All-Star McCann earns praise of peers

St. Louis — Josh Beckett is not quite a grizzled veteran but the Boston Red Sox ace is four years older than Braves catcher Brian McCann, already a four-time All-Star at 25. That’s why something that Beckett saw McCann do a few weeks ago against the Red Sox surprised him.

He mentioned it to McCann Sunday night when they arrived here for the All-Star Game on Tuesday at Busch Stadium.

Enlarge this image

Elsa/Getty Images

Brian McCann has made the National League All-Star team in each of his first four full seasons in the majors.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Box score • Standings • Stats

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

“I was messing with him yesterday about sitting on a 1-0 changeup and how he hit it — he hit it hard,” Beckett said Monday. “He’s not an old guy; I wouldn’t necessarily expect him to have that approach.

“He’s got a really, really advanced approach. I don’t know. Maybe some of that comes from catching. Because everybody I’ve ever talked to who’s thrown to him raves about the way he catches, how much pride he takes in it.”

McCann has made the National League All-Star team in each of his first four full seasons in the majors. No player in Braves history has ever done so over his first three full seasons.

“Top offensive catcher? Brian McCann, no question,” Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino said during an NL All-Star group interview session.

Mets All-Star third baseman David Wright said although McCann was widely regarded as one of the top players in the league, “I think he’s one of the most underappreciated players in the game. To be able to do what he does catching-wise, and still hit and be as productive as he’s been, says a lot about him.

“I don’t think he’s gotten the credit for what he’s done.”

Asked how big a star McCann might be if he played for one of the New York teams, Wright said, “The bigger stage would help.” He smiled and added, “Nothing against our catchers, but if they’re looking to trade him, we’ll take him.”

The Braves are not, but thank you for your interest.

Other All-Stars were in agreement on McCann’s status as the top overall catcher in the NL, several going as far to say — off the record — that McCann obviously deserved to start ahead of St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina. The hometown Cardinal won the fan vote over McCann by more than 265,000 votes.

McCann was added as the backup catcher by virtue of the players’ vote.

“Fan voting becomes a popularity contest,” Victorino said. “If you play in a big market, you’ve got a better chance. It is what it is.”

Or if you play for the Cardinals, who have a fervent fan base that floods the ballot boxes at the ballpark and online. Not that Molina wasn’t deserving of his first All-Star selection; he’s hit .280 with five homers, 30 RBIs and a .352 on-base percentage this season and won his first Gold Glove in 2008.

But McCann is on another level as a hitter, with a .298 average, eight homers, 37 RBIs and a .378 OBP this year, despite spending the first month worried whether his blurred vision might stall his career.

McCann revealed Monday just how concerned he had been in April, when he was forced to go on the disabled list — he hit .195 in his first 13 games — and couldn’t find a solution for dryness and blurred vision in his left eye.

After trying contact lenses, drops and ointments, he was fitted for sports glasses. The vision in one eye had deteriorated since laser-eye surgery in October 2007 and changed the shape of the eye too much for contacts to fit.

Despite never playing in glasses before, McCann came back hitting with a vengeance. In 56 games since returning from the DL, he hit .320 with 16 doubles, six homers, 30 RBIs and a .385 on-base percentage and .503 slugging percentage.

McCann said adversity has made this All-Star selection special among his four.

“This one really sank in,” he said. “With my eye issue earlier this season and not knowing what was going on, and being concerned about my future — this one is special to me, for sure.”

All-Stars from both leagues have said McCann belongs in the “best-hitting catcher” discussion with one other player: Minnesota All-Star Joe Mauer, who’s hitting a stunning .373 this year and already has a career-high 15 homers.

McCann has a .297 average with 140 doubles, 78 homers and 332 RBIs in 542 big-league games. Mauer, who’s a year older and has played one more season, hit .316 with 124 doubles, 43 homers and 288 RBIs in his first 542 games.

McCann has a .360 career on-base percentage and .499 slugging percentage for an .859 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). Mauer had a .400 OBP and .457 slugging percentage in is first 542 games, for a nearly identical .857 OPS.