TUCSON, Ariz.-
Yorvit Torrealba has sworn off the weights—well, almost.
The Colorado catcher was proud to show off his bulging biceps a year ago. After his trade from Seattle to the Rockies, Torrealba bulked up with the help of a personal trainer, but the added muscle and reduced mobility resulted in a strained throwing shoulder that required two months of rest and rehab at the start of the season and adversely affected him and the Rockies’ plans behind the plate all season.
So, he took an entirely different approach this offseason.
“I haven’t been lifting at all, not once since I got hurt,” Torrealba said.
Well, except for those little pastel-colored weights that you see at the gym all the time.
“The only weights I’ve been lifting are 3-pound weights, and that’s on exercises for my shoulder,” he said. “That’s the heaviest weight I’ve been doing. I haven’t been lifting. When I go to the gym, I just do bike and running and that’s about it.”
Torrealba, who is competing with rookie Chris Iannetta and veteran Javy Lopez for the two catching spots on the Rockies’ roster, has always been a gym rat and he’s had to resist the urge to pump some iron.
“It’s been a little bit difficult, but at the same time I feel way better,” he said. “Last year I overdid it, obviously, and I was feeling really tight. This year I feel way better. I don’t feel as strong as I did last year, but I feel good.”
His power at the plate doesn’t appear to have diminished, although his throws to second lack the zip he’ll need to keep the NL West speedsters at bay. He figures that will all come together naturally this month as he logs more innings and as he continues to strengthen his legs through biking and running.
“It doesn’t have the zip I want to but it’s pain-free,” Torrealba said. “I’ve been playing catch every day since I got here. I’ll get my strength just by throwing. Throwing is exercise.”
Speaking of exercise, what about that personal trainer?
No repeat business, that’s what.
“First time in my life I used one and hopefully the last time, too,” Torrealba said.
Excited at his first shot at being a front-line catcher, Torrealba said he hit the weights with too much gusto last year.
“I think it was a challenge for me to come here last year and show everybody what I could do,” he said. “So, I tried to help myself a little bit more by getting a personal trainer. I don’t blame him. I’m saying he just wanted to get me in shape so much in such a short period of time that we overdid it. I wasn’t able to throw. I was feeling good, hitting the ball far, hitting the ball good, but I wasn’t able to throw good because I was so tight.”
Aside from having to cut down on his “hang time” to second base, Torrealba hasn’t noticed any bad effects from the change.
“I still have my natural power,” he said. “Actually, I feel as strong as I did last year without lifting. I have my same swing. I haven’t seen a difference like I hit it farther or I hit it shorter.”
And he’s no longer obsessed with trying to impress manager Clint Hurdle and his coaching staff.
“I don’t think I have to impress anybody. I’ve been doing this a long time. This is my 11th year as a professional, my sixth year in the majors,” Torrealba said. “I think everybody knows what I can do and what I cannot do. I just want to stay healthy all year long. I know if I stay healthy, I’ll put up big numbers.”
He also said he’ll have no trepidation picking up “some very light” weights during the season if he notices his upper body weakening. But he doesn’t anticipate that happening too much because he hasn’t lost much muscle.
“Right now I’m 210. When I was really strong, I was like 215,” Torrealba said. “It’s been around the same. Maybe a couple of pounds, but no difference really.”
He’s counting on a world of difference in durability, however.
