by JAMES S. KIM
Catcher Hank Conger will be hanging up the halo and heading across the division to the Houston Astros. In return, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will receive the Astro’s No. 13 prospect, pitcher Nick Tropeano, and catcher Carlos Perez, the teams announced Wednesday.
The Huntington Beach native and fan favorite spent his entire major league career with the Angels, but he can look forward to working with a solid pitching staff in Houston. Astros manager A.J. Hinch, a former catcher, said his skills will definitely benefit the team.
“The best catchers really take it personally, interacting and working with pitchers on the staff,” Hinch told MLB.com. “What they do behind the plate is always going to impact the game at a higher level than the bat. … Talking to Conger, he has that mentality, that selfless side of being a catcher that can really elevate what a pitching staff brings to the table.”
I want to thank the @Angels for everything they have done for me and for helping a local boy fulfill his dream as a major league …….
— Hank Conger (@PandaCrusher35) November 5, 2014
.. Ball player. Thank you to all the angel fans for your support and dedication towards the team. But I am very excited to be apart of….
— Hank Conger (@PandaCrusher35) November 5, 2014
….the @astros organization and await new and exciting opportunities with the ball club!!!
— Hank Conger (@PandaCrusher35) November 5, 2014
Conger, who was taken in the first round (25th overall) in the 2006 Draft, was touted as a switch-hitting offensive catcher as he came up through the Angels’ minor league system. His bat, however, didn’t make too much of an impact when he was promoted in 2010, and he was sent down to the minors in 2011 to work on his lack of defense.
In 2012, the Angels recalled Conger, but he would only play in seven games due to a logjam of catchers. He came back in 2013 with a solid season, batting .249 and posting his best numbers offensively, but his improvements on defense was what earned him the blessing of Manager Mike Scioscia, a former catcher.
During the 2013-14 seasons, Conger backed up and eventually formed an effective platoon with fellow backstop Chris Ianetta. He developed a reputation in the baseball sabermetric community as one of the best pitch-framers in the league: he ranked 6th and 3rd, in respective seasons, in framing runs saved per 7000 pitches.
Ultimately, it was his lack of offensive numbers that allowed Chris Iannetta to edge out Conger in starts in the second half of the 2014 season. Iannetta went on to start all three games of the American League Division Series the Angels played this past postseason.
Here are some notable moments from Conger’s tenure with the Angels.
Dancing in celebration of the Angels clinching the playoffs
Hank Conger won the Angels dance contest last night.
A video posted by Arash Markazi (@arashmarkazi) on
Conger hits a clutch 9th-inning home run
The most unorthodox bunt hit ever
Image via USA Today
