PORT CHARLOTTE — Controlling the running game is a must for a Rays catcher, which made Wednesday’s news that Hank Conger made the team over Rene Rivera somewhat of a surprise.
Rivera threw out 36.5 percent of would-be base-stealers last season, while Conger caught just one of the 43 base-stealers while playing for Houston.
Manager Kevin Cash, though, said the switch-hitting Conger was a better fit.
Cash said he thinks Conger’s throwing woes last season were a bit of an aberration, since Astros pitchers were not good at holding runners on base.
“It’s something that I’m sure he’ll continue to work on, and our pitchers, they did pride themselves in doing a good job of giving those catchers a chance to throw,” Cash said, “so that was one of many of the things we’ve mulled over and discussed the last couple of days.