Zunino Continues To Carry Hot Bat When Gators Need It Most
Friday, May 20, 2011 | Baseball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If ever an award announcement and player performance came together to form the perfect symbolic marriage, Thursday was that day.
Before Florida's key SEC East game against Kentucky, the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced that Gators catcher Mike Zunino was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the nation's top catcher.
All Zunino did a few hours later was go out and have the type of game Bench, arguably the greatest catcher in major league history, had regularly throughout his Hall-of-Fame career.
“He kind of did it all,'' Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan said afterward. “He blocked, he received good, he called a good game and he hit two home runs.''
If not for Zunino's Bench-like performance in Florida's 9-6 win, the night could have turned out much differently for the Gators. Instead, Florida opened what starter Brian Johnson referred to as “Championship Weekend'' as the only one of the Big Three – Vanderbilt and defending national champion South Carolina are the others – to win the first game of their weekend series.
Zunino went 3-for-4 with two homers and five RBIs to continue a recent tear that includes five home runs and 12 RBIs over the past three games. Thursday was his third multi-homer game of the season and second in a week.
Zunino hit a pair of home runs – including a game-winning three-run homer in the 12th inning – in Sunday's 6-3 win at Vanderbilt.
To say Zunino is swinging a hot bat is like saying Bench was a decent catcher in his day.
“As long as you see [the ball] well, you have a chance of staying hot and that's what I'm trying to do,'' Zunino said. “I try not to miss many I see.''
Both of Zunino's homers against Kentucky starter Taylor Rogers came at crucial times. Right after the Wildcats scored four runs in the third to take a 4-3 lead, Zunino drilled Rogers' first pitch of the next frame deep over the left-field wall to tie the game.
Kentucky regained a 5-4 lead in the sixth that lasted until Zunino stepped to the plate in the bottom of the inning. He fell behind in the count 0-and-2 as Rogers was one strike from getting out of the inning.
Zunino worked the count to 3-and-2 before launching another home run to deep left, putting Florida ahead for good with his three-run blast.
The Florida dugout erupted as Zunino rounded the bases. He now is hitting. 376 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs and has positioned himself as a strong candidate for SEC Player of the Year.
There's no one the Gators would currently rather step to the plate in a close game.
“The best way to describe Mike is he's a clutch player,'' Gators shortstop Nolan Fontana said.
O'Sullivan used another description reminiscent of Bench.
“He acts like a professional,'' O'Sullivan said. “He's been doing it all year.''
Zunino is often one of the first guys to the ballpark and one of the last to leave the cage. He is saving his best for last, with 13 of his 18 hits in May going for extra bases – seven of them the over-the-fence variety.
Fontana hesitated for a brief moment when asked if he's ever had a teammate swing the bat the way Zunino is right now.
“No, I haven't,'' he quickly concluded. “Right now he is as hot as he can get.''
The Gators hope he stays that way as they try to win their first back-to-back SEC titles in 29 years and only second time in school history. They moved a step closer on Thursday and with a victory on Friday, the Gators clinch at least a share of the title.
The at-bat that produced Zunino's second homer on Thursday perfectly illustrated the zone he's currently in. Prior to stepping to the plate, it looked as if Kentucky coach Gary Henderson was going to pull Rogers during a visit to the mound.
But he kept the lanky left-hander in and shortly afterward Zunino made him pay despite falling into the 0-2 hole.
“He made some really good pitches that I just tried to fight off,'' Zunino said. “I got in a hole and just tried to fight as much as I could to stay alive.''
Johnson looked on after his six innings were done and appreciated another moment delivered by the player simply known as Z around the clubhouse.
“I've never seen that before in my life. Every game, the mid-week game, any game … he's just coming through whenever we need it,'' Johnson said.
After the game was over, Zunino chatted a few minutes with his dad, Greg, now as area scout for the Reds. That's the team Bench starred for of course. Seemed like a perfect way to cap a Bench-like day.
O'Sullivan is running out of adjectives and superlatives to describe his sophomore catcher.
“What can you say about Mike? He keeps coming up with some big hits and he's seeing the ball really good,'' O'Sullivan said. “He had a great night.''
Bench would be proud.
