Halladay likes Tuffy
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- It's an off day for everyone on the major-league side of Phillies spring training. That is, except for Roy Halladay and the ballscribes.
Halladay likes Tuffy
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- It's an off day for everyone on the major-league side of Phillies spring training. That is, except for Roy Halladay and the ballscribes.
So we watched the reigning Cy Young Award winner face a bunch of minor-leaguers from Pittsburgh. In five innings, Halladay allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He struck out three and walked one on his 80 pitches.
Actually, Halladay wasn't the only one from big-league camp working Wednesday. At the pitcher's request, Tuffy Gosewisch caught him. Gosewisch, who will be sent back to the minors shortly, has developed a reputation in the organization as being a great defensive catcher.
Halladay has noticed the same thing.
"I like him," Halladay said. "I've thrown a lot of bullpens to him in spring training. He's a great receiver. He kind of knows what I do. Obviously I'm not going to ask Chooch to come in on the off day. He probably would have told me no anyway.
"[Gosewisch] works hard. He's always excited to do it. He wants to do it. So to have a guy who actually wants to be here and wants to help you and wants to do it -- on top of being a good catcher -- I'll take that any time."
Coming out of Halladay's mouth, that's about the highest compliment for a catcher.
Gosewisch, 27, will likely be back at double-A Reading in 2011. He spent all of 2010 there and hit .241 with nine home runs. Eventually, he could be the catcher who shepherds the next wave of Phillies starting pitchers -- guys like Brody Colvin, Jarred Cosart and Trevor May -- once they reach the higher levels of the minor-league system.
Read Thursday's Inquirer for a story on how Halladay's day in the minors became an event.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
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So Tuffy Gosewisch must be on catcher's cloud 9 after that endorsement! Congrats kid, Doc says he likes you, whoa!!!— helenann- Is he going to give him a rolex?— betsy72
Comment removed.- These are the best little yarns that come out of spring training. Tuffy Gosewisch is likely going nowhere fast -- but, today, he caught Roy Halladay. And they were in sync. It's like a pitcher with the No. 94 who thinks he's going along to West Everglades just for the bus ride, and ends up closing out a 2-1, 10-inning spring training guy and striking out two guys in the 10th. Could well be the best memory of his career, which started around age 5. Nice.
— eman - Catching Halladay makes you feel like a kid...— phigglesfan75
- At 27, being referred to as a kid named Tuffy is a tough burden in itself. Thanks to Roy, the burden got a little lighter.— NewMick314
- The guys a minor celebrity now. Minor league celebrity anyway.— Grazman
