Luis Alen’s return to Winnipeg is one of those good news/bad news situations. It’s certainly good news for the Goldeyes and their fans. The bad news, well, that’s for opposing pitchers.
In 2007, there wasn’t a better catcher in the NL. Luis Alen did it all for the Goldeyes. He handled the pitching staff with authority and hit like a monster. In 82 games (285 at-bats), he batted a team-leading .333 with 23 doubles and 44 runs batted in and had the best season of his career.
Because he played so well, he was given a contract by the New York Mets. Following two years in their system, he’s happy to be back in Winnipeg.
“They were two tough years for me, I have nothing much more to say,” admitted Alen, who played in four cities at three different levels in two seasons of organized ball. “But I learned a lot. I worked closely with the Mets catching co-ordinator and I really learned how to call a game, how to handle a pitching staff and how to work with both pitchers and catchers.
“This winter, I played winter ball in Venezuela and I did pretty well. I hit .370 and I really got a lot of confidence at the plate.”
And that’s why, a bigger, stronger Alen is happy to be back in Winnipeg. He always felt comfortable here. He liked manager Rick Forney and when he arrived on Thursday, said it felt like he was home.
“I’m so happy to be back here, I’m ready to come back and hit,” he said with a smile. “I feel really good and feel so good being back here. It’s an honour to be back with this franchise.
“And wow, what a team! I have played against Juan Diaz and against Kevin West. I know how good they are. I’ve looked at the stats of the guys coming back and this team is really impressive. I’m so happy to be back with a good team and in a place where people really appreciate what you do.”
The Goldeyes will open spring training with three catchers: Alen, Travis Howell and Brett Wallace. It should be a tremendous pre-season battle for the No. 1 job.
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