Wednesday, October 4, 2006
That Minnesota Twins catcher is quite a story, but not the one you are thinking of.
As the playoffs begin, one focus may be on phenom Joe Mauer. Yet the bigger surprise is the presence of Mike Redmond.
Mauer, 23, was the first overall draft pick in 2001 who is fulfilling his enormous potential (.349, the AL batting champ).
Redmond, 35, was never drafted and the word potential did not come up in conversations about him. But he is batting .341 for Minnesota, albeit in 47 games.
Redmond is the guy the Florida Marlins tried to talk into becoming a coach -- eight years ago.
"They didn't have a spot for me," said Redmond.
Instead of coaching, Redmond returned for another stint with the Portland Sea Dogs in 1998.
He had already played two seasons at Hadlock Field, in 1995 and '96.
But after Redmond played one season in Triple-A, in 1997, the Marlins didn't see a future in him.
The Marlins brought Redmond in for a talk near the end of spring training.
Can't you see the handwriting on the lineup card, Mike? Your name is not there. Time to hang up the mask and pick up the fungo bat.
"The opportunity for me to coach was there," Redmond said. "But I kind of talked them out of it.
"I said, 'just give me one more shot as a player. Just let me go back to Portland. Let me go back for one more year as a player. If it doesn't work out, I'll become a coach.'"
It worked out quickly. Redmond was in the major leagues by the end of May.
"I went back to Portland and ended up working with (hitting coach) Sal Rende," Redmond said.
"We put in a lot of hours. Something clicked and I started hitting (.321).
"A guy got hurt in Triple-A. I went up (April 25) and actually started playing ahead of the other catcher up there.
"Then they traded for (Mike) Piazza and then got rid of him, and I made it to the big leagues (May 22).
"And I've been here ever since."
That last line is the clincher to the story.
Redmond did not show up for just the routine cup of coffee, maybe a donut, and a ticket back to the minors.
No, Redmond did what had made him a Hadlock favorite. He played hard, played well and handled a good, young pitching staff.
Redmond has continued to play the role as the backup catcher.
He batted .312 in 2001, .305 the next year and collected a World Series ring the season after that.
In 2005, Redmond entered a new path in his career, free agency. He signed with the Twins.
"I heard good things about the organization," said Redmond, who also liked that Minneapolis is about a 212-hour flight for his wife and two boys back in Veradale, Wash.
Redmond provides veteran leadership at a thrifty price. His initial deal was two years at $1.8 million.
Redmond just re-upped for a two-year extension at $1 million per, with a team option for 2009.
"To think that at the end of this, I'll have over 11 years in the big leagues," Redmond said. "It's kind of hard to believe, from where I started.
"It's been unbelievable. I still enjoy it. I still love baseball, just like I did when I played in Portland."
Redmond said, "I always tell people that Portland was my favorite place in the minor leagues to play. The fans were awesome. I still get cards and letters from people up there who have followed my career."
When the Twins played in Cleveland three weeks ago, few on the Minnesota bench noticed when the Indians flashed a score from the Eastern League championship series between Akron, an Indians affiliate, and the Sea Dogs.
"I was watching," Redmond said.
Now Redmond is in the playoffs. He may not play much, but he's there, a major leaguer who survived the non-prospect label and made the most of his chance.
"I tell people my story all the time, especially to younger guys that are on the fringe, guys that don't think they'll ever make it to the big leagues," Redmond said.
"I tell them: 'This is why you don't ever quit.'"
Staff writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or:
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