Toronto Blue Jays catching hopeful J.P. Arencibia works out at the Blue Jays' spring training baseball facility in Dunedin, FL, Monday, February 22, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren CalabreseDarren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
It was not even a month ago, but for J.P. Arencibia - the Toronto Blue Jays' catcher of the future, if not this September - his electrifying debut already seems part of the past.
On a glorious Saturday afternoon in early August the 24-year-old catcher had a first day in the majors that was so good it was historic, as he became the first player since 1900 to have four hits and two homers in his first major-league game.
And while no one is suggesting it was a fluke - just the other day he was recognized as the Pacific Coast League's most valuable player for his work at Triple-A Las Vegas - his quick start has yet to translate into steady major-league playing time.
Arencibia has yet to see the field since being recalled to the big team on Sept. 1, enjoying the view of new Yankee Stadium from the dugout during the Jays' weekend set with the defending World Series champions.
"It happened," Arencibia said of his debut. "But it feels like it was already a long time ago kind of deal. It's sunk in already; I've always been a guy who doesn't get too up, too down. It's just something that I felt great, I felt amazing that day and the next day I came to the field and was ready to go."
The problem for Arencibia is that incumbent catcher John Buck - who clubbed his 16th homer to dead centre as the Jays (70-66) avoided being swept in the Bronx with a 7-3 win over the New York Yankees (86-51) - isn't ready to go anywhere. And manager Cito Gaston isn't about to begin a future-is-now project in his final month as a major-league manager.
Starter Brett Cecil got the win for a solid seven innings of work and Vernon Wells, Aaron Hill and Buck each homered. All Arencibia could do was watch.
"I don't feel an obligation [to play Arencibia] not at all," said Gaston. "Buck's our catcher and he'll have every opportunity to finish the season catching. Arencibia will be worked in here [but]Buck's been our guy all season."
Gaston says he has a responsibility to play his best lineups against teams that are in the playoff hunt. But with the Jays playing a tough September schedule - over their remaining eight series only dates with Baltimore and Seattle would qualify as not having postseason implications for someone - opportunities to find playing time for the Jays' top catching prospect will be slim.
Which raises the question of what can be gained by being in the majors and not playing.
Arencibia is trying to figure it out, even though he admits he's never watched this much baseball in his life. He gets to the park early, heads to the batting cage and bangs some balls off a tee under the eye of hitting coach Dwayne Murphy to get loose for batting practice; takes his cuts in batting practice and then retires to the clubhouse to go over the Yankees hitters as if he were actually going to be calling the pitches to get them out.
"I'm trying to learn as much as a possible so when the opportunity arises, I'm ready for it," he said.
His locker is beside Buck's in the clubhouse and he spends most of his time during the games sitting with Jose Molina, the Jays' other veteran catcher. Both are willing mentors. "When I was young, people helped me, and when you see a young guy who wants to play in the big leagues and is willing to learn you can't say no," Molina said.
But Buck is a pending free agent and in the midst of a career-best season. He's not about to sit down more than he has to in the season's final month and Gaston isn't about to ask.
"J.P. and me both want to play every day and that's made us who we both are today," said Buck. "[But]I don't want anything to change. This is part of the season that I signed up to play. There's a business part of it, if Toronto wants him to play to see what he can do, that's what they're going to do. But they don't need to have a meeting with me to know that I want to play, I'll just leave it at that."