Pudge cutting into Castro's time
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

JUPITER, Fla. -- As a child, Ramon Castro always looked up to Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez.

Now, Castro's boyhood hero is cutting deeply into his playing time.

Before the Marlins signed Rodriguez as a free agent, Castro was expected to split catching duties with Mike Redmond. This was supposed to be the year the 27-year-old would get his shot to prove he is an everyday player.

That was the Marlins' plan after Charles Johnson was dealt to the Rockies in November.

"This is my job," Castro says of the impact of the Rodriguez signing. "I'm fighting for a job. Ivan is my friend. He is from my hometown. He's known me since I was little. We played together. I'm going to learn from him a lot. But to me, I need to play more."

Castro and Rodriguez were sandlot teammates growing up in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Four years younger, Castro picked up pointers from the man who now expects to assume a lion's share of the workload.

Castro credits Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez for offering advice when he was a teenager.

On Monday, Castro continued to learn whatever he could for his new teammate.

The two worked together in the first day of pitcher/catcher drills. They started off as partners in a catch session. Then, they worked side-by-side in the bullpen, catching pitchers.
"I know him, and know he is going to be a great player," Rodriguez says of Castro. "I will be here for him, to help him. If he asks me questions, I will try to teach him."

Like last year, manager Jeff Torborg plans on carrying three catchers. But that could change if the Marlins entertain trade offers for either Castro or Redmond.

"I don't know what they are going to do," Castro said. "When I get a chance, I'm going to play hard."

Exactly how Torborg divvies up playing time behind the plate will be a work in progress. Rodriguez, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract, has made it clear he expects to play often.

But will Torborg allow more than, say, 125 games?

Mindful that the 10-time All-Star and former Rangers star is 31 and has averaged 103 games over the last three seasons, Torborg doesn't want to overuse Rodriguez. The two are discussing how best to utilize the perennial Gold Glove winner.

Ideally, Torborg would like to have a routine for his catchers.
While Torborg is trying to maximize Rodriguez's effectiveness, he also must deal with keeping two quality catchers happy on the bench.

Torborg also insists, if given playing time, Castro can become a quality everyday player. Last year, he showed signs of that, belting six home runs in 101 at-bats. Castro isn't comfortable in a pinch-hitting role, either.

Redmond lacks Castro's power, but he is a dependable performer, who hit .305 in 89 games.

"I was looking forward to getting an opportunity to play," says Redmond, one of the Marlins' selfless players. "Of course I was a little disappointed. Everybody wants to play. On the other hand, basically it's the same situation it was for me last year.

"I was a backup player. Last year, I was fortunate that I got a lot of opportunities to play. Basically I'm going to do the same thing I did last year. I'm going to do my job and be ready to go. Skip knows he doesn't have to worry about me. When he wants me to play, I'll be ready to go. It doesn't matter to me if it is once a week or once a month or whatever. I'll be there. I'll be ready to go and give everything I got."

Redmond's work ethic ranks among the team leaders. When Torborg arrived at camp shortly before 8:30 a.m., Redmond already was in the weight room with several Marlins coaches.

Having caught many of the Marlins starters since 1998, Redmond is sharing his insights with Rodriguez. He talked with his new teammate several times Monday, on the field and in the clubhouse.

"We're all in this together, the pitchers, the catchers, the coaches," Redmond said. "I talked with Pudge about the pitchers. I'm going to give him all the knowledge I have. This is not an easy staff to catch."

That's because A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett and Brad Penny throw in the mid-to-upper 90s and they throw a lot of breaking balls in the dirt.

"I have a lot of questions about the pitchers," Rodriguez said. "[Redmond] has caught them. He knows what they throw and how they throw."

02/17/2003 4:30 pm ET

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.