Pirates: Fransico Cervelli done with catcher, but not with baseball
After Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli suffered his 6th concussion from a broken bat to the chin, he has stated that he is done catching but not done with baseball.
“That’s enough,” Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli claims. “This time is different. I can’t live like this.”
Cervelli has stated that the team did not force his decision, instead, he made the decision on his own. Cervelli has been putting in work at third base and other infield positions.
Throughout Cervelli’s career of 12 years in the majors, he has only 16 games where he did not start at catcher, those 16 games are split between first, third, and second.
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During those 16 games, ten have them have been at first, 4 of them have been at third, and the measly two remainings have been at second base. The rest of Cervelli starts have been at catching and throughout his career, he has started a monstrous 613 games at that position.
Cervelli’s career numbers stand at a .269 batting average, followed by 36 home runs and 261 rbi’s. He has played for two different teams during his career. Those being the New York Yankees and the Pirates. His consistency of getting on base so much has helped him achieve a .358 on-base percentage.
The thirty-three-year-old Cervelli is ready for wherever the Pirates may choose to put him in the field as he says, “I’m ready to do anything,” he states. “Wherever I am in the field, I’m still catching the ball, right?”
To most likely take over Cervelli’s position behind the plate, would be Elias Diaz who started the season slowly, but is due to start picking it up in the second slate of the season.
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As the Pirates are still in the race for the NL Central, Diaz heating up and Francisco Cervelli joining the field could give them an edge in the final stretch of the season.