Does Ryan Doumit Have a Charlie Silvera Problem?

By The Last Hollywood Star

From 1948 through 1956, Charlie Silvera backed up Yogi Berra as the New York Yankees second string catcher.

Silvera, during 10 major league seasons, appeared in only 227games and racked up a paltry 482 at-bats, less than a typical season’s worth for Berra. In 1950, Silvera didn’t bat until June 17, two months into the season. And though his lifetime batting average was .282, the San Francisco native hit only one home run.

Most years, however, Silvera cashed Yankee World Series checks.

Opposing players ribbed Silvera mercilessly, calling him, among other names, “Jesse James, the payroll bandit.” They asked if his paychecks came gift-wrapped.

To Silvera, all the ribbing was wonderful. Looking back on it, Silvera laughed. “They’d say, ‘Do you use anything on the bench to keep your fanny from getting sore?’ I had a lot of fun with it.”

He jokes about his career because perhaps no bench warmer in baseball history enjoyed a more interesting 10-year run than Silvera who played for Yankee teams that won a record five consecutive World Series championships from 1949 to ‘53.

The Yankees reached the World Series in seven of Silvera’s eight full seasons in New York, winning six times.

Silvera’s history prefaces what might explain Pirate catcher Ryan Doumit’s listless play Friday night that led John Russell to yank him mid-game and keep him on the bench Friday.

The question that Doumit may be asking himself is whether he would be better off as a second string catcher on a winning team or continuing as the Pirates starter? Even if another team signs him as a back-up, injuries happen and Doumit could slip into the starting job.

During the last two seasons, Doumit has seen his teammates shipped off to the Yankees, the Braves, the Red Sox, the Giants, the Cubs---all contenders. Wouldn’t the 28-year-old Doumit like to be in the hunt at least once before his career ends? Isn’t playing in the post-season every player’s goal?

That’s not like to happen with the Pirates during what remains of Doumit’s productive years. Even if the Pirates finally break the .500 mark, the team is unlikely to seriously contend for five years.

Since Doumit’s 2005 rookie season, the Pirates finished sixth, fifth, sixth and sixth.
Another sixth place looms this year. The constant losing, with years of more defeats on the horizon, weighs heavily on players and adversely affects their performance.

A part-time role on a winning team may be good for Doumit’s soul. Think of it this way: if you were a commissioned salesman but management never provided you with a product good enough to make any sales, wouldn’t you consider changing employers?

Silvera didn’t mind his secondary status. Now 83 and scouting for the Chicago Cubs, the only other team he played for, Silvera looked back and said: “I had a wonderful career. I couldn’t have scripted it any better.”