We have talked about 10 pitchers, five starters and five relievers, that you may have forgotten were Orioles, so it only makes sense that the next bunch of players are their battery-mates.
Making the catchers list was difficult as the backstops in Baltimore were all mostly known. Starting the decade off with Matt Wieters and having players like Pedro Severino, Nick Hundley and Caleb Joseph really were names that every Oriole fan should remember behind the plate.
But with that said, here are five catchers from the 2010’s you may forgot wore the orange and black.
Craig Tatum
The date is October 1, 2010, and the Orioles are starting what would end up being a doubleheader, after their game on September 30 was canceled. Manager Dave Trembley decides to sit Matt Wieters for game one to start this catcher, who would end up having a 2-for-4 day, including knocking in three RBIs in a 10-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers. That backstop was Craig Tatum.
Tatum was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds until the Orioles claimed him off waivers in November of 2009. He would spend two years with the Orioles, hitting .244 while having a .583 OPS in just 74 games. He would knock in 16, steal two bases and have seven doubles.
Tatum would be placed on waivers after the 2011 season and would be bounced around until he would find a home with the New York Yankees. Tatum would never see the big leagues again after 2011, and his name wouldn’t be brought up again until this year, when it was announced that he has funded a brand new weight room for his former college, Mississippi State.
Ronny Paulino
When making this list, it took me a second to remember that Ronny Paulino was a part of the 2012 Orioles roster. He only played 20 games with the O’s, and the highlight of his time in orange and black is a two-RBI game against the Oakland Athletics at the end of April.
Paulino signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in December of 1997 and spent five years in the minors until he was selected in the 2002 Rule 5 Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Paulino would actually be sent back to the Pirates in 2003 and finally make his debut in 2005. He would spend seven years in MLB, bouncing around multiple teams until he signed with the Orioles in 2012.
Paulino would have a .567 OPS in 57 at-bats and would hit three doubles and collect five RBIs. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, would sign with the Orioles again for a brief time in 2013 but would be suspended in 2014 for 100 games due to the use of Testosterone. Paulino spent time between the Mexican League and other baseball leagues until his retirement in 2017 and just finished his first year as the hitting coach for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate.
Andrew Susac
We can all agree that 2018 was a season of mixed emotions. That means we got to see an eclectic group of players, some great and some, well, not so much. Then there was catcher Adrew Susac.
Susac’s time with Baltimore is the definition of short, as he played in just nine games and had only 26 at-bats with the Orioles. Susac was also a part of an Orioles team that worked three backup catchers at different points, including Chance Sisco and Austin Wynns.
The Orioles would be Susac’s third MLB team, as he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the second round of the 2011 draft. He would be traded at the 2016 deadline and then would be traded to Baltimore in 2018. The Orioles would DFA Susac after they picked up infielder Hanser Alberto off waivers, as he would spend time briefly with the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates before retiring in 2021.
Francisco Peña
Imagine being in the MLB and having the pressure of your father being a five-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner at the catcher position. That is Francisco Peña, son of long-time MLB catcher Tony Peña, who was a great defensive backstop in the 80s. It’s extremely unfortunate to say that Francisco did not have the same career as his father.
Peña was a backup for the Orioles in parts of 2016 and 2017. His 19 games with Baltimore were probably the best 19 games of his career. Peña collected 13 hits with the Orioles, and three of them were home runs, accumulating five RBIs and eight runs.
Peña signed with the New York Mets in 2006 and spent around eight years in the minors before getting his big league chance. The Santiago, Dominican Republic, native would play for the Royals, Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals and has spent the last two years in the Chinese Baseball League.
Ryan Lavarnway
Oriole fans remember the 2023 WBC Israeli team because of Dean Kremer. However, did you know that in the game one victory over Nicaragua, Kremer was actually throwing to a former Oriole catcher. That catcher was Ryan Lavarnway, and while his time with Baltimore was short, he could still say that he wore the orange and black.
Lavarnway became an Oriole when he was claimed off waivers in December of 2014. He played a total of 10 games and only had three hits. Lavarnway did have a long career, though, playing a total of 11 years.
Lavarnway was drafted in 2008 by the Boston Red Sox with a sixth-round pick and made his MLB debut in 2011. His career was long, but he never really had a prime other than maybe a 24-hit season in 2012. Lavarnway would bounce between numerous teams before announcing his retirement from professional baseball in March of 2023.
Which catchers on our list do you remember watching? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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