JotCast | Live Chat With Former MLB Catcher Michael McKenry

Live Chat With Former MLB Catcher Michael McKenry

Tim Dierkes

9:59

Hey everyone! Michael McKenry is here and ready to take your questions in a minute!

Michael McKenry

10:03

Good morning everyone... Thank you MLB Trade Rumors for having me..

Blake

10:03

Seems like catcher's make good managers. Any interest in coaching in the future?

Michael McKenry

10:06

I couldn't agree more a lot of great managers have either suited up or completely embraced the tools of ignorance. Jerry Weinstiein told me in 2008 that Catchers are the General on the field. A field facilitator! We are the only ones not in actually fair play and the closest to the coaching staff, so I consider myself since I was a young buck (just an extension of the coaching staff) I’m here to be a light, I just want to go out and impact the people around me and do the best I can,

10:08

In regards to coaching only time will tell if I get into it when it comes to an official uniform role, but when it comes to impacting the next generation through speaking, teaching, mentoring, and serving.... I feel like that is a calling every player should have to use their platform and give back to the game that has given so much to them.

Duffy Scliff

10:09

Thanks for doing this Michael! What’s your favorite memory from your season in Pawtucket?

Michael McKenry

10:09

No problem

10:10

Thank you for joining the conversation. In Pawtucket I loved every second I got to spend with Chill Davis. We would talk live and hitting for hours.

BeardedTexasHulk

10:10

Did you always play catcher?

Michael McKenry

10:12

I always had gear in my bag. I was a very energetic kid and honestly Catching just fit my personality... With that being said it was like pulling teeth to stick bag there. I was able to play around the diamond and was always willing to so until I was a junior in High School catcher was not my primary position.

10:13

My college coach Steve Peterson even asked when recruiting me if I wanted to Catch and told me if I did say yes he was taking my scholarship away, and then proceeded to play me in left my freshman year. hahah

Jorge78

10:13

Hi Michael thanks for doing this! It is such a treat! In 2016 you spent time with four different MLB teams minor league affiliates plus some time with the Cardinals. What was that like, all the moving? Any funny/horror stories? Through all that you had a .926 OPS! How did that happen? Thanks!

Michael McKenry

10:15

That was a crazy year to say the least.. Was told I made the team in spring to tear my low ab in spring. First extended spring of my career. Left my house to go play, and had a offer taken away. All after coming off of having a major knee surgery.

10:17

The funniest thing that year was my bats got lost by fed-ex and I had two bats for something like ten days. So everyday I would treat them like they were the only bats that every existed. I cleaned them, put them in a sanitary sock for warmth, and even took them home when there was only one solider left.

BravesFan22

10:18

Hey Michael, Let's get this out of the way early. Walk us through the play against the Braves in the 19th inning... How did Lugo get past The Fort?

Michael McKenry

10:18

HE WAS OUT

10:19

Well almost 7 hours into the game, and me needing to probably shave again. A ground ball to Pedro, and a throw that had me up the line about 4/5 feet and a swipe tag to lugo.

10:20

Jerry meals called him safe and we lost the game.

Daniel McCutchen was the real solider that day he throw 5 and 1/3 innings after throwing 3 days in a row.

10:21

Crazy stuff because at that moment we were in first, and I believe after that moment we had a historically bad end to the season

Samuel

10:21

How fun was it playing for the Pirates in 2013?

Michael McKenry

10:22

Some of the best memories of my life. Ever lasting friendships, The city showed out day in and day out. Thankful to be back in Pittsburgh and cant wait to be apart of the next 2013 type season (these young bucs are coming)

Jerry Meals

10:23

He was out. My apologies

Michael McKenry

10:23

Ha haha

Jerry was an incredible Umpire and a pleasure to work with

we all make mistakes

Striker

10:23

What are your thoughts on the electronic strike zone? It seems to me that it would help reduce the number of bad calls, which seems worth it, but does it also diminish the role of catchers and their skills in pitch framing?

Michael McKenry

10:24

Honestly Im a purest when it comes to this. I love the human element and don't wont that taken from the game.

10:25

However I did love the AFL approach where you can challenge it. It was fun and I think would bring some excitement in real time to the game.

10:26

Lastly the ability to receive and the value you have as a Catcher would completely change. So for all my boys in mask I hope they can find a balance because its coming at some point

Brewskie

10:26

Thank you for doing this Mike! Who was your favorite pitcher to catch?

Michael McKenry

10:30

Honestly loved everyone for different reason. It was a joy to go to battle with each guy, and I made it my personal mission to figure out how to serve, care, and honestly love them. We are all different and come from different backgrounds. I would focus on the personality of the guy not the philosophy or the scouting report. (That always came second) It was my job day in and day out to help them bring out the best they had on that given day.

With that being said a couple of my favorites not in any order

10:31

Karstens, Matzek, Morton, Joel, and I could honestly go on and on

Miss catching bullpens and working with all the different personalities

Samuel

10:31

Who was your most influential teammate?

Michael McKenry

10:32

Great question!!!!

Had a coach or a teammate on everytime that had some impact on either my career or that season at had

10:33