BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: St Pete Times | Tampa Bay Rays Gregg Zaun wants to be baseball’s oldest catcher

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Friday, August 14, 2009

St Pete Times | Tampa Bay Rays Gregg Zaun wants to be baseball’s oldest catcher

Know this about Gregg Zaun, the catcher acquired last week who makes his Rays Trop debut tonight: He’s at home behind the plate.

Sure, he’s 38, he has been playing pro ball since before David Price started kindergarten, and he was in the majors three years before the Devil Rays were, but he’s not planning on going away soon.

Zaun wants to play until he’s 40. Then he wants to get 20 seasons in the bigs, which will take him to 2014, when he will be 43. Then he wants to outdo Carlton Fisk, who was still catching at 45, and be known as “the oldest guy” to start a game behind the plate.

plus, from the Tampa Tribune, Veterans energized upon arrival with Rays

Baseball-Birthdays.com Posted: August 14, 2009 at 11:25 AM | 24 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: rays

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1. Latnam's first name is Bob Lemon's middl Posted: August 14, 2009 at 01:07 PM (#3292243)

He should probably get better at hitting, if he wants to stay around that long.

2. Big Train Posted: August 14, 2009 at 01:14 PM (#3292247)

Baseball's oldest catcher is a long shot, buit he has a good chance to become baseball's worst catcher.

3. RJ in TO Posted: August 14, 2009 at 01:18 PM (#3292251)

He's been an above average hitter for a Catcher 5 of the last 6 years, and was only slightly below in the sixth.

Besides, how well do you really have to hit to handle the role of backup catcher?

4. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: August 14, 2009 at 01:22 PM (#3292257)

he wants to outdo Carlton Fisk, who was still catching at 45, and be known as “the oldest guy” to start a game behind the plate

Keep moving, Gregg.

5. MSalfino Posted: August 14, 2009 at 01:52 PM (#3292275)

I want to live forever.

6. JoeHova Posted: August 14, 2009 at 01:58 PM (#3292277)

...he has a good chance to become baseball's worst catcher.

Not really. Jason Kendall is still playing.

7. Curse of the Andino Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:03 PM (#3292279)

But he has the best website of any catcher playing in MLB today.

8. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:09 PM (#3292283)

What an ego.

9. Cris E Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:12 PM (#3292285)

It's all coming together nicely, oh yes it is. He's moved to Florida, taken a job that leaves him a lot of free time, and in October he can begin searching through the swamps for his ultimate goal: the fountain of youth. Next season he's putting Ponce de LeZAUN on his uniform.

10. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:17 PM (#3292290)

But he has the best website of any catcher playing in MLB today.

That is endearingly bizarre. I like Zaun.

11. WillYoung Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:34 PM (#3292300)

RUSH!!!!!

12. Baseball-Birthdays.com Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:34 PM (#3292301)

I really dislike the NHL-ization of catchers masks

</fellermode>

Next season he's putting Ponce de LeZAUN on his uniform.

I grinned :)

13. Johnny Tuttle Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:43 PM (#3292310)

And I want a toilet made of gold, but it's just not in the cards, baby!

14. kthejoker Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:46 PM (#3292311)

Really, Gregg? Zaunbies?

15. jcnyc Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:51 PM (#3292315)

According to that website, his career hasn't had any highlights since 2006. sounds about right.

16. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: August 14, 2009 at 02:56 PM (#3292318)

Yes, we should all bring our Z game. It is imperative! Z games must be brought and distributed in an organized manner. Ugly children first, their mothers last.

17. Obi One Kenobi Nil

Posted: August 14, 2009 at 03:12 PM (#3292329)

Really, Gregg? Zaunbies?

If crouches behind the plate until he's 45 he'll be walking like a zaunbee

18. Don't want the truth; just wanna see some dingers Posted: August 14, 2009 at 03:25 PM (#3292342)

That website is the shiznit!

19. Arnett Mead (Arjun) Posted: August 14, 2009 at 03:33 PM (#3292351)

That website intro was tremendous.

20. asinwreck Posted: August 14, 2009 at 03:33 PM (#3292352)

Did you ever read All Quiet on the Western Front? Remarque paints a vivid picture of Germany becoming “empty,” meaning that toward the end of the war, they were simply running out of soliders. You can fudge the numbers, send the old men and little boys, but eventually you’re going to hit the ceiling . . . unless every time you killed an enemy, he came back to life on your side. That’s how Zaun operated, swelling his ranks by thinning ours! And it only worked one way. Infect a human, he becomes a zombie. Kill a zombie, he becomes a corpse. We could only get weaker, while they might actually get stronger.

21. zonk Posted: August 14, 2009 at 03:52 PM (#3292363)

If he happens to do it, I suspect I-Rod will pass him.

I-Rod would seem bound and determined to death march to 3000 hits, and my calculations show it will take him 15 more seasons. Figure, I-Rod can keep getting jobs on reputation fumes for another decade... that puts him at 47/48 before he will need his own website and PR strategy to keep getting jobs.

22. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: August 14, 2009 at 03:58 PM (#3292372)

Orator O'Rourke thinks that it behooves that urchin, Deacon McGuire, to vacate his lawn posthaste.

23. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: August 14, 2009 at 04:01 PM (#3292376)

Wow, Jim O'Rourke FTW. Unless I find that Hieronymus O'Deadguy caught a game at the age of 79, or something.

24. karkovice squad (0OPS) Posted: August 14, 2009 at 04:39 PM (#3292406)

I want to live forever.

And, so far, you're succeeding.

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Friday, August 14, 2009

St Pete Times | Tampa Bay Rays Gregg Zaun wants to be baseball’s oldest catcher

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