Manny Argomaniz's Position Transition

  Draft day came and went for Manny Argomaniz who thought someone would pick him up as an infielder since he played shortstop, third, and first for his entire baseball career. But when the Yankees came calling, he jumped at the opportunity to start his professional baseball career, even if it meant he would be catching for the first time.

     Argomaniz grew up in southern California playing over 100 games a year between travel teams and high school ball. He played college ball at Orange Coast College, a dominant junior college program, before being recruited to play for Fresno State.

     "I've always been a big fan of college baseball so I remember watching Fresno when they had the Cinderella story in 2008 at the World Series," Argomaniz said. "That was a big deal for me to be able to play for a big school like that. Everyone was hands-on and it was a great community with a great baseball atmosphere. I enjoyed my time there very much."

     Fast forward to 2015 when Argomaniz was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the New York Yankees.

     "The Yankees gave me a call and said 'Hey Manny. We know you're an infielder but we're looking to get more athletic behind the plate and were wondering if you would ever consider catching.' I said absolutely," Argomaniz said. "It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I mean who doesn't want to be a New York Yankee? They're the most well-known and established baseball team in the world and anywhere you go, someone knows who they are. It's an honor."

     Argomaniz said his family was probably even more excited than he was since they are all such huge baseball fans.

     "All my uncles played baseball. A few cousins played some college ball but none of them played professionally. They call every day and are my number one support team," Argomaniz said. "It's pretty exciting and I'm kind of representing my family when I play. It's pretty cool."

     Argomaniz spent his first season in pro ball with one of the Gulf Coast Yankees teams and focused on learning as much as he could about his new position.

     "I put on the tools of ignorance and I've been loving every second of catching. I'm a leader out there and I'm involved in every play literally," Argomaniz said. "I wouldn't say it was an easy transition but it was just different. Just the fact that it was baseball every single day. In college you play five times a week and in professional baseball, it's every day and it's a grind like everyone always talks about."

     Another thing he said he's learned is working on building better relationships with pitchers to ensure trust on the field.

     "Pitcher-catcher communication is huge and it's learning to get to know your pitcher on and off the field. I strive a lot to get to know them and build that relationship," Argomaniz said. "Most of the guys I hang out with off the field are pitchers just because I like to get to know them. It's a lot more than just hey, throw a fastball or a curveball. You need to be on the same page and be able to trust each other. When that happens, everything will work itself out."

     And while Argomaniz has been happy with his progress up to this point, he said he's still learning while in Pulaski and hopes to continue improving.

     "Through this transition, I've learned a lot about myself, who I am as a player and person, and the type of work ethic you need to continue to play this game," Argomaniz said. "I think I've developed a ton. I've grown up a lot on and off the field. Catching is definitely not easy and I've put in a lot of hours working to get better to be where I'm at. There's still a lot to improve on and I'm not where I want to be yet so I'm going to continue working hard until I get there."