game featured a lineup loaded with past and future Boston players, starting with Morton. It was managed by Butch Hobson and also included Phil Plantier, Daryl Irvine, Mo Vaughn, Marty Barrett, John Valentin and John Flaherty.
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Drohan and Tyler Uberstine both made their major league debuts on April 8. The only other time ex-WooSox players debuted on the same date was Sept. 8, 2024. Richard Fitts and Luis Guerrero were the players. … Uberstine’s save in Worcester’s 5-0 victory over Columbus on April 9 was merely the third three-inning save in team history. Eduard Bazardo and Vladimir Guerrero have the others. … Nice to see WooSox president Dr. Charles Steinberg back on both feet as he recovers from a foot injury. It was a broken ankle, Steinberg is quick to note, not plantar fascitis. That’s the ailment that ended Joe DiMaggio’s career.
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This is turning into a trend. Payton Tolle surrendered five earned runs in five innings in his first start last season, one earned run combined in 10 innings in his next two starts. This season he was nicked for four earned runs in five innings in first outing, one in 11 innings in his next two. … Alex Binelas, who spent parts of 2024 and ’25 with Worcester, is playing for Double-A Reading in the Eastern League. Isaiah Campbell, who had the unique disctinction of leading Worcester in both wins and saves last season, is pitching for Reno in the Pacific Coast League. … Research is ongoing but it seems likely that Braiden Ward set a WooSox record when he was hit by a pitch three times in Friday’s 8-5 victory over Columbus. Perhaps the key to the WooSox winning the International League title this season might be having their batters stand as close to home plate as possible and not trying to avoid being dinged. Through the years Worcester is 16-4 when their batters are HBP at least three times in a game.