McNamara Believes Duo Will Catch On

It’s not as if Jorge Fabregas and Todd Greene have turned a question mark into an exclamation point--both have a ways to go before they’re considered above-average catchers.

But if catching is an issue the Angels address this off-season, Manager John McNamara believes it should be low on the priority list.

“I think our catching is good and will get better,” said McNamara, the Angels’ minor league catching instructor for five years. “Jorge has proven he can do the job, and Greene has made extraordinary progress. If you saw him when we got him. . . . it wasn’t a pretty sight.”

Greene went to instructional league in 1993 to switch from outfielder to catcher. McNamara said he had trouble fielding balls in the dirt and flinched at some pitches.

“One time he crossed himself up--he thought he signaled curve but it was a fastball--and he caught the pitch with his bare hand,” McNamara said. “I guess that doesn’t say much for the pitcher’s velocity.”

Greene, who hit 40 homers in the minors last season, has struggled offensively, with a .200 average in 20 games. McNamara believes Greene is still bothered by a wrist injury he suffered in April.

But Greene has impressed McNamara with his defense, throwing out five of 17 baserunners (29%), including speedy Tom Goodwin in the third inning Saturday. Goodwin ranks second in the American League with 64 stolen bases. Greene also picked David Howard off at second in the fourth inning.

Fabregas’ mark against base stealers hovered around 20% for most of the season, but in the last month he has improved to 25% (19 of 77). The left-handed hitting Fabregas has also pushed his average from .261 to .287 since July, with two homers and 24 RBIs.

“He doesn’t have the RBIs you’d like to see, but if he hits .280, that’s accomplishing a lot,” McNamara said.