Former Team Italy catcher Tyler LaTorre is the new pitching coach at California State University, Sacramento. It should come as no surprise to learn how catchers later blossom into some of the game’s best pitching coaches. Former backstop Dave Duncan, one of the most respected and successful pitching coaches of all-time, was credited for the success of four Cy Young Award winners:

LaMarr Hoyt (Chicago White Sox) in 1983, Bob Welch (Oakland A’s) in 1990, Dennis Eckersley (Oakland A’s) in 1992, and Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals) in 2005. Dana LeVangie, who has been with the Boston Red Sox organization since being drafted as a catcher in 1991, was the big league pitching coach for two seasons and led the Boston Red Sox to the 2018 World Series title.