Washington Nationals catcher Yan Gomes is a friend of WFAN, often joining Moose & Maggie producer Pete Hoffman on his MMA podcast, The Fight Fan. So, when Hoff filled in for Danielle McCartan in the wee hours of Sunday morning, he had to bring on Gomes – who gushed about getting the chance to play in Yankee Stadium again earlier this month.
“Growing up in Brazil, there were only two teams that we cheered for: the Yankees and the Mariners, because there were a lot of Japanese players there and there’s a big Japanese culture in Brazil, so I always grew up watching the Yankees,” Homes said. “Earlier in my career I hit a home run at Yankee Stadium, and was like, ‘holy crap, this is happening.’”
Gomes homered again in that series earlier this month, his third in the Bronx, and even though he’s only a career .192 hitter at Yankee Stadium, he relishes getting the chance to step on the field there.
“The fans there are unbelievable; playing there, the feeling is always so awesome, with the history of the team and everything,” Gomes said.
“It’s always a little more special.”
Of course, Gomes’ latest homer comes amidst the thought that MLB has deadened the baseballs a bit, but Gomes, a catcher who handles baseballs all game, isn’t so sure.
“There’s not a reliever these days throwing under 95, so we’re just going through a period where everyone is focused on throwing as hard as they can with as much life as they can,” Gomes said. “So, I don’t know. There are obviously guys in the game who believe it, but I throw the ball back to the pitchers all the time, and I don’t feel any differences.”
Batting averages throughout the league are going down, too, but that’s not just “dead balls” in Gomes’ mind either.
“There are a lot of things that go into that; analytics have changed things a lot, and the shift has a lot to do with it,” Gomes said. “Line drives up the middle used to be what you want, now there’s someone playing there! The game always seems to be evolving, so I can see why batting averages are going down.”
And for those who always say ‘just find a way to beat the shift,’ Gomes has a warning.
“I know everyone is like ‘just hit the ball the other way,’ but it’s not that way!” Gomes laughed. “It’s like people saying just make a free throw or sink a putt. It’s not as easy as people make it out to be. I get the comments, but you still want to play your game and do what’s best for who you are as a player. Maybe I can see more guys trying it, but it’s not as easy as fans think it is from the stands.”
Of course, when talking about pitchers, Hoffman had to bring up Max Scherzer, who might be a Yankees deadline target if the Nats fall out of the race and become sellers.
“He’s trying to throw a complete game every time; every pitcher thinks that way, but his game plan is to pitch as deep into ballgames as he can no matter what,” Gomes said. “His work ethic and preparation shows why he’s that kind of player.”
Gomes also talked a lot of UFC, so you can listen to his whole interview below!
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