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Panthers catcher handles six pitchers

Jeff Hicks - 6/1/2009

June 01, 2009

Jeff Hicks
RECORD STAFF

KITCHENER

Catching can be an inglorious grind.

"Long day," said Kitchener Panthers catcher Justin Worby, after handling six hurlers in yesterday's 9-7 Intercounty Baseball League victory over the Mississauga Twins at gusty Jack Couch Park.

And to cap it all off? The former Guelph Royal got beaned by a Benson Merritt fastball in his last of five at-bats.

Worby, in his third game with Kitchener, took it square off the helmet.

"It's all right," said Worby, a 22-year-old from Acton and a 43rd-round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2005.

"It hit me on the top. It wasn't in the ear or anything."

So nothing was broken. The throwing elbow he had surgically repaired three years ago was fine.

No problems with the thumb he once busted or the ankle he once snapped playing badminton.

Worby drove in a run with a double as the Panthers snapped a three-game slide to go to three wins and four losses.

Jeff Pietraszko and Luke Baker homered for the Panthers.

Henry Duke homered for the Twins.

Just three homers is a light day at Couch, where 18 homers have been hit in four games this season.

It's a dangerous place for a catcher like Worby to guide his pitchers.

"It is tough," Worby said of Couch. "Wind is blowing out 100 miles-an-hour all the time. Short porch. It makes it interesting."

Worby, just back from the University of Central Oklahoma, has some ideas on how the Panthers' inexperienced pitching staff can improve this season.

"We need to make better 0-2 pitches," he said. "We leave the ball up way too much, especially on this field. We need to work on getting people out at 0-2 and not leaving it so they can have something to hit."

The Panthers host London on Sunday.

jhicks@therecord.com