Catcher

THE PHILLIES have signed journeyman catcher Humberto Quintero to a minor league contract, according to several reports. Although the news comes on the heels of Carlos Ruiz' suspension for using an amphetamine product, the reports say the deal was in the works before news of Ruiz' punishment spread. Quintero, 33, was invited to spring training with the Phillies, the reports said. He batted .232, with one home run and 19 RBI last season for the Kansas City Royals, who designated him for assignment in late June.

Coatesville's Jake Kennedy, a savvy and hard-hitting catcher, hopes that some late-year heroics will replace an early-season blunder. In the seventh inning against host Unionville, with the bases loaded and one out in an 8-8 contest, the usually focused backstop erred in thinking a strikeout was the third out and rolled the ball toward the mound. That gave the Unionville runner at third base the chance to race home for the deciding tally in the season opener. "It was a brain cramp," Kennedy said matter-of-factly.

The state's best pitching staff has lots of live arms. There are a senior and a freshman. There are sophomores and juniors. There are lefties and righties. There are introverts and extroverts. There are crazed competitors and guys who are a little more laid-back. "They're all different," said Gloucester Catholic senior catcher Jon Theckston, the rock on which the Rams' remarkable pitching staff rests. Theckston said he always has been a catcher. He's a tough Gloucester kid whose defensive prowess and ability to work with a variety of pitchers have been a key to the Rams' success over the last two seasons.

St. Augustine Prep catcher Barry Buchowski is looking forward to the warm weather in New Orleans. "The South is where every baseball player wants to go and wake up when it's 82 degrees out," said Buchowski, a St. Augustine Prep senior who has committed to Tulane University on a baseball scholarship. Buchowski committed to Tulane after visiting the school in New Orleans last Thursday and Friday. He can sign his letter of intent April 17. Of his first visit to New Orleans, Buchowski said, "It was an unbelievable experience.

Alyssa Sims, a leadoff hitter and one of the most athletic catchers in South Jersey softball, reached first base safely, turned to her coach and, with a smile, asked: "Am I done?" "Come on. Really?" coach David Gurst said, laughing. On the Cherry Hill West softball team, it's supposed to be a surprise when a player reaches a milestone. But thanks to some anonymous sources, Sims was well aware that she was on the verge of her 100th career hit. As with most of the pressures Sims has faced in her storied career, she just hid it well.

Sam Steele says the key to Bishop Eustace's resurgent baseball season is that "everybody is doing their role. " For Steele, that was a little bit of everything last week. As the Crusaders went 4-0 and allowed just two runs, Steele made contributions at the plate as well as behind it. The senior catcher helped guide senior Zac Gallen, junior Devin Smeltzer, and sophomore Justin Hagenman through one of the most dominating weeks of the season for any pitching staff in South Jersey.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Along the back wall of the clubhouse, in front of the locker he has long called home, Carlos Ruiz sat and fiddled with an iPhone. The lineup card for the afternoon game against the Yankees was hanging on the bulletin board across the room. Once again, somebody else was starting for the Phillies at catcher. "I know what they are thinking," Ruiz said. "I have plenty of time to get ready for the season. " On Thursday, Ruiz will travel to Fort Myers for what will be only his third start since March 4. Once the Phillies break camp and fly north for a two-game exhibition series at Citizens Bank Park, the veteran catcher will head over to the Carpenter Complex and participate in extended spring training, where he will attempt to get himself into regular-season shape, along with a host of minor league players from the organization.

WASHINGTON - Roger Clemens' former catcher with the Toronto Blue Jays testified Wednesday that he had seen vitamin B12 "shots lined up ready to go" for players, a claim also made by Clemens and for which he was charged with obstructing Congress. Clemens is charged with obstruction of Congress, perjury and making false statements for denying to Congress in 2008 that he ever used steroids or human growth hormone. The obstruction count contains 13 allegedly false statements, including Clemens' assertion in his congressional deposition that "four or five needles" of vitamin B12 would be "already lined up ready to go" in the trainers' room after games.

Carlos Ruiz has seen the video. Of course he has. The replay of Giants catcher Buster Posey being blown up at the plate last week has been shown endlessly ever since. Posey's season is over following surgery to repair torn ankle ligaments and a fractured fibula. The debate goes on. The Phillies catcher is sorry about what happened to one of the bright young talents at his position. He said watching it reminded him of what a perilous position he plays. He added, however, that he doesn't advocate rule changes to protect catchers and that he doesn't plan to change his approach, either.

Senior captain Julia Schoenewald, catcher for Central Bucks East, looks back at the victory over Pennridge. www.philly.com/ rallyvideos

Sam Steele says the key to Bishop Eustace's resurgent baseball season is that "everybody is doing their role. " For Steele, that was a little bit of everything last week. As the Crusaders went 4-0 and allowed just two runs, Steele made contributions at the plate as well as behind it. The senior catcher helped guide senior Zac Gallen, junior Devin Smeltzer, and sophomore Justin Hagenman through one of the most dominating weeks of the season for any pitching staff in South Jersey.

A break in accounting class Tuesday at Archbishop Wood allowed Joe and John Santospago to continue their friendly sibling rivalry. This time, it played out in an impromptu arm-wrestling match. "I took him down," John said with a laugh. "He's way stronger than me, but I think my forearm strength was the difference. It's from all the years being a catcher. " Joe's take on losing the contest? "He got lucky," the outfielder said. "I'm confident I can win the next go-round. " The good-natured competition between the Santospago brothers has benefited Wood's baseball squad, with each trying to outdo the other at the plate.

It has been a roller-coaster week for Methacton's baseball team. The Warriors opened a key three-game Pioneer Athletic Conference stretch with a win over Division I-bound righthander A.J. Bogucki and Boyertown. Then, in a big letdown, they fell to Perkiomen Valley. Friday afternoon in Worcester, scoring three runs in each of their last two at-bats, catcher Clayton Harwick and company closed with an 11-7 triumph over fellow title contender Spring-Ford. "It's been pretty wild this season," Harwick said.

As a freshman, Paige DeCew shared innings with other pitchers for the Pennridge High softball team. In her sophomore year, the righthander got more involved, throwing about 60 percent of her team's innings. The workload just got bigger for DeCew, who in her junior year was on the mound for about 75 percent of the innings for the Rams. There was no question, then, that DeCew would be the No. 1 pitcher for Pennridge in her senior season. And if the previous three years were any indication, her innings total would only increase.

Brian Lawler always has felt comfortable at the plate. Now he feels comfortable behind it. "I love catching," said Lawler, a Shawnee senior. With a smooth lefthanded swing, Lawler has been a key hitter for Shawnee since his sophomore year. This season, Lawler is batting .313 with 14 RBIs. He is among South Jersey's leaders with six doubles for the 9-4 Renegades, who are ranked No. 6 by The Inquirer. But the big change for Lawler has been the switch to catcher. He said he never played the position before last season.

The state's best pitching staff has lots of live arms. There are a senior and a freshman. There are sophomores and juniors. There are lefties and righties. There are introverts and extroverts. There are crazed competitors and guys who are a little more laid-back. "They're all different," said Gloucester Catholic senior catcher Jon Theckston, the rock on which the Rams' remarkable pitching staff rests. Theckston said he always has been a catcher. He's a tough Gloucester kid whose defensive prowess and ability to work with a variety of pitchers have been a key to the Rams' success over the last two seasons.