The way Braves catcher Gerald Laird sees it there’s no good reason why he wouldn’t help rookie Christian Bethancourt get acclimated to the majors.
“I’m in his corner and I want him to do well because if he does well, we win games, and if we win games we will go to the postseason,” Laird said.
Laird is back in the lineup for Friday’s game against the Diamondbacks after sitting out with an oblique injury. Bethancourt started the past three games while Laird was on the mend.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Laird has helped Bethancourt prepare for games as soon as the rookie was called up on June 28.
“Not many people have that luxury to have that second catcher, backup catcher, to have that kind of experience and is willing and able to communicate it with no ego involved to a younger guy—pass it forward, pay it forward,” Gonzalez said. “Gerald is the perfect guy. And the guys that hang around—the Henry Blanco’s, the David Ross’s, the Gerald Laird’s—as your backup guy, they have that trait. They don’t have an ego; they don’t want to play every day. They have that trait to help your team win.”
It’s a perspective Laird, 34, has formed over 12 years in the big leagues. Laird is finishing out a two-year contract with the Braves so his future with the club is uncertain but that hasn’t stopped him from tutoring the rookie.
Understanding the big picture also is why Laird said he was willing to take his time getting back in the lineup. He said he told Gonzalez he could have played Wednesday but Gonzalez suggested he sit out that game, the last before an off day.
Laird said it was the smart thing to do under the circumstances. Starting catcher Evan Gattis (back) is on the disabled list, leaving Laird and Bethancourt as the only players on the roster who primarily play the position.
“You’ve got to understand as you get older,” he said. “Losing Gattis, I don’t want to force the issue and then I go down and we put ourselves in a hiccup. (Ryan Doumit) can catch but he hasn’t done it in a while. You’ve got the young kid back there pretty much a majority of the time.
“I really just try to be upfront with (Gonzalez). I know how my body feels. I know when I’m 100 percent and when I’m not. I told him the situation he told me good to get a couple days off. I’m glad I did that. Just don’t push it because health is a big thing going into All-Star break.”
The emergence of Gattis last season allowed the Braves to be patient with Bethancourt’s development. Gattis’ back injury opened up a roster spot for Bethancourt last week.
Laird said Bethancourt, 23, has handled the job well.
“He’s doing great. He looks good,” Laird said. “He knows what he wants to do. He knows he belongs here. It’s just a numbers game now (at catcher). He looks comfortable. I talked to him a little bit about scouting reports but I’m not overdoing it. I told him, ‘Come to me if you have any questions. He’s got a good sense of what he wants to do and a good feel and it shows. He’s got a bright future.”
Bethancourt has stared slowly at the plate: 3-for-15 (.200) with no walks or extra-base hits and five strikeouts. Bethancourt’s lone RBI did start the scoring during the Braves’ 5-4 victory over the Mets on Tuesday.
Bethancourt’s value is behind the plate.
“Defensively-wise, we know he can always do that,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “I think I’ve seen him (even) better than I’ve seen (before). He’s blocked a lot of balls—tough pitches, too. I’ve really been impressed with the bat, too. He’s made some strides offensively.”
Laird said Bethancourt’s defensive talent is obvious and he just needs experience.
“At his level, Triple-A, the physical tools are there and now it’s the mental side: the preparation, the game-calling,” Laird said. “You are not going to get as good until you have plenty of games under your belt. You can’t give him all the answers, he’s got to go out there and learn on his own.
“The more mistakes he gets, the better off he will be to be able to adjust from those. That’s what makes you better, you are going to make mistakes and move on. He’s doing a good job. You couldn’t tell he was a rookie these last three games.”
