Catcher Controversy?

In years past, every day C Henry Wyatt never had to worry about losing his starting job to backup C Lyle Herzner. While Herzner was a great veteran bench presence, he wasn't the type of player who could make consistent contributions.

Now however, 24-year-old Wyatt, who is still learning the ins-and-outs of the game himself despite 4+ years of major-league service time, might have someone breathing down his neck. 22-year-old C Jorge Ayala received the call up to the big club during spring training, and though he is still designated as the backup catcher, he's seeing more and more of the field as the season continues.

Ayala has hit .302 in limited at-bats, and it is that consistency at the plate that has found him earning more playing time. His style at the plate is completely different from Wyatt's. While Wyatt is a pure-slugger who cannot hit for average, Ayala is a more complete player, from an offensive standpoint. Despite having 20 fewer at-bats than Wyatt, Ayala has an equal number of hits and RBIs.

The one area in which Wyatt has the advantage--and the reason it makes the coaches' decision as to who should get each start difficult--is the way he handles the pitching staff and plays defense. The starters much prefer the way Wyatt controls a game, both in the way he calls it and when he chooses to hold a mound conference. So for now, the two have had to get used to sharing playing time a bit more evenly.