Anthony Recker was an MLB catcher whose career went from 2011 to 2017.
He played with four different franchises and finished with a .199/.283/.348 line and a negative WAR of -1.6.
He now works as an analyst for MLB Network.
His name came to prominence in recent hours after some comments he made about Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah.
He said, on live TV, that he would love to see Manoah being more dedicated to putting consistent time in the gym, suggesting not only that he is overweigh, but that his weight affects his performance.
Seeing how Manoah was a Cy Young award finalist in the American League this past season and pitched 196.2 innings of a brilliant 2.24 ERA, we would say that isn’t true.
He was one of the best pitchers in baseball last year.
The numbers don’t lie.
A fellow MLB pitcher, Marcus Stroman (who pitched for the Blue Jays for most of his career), defended his colleague from Recker’s remarks.
What a clown you are @Anthony_Recker. Poo-poo take from a bum. A nobody who has accomplished nothing in life. Keep your mouth shut and stop talking down on players. @Alek_Manoah6 is one of the best pitchers in baseball. You talk on TV for a living because your game was trash! https://t.co/SkkWrU2hez
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) February 2, 2023
Stroman’s choice of words might have been a bit harsh, yes, but in reality, it makes little sense to criticize a player’s fitness when he was capable of posting a 2.24 ERA and finishing third in the Cy Young award voting.
It’s really strange, to be honest, to see someone talking down one of the top starters in the American League.
Manoah himself also had some tweets directed at Recker, who has taken a more conciliatory approach after his quotes were posted online.
Still, both Manoah and Stroman remain mad about what he said.
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