BSN Exclusive: Tony Wolters on what happens when the Rockies "click"

DENVER – Colorado Rockies catcher Tony Wolters knows a little something about overcoming the odds.

Managing to make the transition from middle-infielder to backstop, still looking to find a consistent stride at the plate, he has managed to make himself an indelible member of the clubhouse.

He’s everybody’s little brother.

Wolters does plenty between the lines to help the Rockies win games, though few of them show up in the box score. His athleticism behind the plate, familiarity with the young pitching staff, and ability to manage a nine-inning game have all benefited his club—as have each of his three base—in the nine games he has played.

The Rockies are 6-3 in those games.

Perhaps somewhat lost in the shuffle of everything that happened before and after it, Wotlers delivered the key hit in an eventual win over the San Diego Padres in the inning that famously saw a benches-clearing brawl.

He tells BSN Denver that his primary goal has always been to be there for his pitchers and that he is just trying to simplify his approach at the plate.

“Focus on the ball,” he says. “I just see the ball. I’m not focusing on the pitcher. My goal is to stay within myself and just relax.”

But behind the plate, he has gotten a great view of the good and bad from this team so far in 2018. Clearly in the former category has been what he has seen from Adam Ottavino, which is pretty much what the rest of us have seen from Adam Ottavino.

“His line is there. He’s executing his pitches. He has a plan. He is doing his job. He’s doing a great job. And he is nasty. His stuff moving, it’s hard to catch. He makes my job easy and hard at the same time. There’s not much more you can say about him.”

Ottavino is one of the few Rockies who has got it going early on though, most of the rest of the team still in search for a rhythm.

“It’s the beginning of the season,” said an unconcerned Wolters. “We’re still getting the rust off. We still are trying to get our timing, our mechanics, everything, to be there. We haven’t clicked yet.”

And he has all the confidence that they will.

“Every team clicks,” he says. “We have one of the best teams in the league. Once we click, it’s going to be hard to get away from it. I think it’s just very important for us to stay level-headed. Take it one game at a time. Win as many games as we can until we get there.”

It may be the oldest entry in the Giant Book Of Sports Clichés, but he’s right. You can afford to trade wins when you aren’t at your best because there will come a time when you will be at your best.

“Once we get there,” says Wolters. “It’ll be fun baseball.”