Aside from a few games here and there, almost everything seems to be going right for the Colorado Rockies this year. Thanks to the offseason mastery of Jeff Bridich and the rest of the front office crew, the organization is set up with a wealth of talent nearly across the board.
At the catcher position, there’s no shortage of talent or experience. For veteran Ryan Hanigan, the Rockies’ success across the board gives him chance to make perhaps a more significant impact behind the scenes.
“Depth is huge,” Hanigan said. “I’ve been around a while, and I feel like that helps in terms of a situation like that, being able to step in and know what it takes and being able to help with a little bit of the leadership role even though I wasn’t with this team out of camp. I can help these young guys and let them know what it takes.”
The Rockies signed the 36-year-old on a minor league deal in early April and called him up to the bigs a month later, 10 years after he made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds.
Since then, he’s been producing fairly well, boasting a .256 batting average with eight RBIs, four runs and two home runs in 43 at-bats over 13 games. Behind the plate, however, he’s helped befuddle batter after batter managing a talented Rockies pitching staff.
“My goal is to help these pitchers day-in and day-out, starting every time I out there with them to kind of help direct traffic,” Hanigan said. “We have a lot of talent, and just steering in the direction that we need to go is what I’ve been trying to do. It’s worked out so far.”
For 25-year-old Tony Wolters, Hanigan’s expertise and experience has become a huge asset for a relatively young team, and for him in particular.
“We have a lot of weapons,” Wolters said. “Hanigan’s a big weapon for the team, and he helps me out all the time. He’s been in the league forever, and I keep picking his brain about everything. If you look at each position, we have good depth, and so it’s a good feeling knowing we have that.”
So far this year, Wolters has served as the primary catcher, appearing in 41 games and batting .301 with nine RBIs and 26 runs on 37 hits. While Wolters maintains the starting role in the two position, he said Hanigan’s advice has helped improve his own game.
“I think he helps me out more than I help him out,” Wolters said. “He has a lot of knowledge and I try to pick his brain as much as possible. He’s been in the big leagues for nine-and-a-half years, so he has a lot of knowledge. I’m trying to pick his brain little by little, not a lot by a lot or he’ll get a little too overwhelmed.
“We just help each other by watching, I feel like. I watch him and I’m like, ‘Okay, I like what he does there.’ I don’t know if he watches me and sees stuff, I haven’t asked him yet, but I think there’s a lot of things I can learn from him, and I’ve got to keep picking his brain.”
For Hanigan’s part, he’s glad he can contribute in any way he can, whether that’s on the field or dropping knowledge on his teammates. The camaraderie in the clubhouse, he said, has been a major contributor to the Rockies’ continued success all year long.
“I’m happy for the success we’ve had when I’ve been back there,” Hanigan said. “Tony’s done a great job. We work well together and we talk a lot. It’s not about one guy. For me, it’s about blending in with the chemistry of this team. This team has a great, great group of guys that are a family already, and I’ve felt that since I’ve been here, and that’s what it takes.
“I’ve been on some playoff teams, and you’ve got to play for each other. That’s what we’re doing out there. We’re going out as a team, I’m going to battle with my pitchers, and we’re trying to kick some ass.”
That, he believes, can take them all the way to October.
“We’ve had some quality starts with some guys and I’m proud of that so far,” Hanigan said. “We’ve got to keep that rolling. This team’s in the mix, we obviously can compete, and we’re trying to do something this year. I’m trying to bring the energy every day and help these guys along the way as we go.”