MLB: One catcher makes good impression

Now 25 and in his fifth professional season with the Seattle Mariners, Johnson’s reputation has spent more time in the majors than he has. Called up last September, he appeared in six games but did not start. After a marvelous season in Tacoma this year – he batted over .300 for the season, .363 after the All-Star break – Johnson was recalled Tuesday.

And in the starting lineup Wednesday, Sept. 3.

“When I saw my name in the lineup, I was pretty happy – I’d never caught Felix, even in spring training,” Johnson said. “I sat down at my locker and text-messaged my wife and family after I saw the lineup card.”

Behind the plate, Johnson called the pitches as Hernandez limited the Texas Rangers to one run in 7ª innings.

Afterward, Hernandez praised him and manager Jim Riggleman said it was likely Johnson would make his starting lineup again soon.

For a rookie joining a team already carrying three catchers, that’s progress. For Johnson, it’s a continuation of a season that has changed his career and his life.

On the field, he changed the way he hit, watched from a distance as the Mariners signed Johjima to a three-year extension in April and – eight weeks ago – welcomed a first child.

Take Johnson’s offense first:

“The first few months of the season I worked with (Rainiers hitting coach) Alonzo Powell on losing my high leg kick at the plate. I started seeing the ball and the location much better,” Johnson said. “It took a good couple of weeks in batting practice before I could stay down with my front foot – and sometimes I’d still have the leg pop up on one swing now and then.

“As a catcher, I’d watch good hitters and how they approached, say, a slider. Good hitters would go with that pitch and hit it. A lot of other hitters would swing and miss and not have a good idea what to do if you threw it again.

“The difference was huge. I learned from that, too. I saw that the more relaxed hitters did well, and I started doing what I saw good hitters do,” Johnson said.

It worked.

“All of a sudden, about the All-Star break, I just took off. It was like everything came together at the plate. I hit .360 or something the last two months of the year,” Johnson said.

When Johjima signed, every catcher in the organization took note. That included Clement, Johnson and Class AA prospect Adam Moore. The minor league system’s real strength and depth at the position was suddenly log-jammed for the foreseeable future.

“I was playing regularly in Class AAA, I had nothing to complain about,” Johnson said. “I know, too, that there are 29 other big-league teams, and that anything can happen. My job was to do my job, and I enjoyed it.

“I’m good friends with Jamie Burke and very good friends with Jeff Clement,” Johnson said. “I like Joh, and I sat with him on the bench the other night talking about hitters and pitchers. I can’t worry about anyone else or what the situation is.”

And then there was the birth of Rob and Kristan Johnson’s son, Lane.

“When he was born, I instantly became protective and a lot of things changed,” Johnson said. “Some things that felt so important became unimportant, priorities changed, the way you look at life changed.

“I used to sleep through trains going by. Now, if it’s my turn to get up with baby, I wake up if I hear a peep.”

Johnson has worked hard to keep what he does for a living in perspective.

“The main thing I’ve learned about being here is you can’t get caught up in impressing anyone. You can’t go 6-for-3 in three at-bats. When you’re at the plate, you can’t go get the pitch, you have to let it come to you,” he said.

“I look at this month as an opportunity, and I want to make the most of it. But I know, too, that everyone who plays this game wants to be here and stay here.

“That’s why you work out every day of he offseason, why you hit every day all winter, why you go to spring training as physically and mentally ready as you can. Everybody wants to be here, not everybody can be,” Johnson said.

Impressing the team ace, however, isn’t a bad start.