MESA, Ariz. (AP) – Miguel Montero produced one of the biggest hits of the Chicago Cubs’ championship run in the game that decided it all, and now he’s preparing again for life as a backup catcher.
It’s not easy – this competitor wants nothing more than to play every day.
Montero figures to start behind the plate once or twice a week when second-year big leaguer Willson Contreras needs a break – not the veteran’s ideal role or what he envisioned when he joined the Cubs in a trade from Arizona ahead of the 2015 season.
“Obviously, it was hard,” Montero said. “It’s difficult, because when you get traded over here, you’re supposed to be the everyday catcher, right? And then you come here and you’re just platooning, and then it wasn’t even like a fair platoon because (Jon) Lester was pitching, and he has a personal catcher. So you got times where I didn’t catch for four days. It’s hard to actually keep a momentum going as a hitter because you go one day you get three hits, and then you’re benched for the next four. How do you want to keep a streak going? It’s tough, because it’s about timing.
“But it is what it is. I got over with it last year, the year before. This is a new year, a new adventure, I guess. We’ll see what happens.”