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Around the horn: a look at the Nationals catchers Date published: 3/28/2007 By TODD JACOBSON BY TODD JACOBSON VIERA, Fla.--His hat is slightly askew and his oversized T-shirt hangs to his thighs as Robert Fick walks through the door of the Nationals' clubhouse. It's quiet, but not for long. "Everyone waits to see what he's going to say next," right-hander Jason Bergmann said. He might chide reporters crowding a teammate's locker, mock someone's choice of attire, or complain about his lack of a contract extension with a healthy dose of "dude," "man" and four-letter words thrown in for good measure. Nothing is out of bounds for Fick, a catcher/outfielder/first baseman who doubles as policeman and court jester in the Nationals' clubhouse. "He kind of polices everybody, keeps everyone in check," first baseman Dmitri Young said, "and he's also a good player on the field." Clubhouse chemistry is a difficult thing to quantify, but Nationals manager Manny Acta said teams often need someone like Fick to keep things light. His value goes deeper than the jokes and one-liners he fires at teammates, however. He'll make the Nationals' 25-man roster, thanks in large part to his experience coming off the bench and his versatility, which, when Fick began his professional career, was never part of the plan. "I was always a catcher," Fick says, "since right after tee ball." He still is. Just not the way he imagined when he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers out of high school in 1996. When he was in minor leagues with the Detroit Tigers, he was asked to try first base with catching prospect Brandon Inge working his way through the system. After Fick reached the majors, he was asked to give the outfield a shot. As much as he wanted to catch, he wanted to extend his career just as much. "I thought of it as a way if you just hit they'll find a place for you to play," Fick said. "That kind of was my thinking. It kind of worked that way. Then the next year I went to Atlanta and played first and it's been downhill ever since."
Date published: 3/28/2007
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