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Tim KurkjianMar 10, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
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- Senior author ESPN Mag/ESPN.com
- Analyst/reporter ESPN tv
- Has coated baseball since 1981
It’s 8 o’clock on a February morning within the Cleveland Guardians clubhouse, and Austin Hedges is, as he incessantly is, shirtless, which at all times amused considered one of his managers, Terry Francona, as a result of, because the 65-year-old skipper put it, “along with his blouse off, he looks as if me.” Hedges is, as at all times, speaking, educating and giggling, as are his teammates, despite the fact that it is exhausting to consider a bunch ever giggling more difficult than after Recreation 1 of the 2023 Global Collection, when the Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia hit a walk-off house run, whilst Hedges, within the hollow on the time, celebrated wildly — inspiring an Instagram meme with what Hedges would possibly had been pondering at that second: Nice, I should not have to hit!
“It was once hilarious … it wasn’t really nice, nevertheless it was once hilarious,” Hedges mentioned. “Glance, I sought after that at-bat that night time, however we might simply gained on a walk-off homer. It was once one of the vital largest video games that I would ever been part of.”
Mentioned Rangers supervisor Bruce Bochy: “He is the most efficient. He’s taking the sport significantly. He does not take himself too significantly.”
This is one reason why the Guardians’ Austin Hedges, 32, is the most efficient backup catcher in baseball, crucial lifetime .186 hitter within the primary leagues and one of the vital absolute best leaders within the recreation. Together with that 2023 Global Collection identify, his groups have made appearances in 3 directly postseasons and 4 of the previous 5. It’s uncommon {that a} backup catcher can also be so instrumental to the good fortune of a staff, however Hedges is certainly a unprecedented particular person. He has been described by means of teammates, at all times with love, as a personality, a gymnasium rat, a defensive weapon, a long run supervisor, a constant power drive, a tenacious talker, good, concerned, an fool and an eccentric.
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“He’s all of the ones issues, and I love him, and I am not the one one,” mentioned Francona, Hedges’ supervisor for 3 seasons in Cleveland who’s now the skipper of the Cincinnati Reds. “He is respectable in the best way he affects a recreation and a staff. When [Cleveland] had him in 2020 to ’22, we gained, then he left, and we did not win, that was once no accident. We ignored him badly. And, now they introduced him again.”
Present Guardians supervisor Stephen Vogt mentioned he could not be happier about that.
“He is additionally one of the vital absolute best teammates I have ever [been around] in my occupation,” Vogt mentioned. “Each day, he assaults with power. He is 100% Austin each day. And he is one of the vital absolute best defensive catchers the closing 10 to fifteen years.”
Bochy mentioned he misses Hedges.
“He introduced ability, particularly the best way he treated the pitchers, he was once a really perfect supplement to [Jonah] Heim [the everyday catcher],” Bochy mentioned. “He additionally did an amazing process in bringing levity to our conferences. He’s so excellent at making everybody else higher. He’s so self-deprecating. He loves to speak; he in reality loves to speak.”
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Teammate David Fry mentioned, smiling, “Guy, I attempt to stay him in take a look at, however I will be able to’t. His power is astounding, and it is not faux. Other folks concentrate when he talks. However, occasionally, I have advised him, ‘It’s a must to prevent speaking now.'”
San Francisco Giants 3rd baseman Matt Chapman referred to as his formative years pal, “the largest little child you’ve ever noticed.”
Hedges laughed at all of the feedback.
An fool?
“That is about proper,” he mentioned.
Largest little child?
“True,” he mentioned.
Talks an excessive amount of?
“I inform all my teammates,” Hedges mentioned, “that it is OK to inform me to close the hell up. I am attentive to that.”
But if an actual praise comes his method, Hedges is flattered and appreciative.
Some of the absolute best defensive catchers within the recreation the closing 10 to fifteen years?
“The ones are one of the vital nicest phrases ever, particularly coming from our supervisor, who was once a catcher,” Hedges mentioned. “That is what assists in keeping me within the recreation. If I do not carry out at an elite degree, I am searching for a role.”
Best possible backup catcher within the recreation?
“It is a massive praise,” he mentioned. “That is what I need to be. I need to play for any other 10 years. I need to be a starter, but when I have not been ready to assist the staff offensively, I’ve approved the function. I like the function. I like the little issues that I am getting to try this do not require taking part in. It is numerous tension off my plate. I need to be sure that Bo Naylor is the most efficient catcher in baseball. If I am doing my process proper, serving to him each day, I believe he will have to be.”
Hedges was once a celeb participant as a child in Orange County, California, taking part in for his father, Charlie. He performed at the similar little league groups as a number of long run primary leaguers, together with Chapman and San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove.
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“We by no means misplaced a recreation,” Hedges mentioned. “Till I gained the Global Collection a few years in the past, I might inform my dad, ‘It was once like God gave me too many wins when I used to be a child, now you’ll lose within the large leagues.'”
Hedges wasn’t a backup again then.
“We took circle of relatives street journeys in combination, he was once speaking always when he was once 8 years previous,” Chapman mentioned, smiling. “He was once the most efficient participant on our staff. I wasn’t higher than him till senior yr in highschool.”
Hedges mentioned, giggling, “I inform him always that I used to be significantly better than him rising up. Then he went to Cal State Fullerton, the whole lot clicked, and now he makes $30 million a yr. And I peaked in highschool.”
However the signature smile, the bubbling persona and the cruel power Hedges had in highschool, and nonetheless has now, were not just about as outstanding after he was once drafted by means of the Padres in the second one spherical in 2011.
“From the minor leagues into most probably 3 years into the large leagues, it was once so tense for me,” Hedges mentioned. “Your entire lifestyles, all you need is to make it to professional ball, make it to the large leagues, and when I were given there, it was once so tense and so overwhelming to must in truth carry out. Cash is at the line. If I do not carry out, I am not going to have this process. Such a lot tension.
“Particularly 2018, in San Diego, it was once the toughest psychological struggle of my complete lifestyles. I did not love baseball anymore. ‘I have no idea if I will be able to do that. Can I take care of this tension each day? It is Might, we now have were given 140 video games left, can I in reality display up each day and maintain this tension?’ You’ll get to the sector at 1 o’clock with numerous power. However how does this closing via 11 p.m.?”
Then he was once dealt to Cleveland earlier than the 2020 season.
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“Getting traded to Cleveland was once my recent get started,” Hedges mentioned. “They do such an improbable process there with tradition. However it’s important to glance your self within the replicate and say, ‘I am not going to be the fellow that hits .300 with 40 homers yearly, [a] perennial All-Famous person.’ I’ve to give you the chance to stick on this recreation. If it is not going to be offensively, I will be able to do issues defensively. I do know I’ve at all times had an affect at the pitchers. After I was a backup catcher [in 2023], and I am taking part in as soon as a chain, what form of affect am I bringing to the sport? I learn quite a lot of books, talked to quite a lot of other people. I found out for myself what works. The article that stood out was once relentless sure power every day irrespective of the way it was once going.”
Even if he wasn’t hitting.
“The blessing and curse to me was once no longer hitting smartly,” Hedges mentioned. “If I went 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts once more, and I nonetheless have a grin on my face, then you’ll, too. It isn’t like Hedgy is at all times glad as a result of he rakes; it is like Hedgy is the most efficient at the moment as a result of he hasn’t were given a success in every week and he is nonetheless going to turn up for the lads to take a look at to do anything else he can to assist them carry out. That is what I attempt to do each day.”
It helped taking part in for Bochy in Texas. And for Francona and now Vogt in Cleveland.
“Vogter, Tito and Boch, they’re 3 totally other other people, however they’ve something in commonplace: a pace-setter of fellows,” Hedges mentioned. “Once they communicate, it is concise. What they are saying, you’ll have heard it earlier than. It will not be profound. However other people concentrate to them.”
And now, everybody within the Guardians clubhouse listens to Hedges. He mentioned he needs to play 10 extra years. He mentioned he has regarded as managing in the future, however managers delegate — he needs to show the sport.
“I have made up our minds I need to be a lifer in baseball, no matter that suggests,” Hedges mentioned. “I need to put a jersey on. Baseball pants and a jersey in a large league clubhouse. It is the largest honor it’s essential ever have. When I am achieved taking part in, if I may [still be in the big leagues], I might really feel just like the luckiest guy alive.”
The luckiest guy alive was once within the lineup for the Guardians’ first recreation of spring coaching. As a DH.
Hedges, self-deprecating as at all times, laughed and mentioned, “Were given to stay that bat within the lineup!”
