Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates catcher Joey Bart talks recovering from concussion, learning 1st base

In this week’s Bucs Beat Q&A, TribLive’s Kevin Gorman sits down with Pirates catcher Joey Bart:

You grew up in Atlanta but have family roots in Western Pennsylvania, specifically Lower Burrell. Have you had a chance to see some of your relatives while playing for the Pirates?

More so connecting than getting to see. I have seen some of them, the ones who come to the ballpark. As far as off the field, not as much just because of the schedule. It is something, especially with my 98-year-old grandmother who has been a die-hard Pirates fan forever, just across the river in Toronto, Ohio. This is a place I grew up coming to. My grandmother, all she used to talk about was Starling Marte. She remembers lineups, random names of great players who came through here. My first jersey was a Big Ben (Roethlisberger) jersey. My dad loaded three boys and dogs in a minivan and drove all the way up here from Atlanta every Christmas and Thanksgiving, so I have a lot of memories up here.

Not to bring up bad memories but how hard was your last concussion, getting past the phases of the protocols?

Yeah, there was a lot going on there. Obviously, when it’s something like dealing with the brain, it’s taken a lot more seriously. It was unfortunate. As a catcher, there’s a lot of things that happen that you can’t control. I can’t control someone hitting me with the bat in the middle of the game. That’s the most frustrating part of it, but, luckily, we got past it and it wasn’t anything potentially more serious.

Have you changed your helmet or any protection equipment?

I remember in college I wore a lighter mask. Over time, you start to look at the mask and, oh, it’s really warping. The bars and protection on it are essentially like a heart-rate monitor, so I tried to beef it up to this bigger, bulkier mask. It seems to help. Going through that process and speaking to Mickey Collins, one of the best concussion doctors here in Pittsburgh, he said there’s no breakthrough in terms of headwear that can prevent it. I think this mask I have is probably the best one.

How hard is it to come back from a concussion after being out for awhile?

It was pretty difficult. The first week of rehab games, it felt slow, not necessarily neurologically but just with your body getting back into shape. It just didn’t feel like I was ready. Over time, you get back into shape. I don’t wish that on anybody to deal with that, but it’s part of the game. It’s something you’ve got to deal with and get through and keep moving.

How much can you take pride in your on-base percentage even when the power numbers aren’t where you want them to be?

As a player, it’s something they’re valuing in the game heavier, trying to get on base and have good at-bats. Sometimes you sacrifice potential to slug in certain situations to try to get on base or try to do something for the team. That’s something I’ve taken seriously and made big strides with. I have the ability to slug, and that’s something I’ve got to do and haven’t been able to do. I still hit the ball hard. I’m just not getting the ball over the fence or in the gaps, for whatever reason. I’ve got to get better. I keep working on that every day to figure out how to get the right loft on the ball to create that.

How frustrating is that, considering the success you had with 13 homers with 45 RBIs last season?

It’s definitely frustrating. Definitely. Everybody out here is trying to hit doubles and homers but, at the end of the day, something I figured out is that you can’t chase that. When you try to chase slug, your at-bats aren’t good. It’s been like a sliding scale of trying to have good at-bats and trying to slug. It seems like when I try to slug, it doesn’t work, and when I try to get on base, things tend to work out better.

You’re an athletic catcher who is taking grounders at first base. Is this a “break glass in case of emergency” or something you’re adding to your tool belt?

I think it’s good to add to the tool belt, try to get at-bats against lefties. I guess the way the team is constructed, it would be good to have a guy that can go over there. It’s something I’d never really done. It’s something I can do. I just need some time. I’ve never played infield in my life. I’ve been an outfielder or behind the plate my whole career. I enjoy a challenge. I’m an athletic guy. Obviously, catching diminishes that a bit every year, but I feel I can still move around a bit and make some plays and do what the team needs.

What’s the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make to get accustomed to taking grounders at first base in a pregame setting?

Something that makes it easier is trying to stay athletic, in terms of fielding a ball. The biggest challenge, from talking to (Chris) Truby and Donnie (Kelly), is knowing where to be, from the technical position. If there’s certain runners on base, who to trail, who to cut off? That’s going to take some time. Just trying to take advantage of every second. They mentioned it a while back and it’s been some talk in the making, but if I can pay attention to our guys when they’re in the field I can pick up on some things. As a catcher, your brain is tuned to so many things going on, but you only have to be in one spot, which helps, just protecting home plate. That’s the stuff I’ll continue to try to pick up on.