In baseball terms, Chris Gimenez is a gamer – no matter the circumstances, expect nothing less than 100 percent on the diamond.
Perhaps it’s the extra something or unique intangible that has kept the Gilroy native afloat during a literal up-and-down career as a Major League Baseball player.
Gimenez, a 2001 Gilroy High graduate who went on to play for the University of Nevada at Reno, was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2004 and made his MLB debut in 2009.
Gimenez, 29, spent six seasons in the Indians’ organization before becoming a member of the Seattle Mariners in 2011. During that span the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder had been through it all, from injuries, moving from the minors back to the bigs, and vise versa, and the daily unpredictability that comes with establishing oneself at the big-league level.
As catcher with the ability to play outfield or first base as well, Gimenez says at times the grind has been strenuous. But now with his third organization – the Tampa Bay Rays (getting the call up April 15 after a handful of games with the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate Durham Bulls) – Gimenez, for the first time, appears destined for an extended stay with a MLB club.
Add in the birth of his first son Jace five months ago and a nearly three-year marriage to college sweetheart, Kellie, Gimenez’s stars are aligning.
Dispatch sports editor Josh Weaver caught up with Gimenez by phone on Friday, prior to Game 1 of the Rays’ weekend series with the Minnesota Twins.
Josh Weaver: So you got the call up from the Tampa Bay Rays last week. How are things going so far?
Chris Gimenez: We just came off a pretty long road trip and I’m just trying to do well enough so that I can stay up here for once in my life and not go up and down.
JW: What do you see as the biggest hurdle or obstacle in maintaining an extended stint with a big league club?
CG: In my mind, the biggest thing is just getting that opportunity. And that’s the main reason why I chose to come here. Joe (Maddon) likes to manage his team like a National League team, and I feel like I am a prototypical National League player – I can play multiple positions, go in for double switches. He manages his games that way, which is different being that we are in the American League East. This has been the first real opportunity that I’ve had where I can play on a real consistent basis. And I have always told everybody that I feel like I could be pretty good if I played not once every 12 days.
JW: What does that consistent playing time mean?
CG: They told me from the start that I was never going to go more than three or four days in a row without playing. And, to me, that’s like playing every day compared to what I’m used to. Plus, there is potential for me to play at any position at anytime. Joe isn’t afraid to use his bench, which is a huge plus and that was his biggest selling point on me coming here. He is a firm believer in playing all his guys to keep everybody sharp. And that works well for me.
JW: Are the stakes raised for you this season?
CG: One hundred percent. I have a family now. I’m not getting any younger. Not that there is pressure, but I guess an extra sense of urgency. Now I have this opportunity and it’s time to go ahead and do something with it. Listen, I am a man about the way I think about things. If I’m going to get a legit opportunity, and just can’t do it, then I can live with myself. But if I never get that opportunity then I will always wonder – and I don’t want to be a shoulda, coulda, woulda guy.
JW: What is the daily grind like for a player like you, who believes in what they can do yet hasn’t had that chance to prove it on a consistent basis?
CG: It’s been tough at times, but at the same time, you have to really think ‘hey, I’m in the big leagues, where I think I deserve to be.’ But then you just have to be patient. And for me, that’s always been tough. Even when I was little. Patience wasn’t one of my best virtues. But you really have to learn and take every opportunity. Even when I don’t play, I pretend I am managing the game, so that way I am constantly concentrating on the game and staying involved. Because, a guy in my situation, I could go in at any point. It’s just thinking about the game all the time.
JW: There are a lot of uncertainties that go along with being a professional athlete. How do you deal with some of those?
CG: You have to take them head on. There are so many things to worry about with this game – just the game aspect of it – it’s hard to worry about the things you can’t control. It’s kind of cliché, but you try to control the things you control and let the chips fall where they may.
JW: It didn’t take long for you to get the call up this time. Were you expecting that?
CG: I was one of the last guys to get cut out of camp and I knew that I had made a really good impression on the coaches. The way this game is, you play 162 games and you’re not going to have the same 25 guys. So I knew there was going to be opportunity there. Knowing that there were some circumstances that could pop up and I was next in line, I knew I had to be ready.
JW: How early do you find out that you’re in the lineup?
CG: They are great about that here. They usually tell you a day beforehand. I caught two guys a lot in spring and I think they are going to keep that rotation going.
JW: Who are the two pitchers?
CG: Matt Moore and Jeff Niemann.
JW: When you know you’re in the lineup for that game, does your routine change?
CG: The one difference is I will get to the field earlier to warm-up the starting pitcher. Other then that, my cage work and everything, I try to keep it on the same routine.
JW: What is that routine?
CG: It’s different for each guy depending what he need to get ready. I usually get to the ball park around 1:30 or so, get something to eat, relax a little, get situated in the locker and get into the weight room to get my body going. I’ll go out to the field, do some sprints, go to the cage and then go in and watch some video of the other starting pitcher and of their hitters and get a gauge on the scouting report.
JW: Who is the toughest pitcher you’ve faced?
CG: It may surprise you, and I don’t know if anyone else would have this answer. His name is Luke Hochevar, starting pitcher for Kansas City. I’m like 0 for 9 with like seven punch-outs against this guy. Last year, when I was with Seattle, we played against them and they started me against him. They said I was bound to come out of it. And I swear to God, I had not even foul tipped a ball against this guy. And in my first at-bat I hit a line drive to left field and the left fielder dove and caught it. So I guess that’s just the way it is against him.
JW: So ownage actually exists?
CG: Oh heck yeah. Don’t let anybody tell you it doesn’t either.
JW: That’s just one of those baseball things.
CG: I wish it wasn’t.
JW: What’s the best park?
CG: Fenway is obvious. Wrigley Field is solid as well. Last year during interleague we went to the Washington Nationals park and that place was awesome – beautiful. Pittsburgh is another great place to play.
JW: Has family changed your perspective of the sport and your career?
CG: Last year when Kellie was pregnant, I might have had a rough day at the ballpark, but when I got home and saw my wife and she looked beautiful, it made everything better. It reminds you what you’re really here for. And it’s even better now that (Jace) is here.
Editor’s note: Gimenez started against the Twins on Friday and Sunday. He went 0 for 3 on Friday, 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored Sunday. The Rays (9-7) took two of three from Minnesota. In four games this season, Gimenez is 5 for 13 with one double and one RBI. Tampa Bay opens a three-game series today with the Angels. Since his 2009 debut, Gimenez has appeared in 108 MLB games.
