Mariners think Rivera can learn more in majors

SEATTLE – Conventional thinking suggests Rene Rivera needs to go back to the minor leagues and continue learning how to be a catcher.

In his short time with the Seattle Mariners, the 21-year-old Rivera is looking more like an unconventional young talent. He has started just one game and doesn’t figure to play more than once a week, but he might be one of the rare youngsters who can develop despite a lack of playing time.

On a team with 42-year-old Pat Borders to steer him, there’s a benefit to sitting in Seattle rather than playing every day in San Antonio.

“The kid is like a sponge,” manager Mike Hargrove said.

In an ideal season, Rivera would still be playing at for the Mariners’ Class AA team in San Antonio. Injuries to Dan Wilson and Wiki Gonzalez, then the demotion of slumping Miguel Olivo to Class AAA Tacoma, forced the Mariners to completely overturn their catching.

They obtained Borders last month to back up Olivo, then made him the starter when Olivo was sent down.

Enter Rivera, for the second time this season. He was here for five days early in the year but never played, and the Mariners eagerly sent him back to San Antonio for the daily work they said he needed.

Now?

The Mariners still would like to add a veteran catcher, but they’re not in any hurry. In the meantime, they’re more comfortable this time with Rivera as their backup and don’t seem as concerned that his development will be stunted if he doesn’t play every day.

“It goes both ways,” Borders said. “Playing every day you’re going to learn. But being in the big leagues, you’re going to learn regardless. Just because he’s 21 doesn’t mean he can’t handle this level. He has played a lot of winter ball (in his native Puerto Rico) and that can make a big difference because there are a lot of major league hitters, pitchers and other catchers there.”

Rivera said he’s in Seattle to turn himself into a quality major league catcher, even if it means bench time.

“I know I have a lot to learn,” he said. “I’m just 21 years old and I’m happy that I’m playing with guys at this level. I’m trying to learn as much as I can because I want to be successful. Every day, I try to learn something. If you learn just one thing every day, you’ll be successful.”

Rivera was a one-game success in his only major league start last week. He went 3 for 5 against the Blue Jays on Tuesday and, more than that, impressed the Mariners with his soft hands behind the plate.

The performance didn’t ensure a year-long stay in Seattle, although it might have stalled the team’s haste in looking for another catcher.

“The biggest thing we in baseball do is make judgments after one game,” Hargrove said. “But I was very pleasantly surprised that he did as well as he did.”

Besides Rivera’ good night receiving and hitting the ball, Hargrove was struck by the kid’s mental intensity. After he struck out in the fifth inning, Rivera was clearly steamed at himself when he returned to the dugout.

“He was next to me and I could tell he was really ticked,” Hargrove said. “He was putting on his gear and really talking to himself in Spanish. I don’t know what he was saying, but I liked it.”

Borders has played 18 seasons and says he still has a lot to learn, so he doesn’t expect Rivera to become a valedictorian at catching in one season.

“You need to learn how to receive pitches, how to block them, pick up on the way hitters are swinging and where the flaws in their swings might be, whether they are sitting on a particular pitch,” Borders said. “You never stop learning all that stuff. You’re constantly evolving as a catcher and you might think you’ve figured one part of it out and then you realize there’s something else. I’m still learning myself.”

Rivera says he tries not to miss an opportunity to pick up something new about the game, even without playing every day.

“There are things I can learn in the clubhouse, in the bullpen, in meetings, talking with people,” he said. “I’m working hard to stay here the whole season, but one thing I’ve learned is that you can’t always count on tomorrow. Today I’m here, tomorrow I don’t know where I’ll be. That’s baseball.”