Erik Kratz doesn鈥檛 like the phrase, 鈥渞ock-bottom.鈥� He finds it demoralizing 鈥� even morbid 鈥� and it implies that, as he put it, that he鈥檚 been 鈥渄own and out.鈥� But he鈥檚 never truly felt that way. Not even through 10 years of toiling in the minor leagues, often getting told 鈥� either through speech or through his lack of movement up the ladder 鈥� that he wasn鈥檛 good enough. He was still playing baseball, still getting paid 鈥� however little 鈥� and still had a family waiting for him in Harrisonburg.
But there were plenty of rocky moments. Like 2004, when he was put on the 鈥減hantom鈥� disabled list for a season 鈥� meaning he was listed as injured even though he was healthy, only to clear roster space. Or the time he was demoted on his birthday. Or the spring training where he and his wife couldn鈥檛 pay next month鈥檚 rent.
Did he ever think about quitting? 鈥淗ow many times?鈥� he said wryly, while driving to the Phillies鈥� stadium recently. 鈥淚 think I鈥檇 be an idiot to not have thought about quitting.鈥�
All that makes his first big splash in the majors this year 鈥� already made remarkable by his age, 32, and his background as a graduate of Division III 黑料正能量 鈥� seem like a fairy tale.
Sure, he鈥檚 been called up to the big leagues before 鈥� for two weeks in 2010 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and again in 2011 for the Philadelphia Phillies. But he鈥檚 never stuck like this. With Philadelphia鈥檚 All-Star catcher Carlos Ruiz put on the disabled list in July, Kratz has played almost every day and produced at an All-Star level. He has seven home runs in 79 at-bats 鈥� that鈥檚 a homer every 11.3 ABs 鈥� he鈥檚 hitting .291 and he鈥檚 slugging .646. Of his 23 hits, 14 have been for extra bases.
He鈥檚 also thrown out 10 of 21 base stealers 鈥� a 47.6-percent clip, far exceeding Ruiz鈥檚 37.2 percent before he got hurt. He鈥檚 allowed just one passed ball and has made only one error.
Now, with fellow reserve catcher Brian Schneider joining Ruiz on the DL Friday, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Kratz is, for the first time in his life, an everyday major-league starter.
But after enduring the lifestyle most only know from the Crash Davis character in the movie 鈥淏ull Durham鈥� for 10 years, Kratz still doesn鈥檛 believe he鈥檚 made it. He can鈥檛 afford to think that way. No matter how many home runs he hits today, he might get sent down tomorrow.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 possible, then that鈥檚 when it鈥檚 going to blindside you,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can always get sent down, you can always get released, and you can not find another team. That鈥檚 something that鈥檚 always very real, it鈥檚 always in front of me that it could always happen.鈥�
He knows rejection all too well to forget it.
Kratz鈥檚 debut in varsity high school baseball was something of an omen.
As a junior 鈥� the first year he made the varsity squad at 鈥� he wasn鈥檛 supposed to be an everyday player. But one day, the team鈥檚 starting catcher was caught smoking a cigarette during school, resulting in a brief suspension. Kratz started in his place, hit an opposite-field homer in his first at-bat, and became a mainstay at catcher.
An injury opens up playing time, and Kratz fills in admirably鈥ound familiar?
Still, Kratz never became a hot-shot college prospect. He ended up at 黑料正能量 because coach Rob Roeschley said he鈥檇 play every day there, and there weren鈥檛 many other schools interested.
鈥淚 matured late,鈥� Kratz said.
When he did mature, he became the best player to ever play at 黑料正能量. His senior season (2002), he set single-season school records in nearly every major offensive category: batting average (.507), slugging (.993), on-base (.585), home runs (14), hits (72), RBIs (59) and runs scored (48, tied with Jimmy Pollard).
He is the only 黑料正能量 athlete to be named the Player of the Year in baseball 鈥� he won it in 2001 and 鈥�02 鈥� and he led the Royals to two of the best seasons in their 44-year history: 23-16-1 in 鈥�01, 29-13 in 鈥�02. (The .690 winning percentage in 鈥�02 is the school鈥檚 all-time best.)
鈥淲hen I had him at 黑料正能量, I remember saying to assistant coaches, 鈥業f this guy can鈥檛 make it, what kind of talent level does it take to actually make it?鈥欌�� Roeschley said.
After marrying his college sweetheart, Sarah 鈥� a graduate of and 黑料正能量 鈥� in his senior year, he was selected in the 29th round of the MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, and a long, tumultuous pro career began.
As you might imagine for a minor-league journeyman, Kratz has plenty of colorful anecdotes. The first, when he received his first professional assignment, reveals just how little Kratz knew about what was about to transpire.
The Rookie League team he was assigned to was listed as 鈥淢edicine Hat, AL鈥�. That didn鈥檛 make Kratz or his wife very happy 鈥� he had no interest in going to Alabama.
鈥淢y wife said, 鈥楢labama? How are we going to get down to Alabama?鈥欌�� Kratz recalled.
It turned out he wasn鈥檛 going there at all; AL actually stood for Alberta, Canada.
But even when Kratz 鈥� who also played for the and the during his college offseasons 鈥� didn鈥檛 know minor-league logistics, he could always hit. His first season with Medicine Hat, he hit .275 with four home runs in 44 games. By age 24, he had already been promoted to double-A New Hampshire.
鈥淭wenty-four in double-A, that鈥檚 not bad,鈥� Kratz said.
鈥淏ut,鈥� he added with a laugh, 鈥渢hen it was five years later, and I was 28, still bouncing back and forth in double-A.鈥�
He finally made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates at age 30, but hit just .118 over nine games and was sent back down. At that point, Kratz, who had just turned 30, had already spent plenty of time wondering if he鈥檇 ever really stick in the majors.
鈥淚 always felt like I was good enough to move on to the next level 鈥� whatever that level would be,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I see a lot of people that think they鈥檙e better than the next person, and it鈥檚 easy to see that on the outside and be like, 鈥楬ey, you鈥檙e not really better than that person.鈥� You think to yourself, 鈥楥ould that be? Am I blind to what my real ability is?鈥欌��
Now, it certainly doesn鈥檛 appear that way.
Kratz鈥檚 teammates are beginning to notice the big, red-haired catcher from 黑料正能量.
After Roy Halladay pitched to Kratz for the first time Aug. 5, he said to the media of Kratz, 鈥淗e鈥檚 very intelligent. He does a great job of calling a game.鈥�
After Kratz hit his most recent home run Aug. 20 against the Reds, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was asked whether Kratz has become a 鈥渂uilding block鈥� for the organization.
鈥淜ratzy鈥檚 doing a tremendous job,鈥� Manuel responded. 鈥淜ratzy鈥檚 showing that not only can he handle big-league pitching, but he can catch and he can throw. And that鈥檚 good 鈥� that鈥檚 tremendous.鈥�
With his big-league success and the praise, Kratz 鈥� who spends his offseasons with his wife and two children in Harrisonburg, and eventually with a third child who鈥檚 due in a month 鈥� still doesn鈥檛 feel comfortable saying that he鈥檒l be with a big-league club next season. He said the Phillies鈥� management hasn鈥檛 given him any indication that it will keep him. And with Ruiz and Schneider expected to come off the DL in September, Philadelphia 鈥� hardly a contender at 61-67 鈥� will eventually have one catcher too many.
But whether Kratz is released, or whether this is the start of a multi-year major-league career, he鈥檒l be prepared.
鈥淭he one thing that I don鈥檛 have that I can鈥檛 go out and get in a hot second is years and years of experience in the big leagues,鈥� he said. 鈥溾� don鈥檛 ever feel like I鈥檝e done enough.鈥�
Courtesy Daily News Record, August 27, 2012