SAN DIEGO — When Ryan Hanigan appeared in the Rockies clubhouse here Wednesday, sorting through another hue in a rainbow collection of catcher’s gear, the veteran backstop made a point of saying, “my legs are still under me.” That is code. It means I’ve got baseball life still left to give.
The Rockies, desperate for a veteran’s glove behind the plate to aid a green organizational catching corps, signed the 36-year-old late in spring, then called him up this week from the minors. A classic catch-and-throw guy over 10 seasons with the Reds, Rays and Red Sox, Hanigan hit just one home run last year for Boston.