Similar to Nicky Lopez and Paul DeJong, pending White Sox acquisition Martin Maldonado is a player I have researched in my role as graphics coordinator in the club’s scoreboard department.
Here is a sample of the information I have researched, written and displayed on the scoreboard when Maldonado, a catcher, visited Guaranteed Rate Field:
*TO CATCH A THIEF: Led the American League by throwing out 16 would-be stealers for the 2022 Astros
*9/9: Caught the “immaculate innings” of Phil Maton and Luis Garcia on June 15, 2022 at Texas
*GOLDEN: American League Gold Glove winner at catcher for the 2017 Angels
*TEAM EFFORT: Only player to catch two combined no-hitters (June 25, 2022 vs. the Yankees and Aug. 3, 2019 vs Seattle)
*TO CATCH A THIEF II: Topped American League catchers by throwing out 18 would-be stealers for the 2021 Astros
*RARITY:,First catcher to steal a base and throw out a runner trying to steal on his birthday (Aug. 16, 2020)
*TOP BACKSTOP: Named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year at catcher for the 2017 Angels
*LEAGUE LEADER: Led American League catchers with a .997 fielding percentage in his Gold Glove season of 2017 for the Angels
*LONG DAY ENDS WELL: Became the first player to hit a walkoff homer while playing at least 17 innings in game for Milwaukee on May 31, 2015 vs. Arizona
Some additional nuggets …
*NO. 1 AT NO. 9: Maldonado is the all-time leader with 52 home runs from the ninth spot in the batting order. … For the record, Juan Uribe owns a Sox-record 26 homers from the ninth spot.
*PLAYOFF PLAYER: Fifth in postseason history behind Jorge Posada (125), Yadier Molina (104), Yogi Berra (75) and Mike Napoli (66) with 65 games at catcher
*POSTSEASON RUNDOWN: Career .169 hitter with a .253 on-base percentage, .249 slugging percentage, three homers and 13 RBI in the postseason … Maldonado has posted postseason bests in average (.231) and on-base percentage (.308) in the World Series with a playoff-best .306 slugging percentage in the American League Championship Series.
*PLAYOFF FIRST: Homered for Houston off Cleveland’s Cody Allen for his first postseason hit in Game 1 of the 2018 American League Division Series in Houston.
*VS. THE SOX IN 2021: Maldonado slashed .091/.091/.091 while starting all four contests in Houston’s four-game win over the White Sox in the 2021 American League Division Series. … His lone hit in that series was a fourth-inning RBI single off reliever Michael Kopech that extended the Astros lead to 3-1 in their 10-1 series-clinching win in Game 4 before 40,170 at Guaranteed Rate Field. … That hit snapped Maldonado’s 17 at bat hitless skid in the playoffs
*BIG HITTER: Tied his 2022 career-high with 15 homers for the 2023 Astros
*SAC MAN: Set Astros record for catchers with an American League-leading 12 sacrifice hits in 2022
*HE’S NO. 3: Third all-time among Astros catchers behind Alan Ashby (69) and Jason Castro (67) with 56 homers
*GRAYBEARD: The only catchers older than the 37-year old Maldonado obtained by the Sox are 40-year olds Sandy Alomar Jr. in 2006, and Tony Pena in 1997 and 38-year olds Charlie O’Brien in 1998 and Muddy Ruel in 1934
*GOLD ON ARRIVAL: Joins Charles Johnson, Mike LaValliere, Pena, Alomar and Carlton Fisk as catchers to join the Sox with a Gold Glove
*HALO GOLD: Maldonado’s Gold Glove Award in 2017 was the last by an Angels’ catcher. Other Halo backstops to mine gold are Bengie Molina (2002-2003) and Bob Boone (1982, 1986-1988)
*OH YEAH! Maldonado’s addition means the Sox have the two backstops (Max Stassi is the other) who have caught 51 percent (245.2 of 481.2) of Shohei Ohtani’s innings. … Ohtani amassed a 2.45 ERA in 202.1 innings with Stassi and a 3.12 ERA in 43.1 innings with Maldonado. … Maldonado was the catcher for Ohtani’s big league pitching debut on April 1, 2018.
*WHERE WAS WONDER BOY? Maldonado once pulled a Roy Hobbs and literally knocked the cover off a ball. Playing for the Brewers on April 18, 2014, Maldonado hit a ball to third that literally unraveled. Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez tried to throw the mess to first but Maldonado had an easy single
*GOT ‘EM ALL: Maldonado (99 HR), Jose Guillen (78 HR), Orlando Hudson (81 HR) and Stephen Drew (96 HR) are the only players to homer against all 30 MLB teams within their first 100 career homers.
*ON THE BUMP: Retired three of the four Cardinals he faced for Milwaukee in his professional pitching debut on April 30, 2014 … He was tagged for four runs, including a homer to Connor Wong, on five hits in one inning for Houston at Boston on Aug. 24, 202 in his other mound stint.
*WORLD BEATER: Hit .333 (4-for-12) with three RBI in four games for Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic … He also caught the team’s mercy rule perfecto against Israel
*PLAYOFF GLOVE: Maldonado has committed just one error while handling 625 chances (.999 fielding percentage) in the postseason … He has thrown out six of 19 runners trying to steal in the playoffs (32 percent), which is slightly higher than his 31 percent rate in the regular season.
*HIS SKIPPERS: Maldonado’s managers have been Ron Roenicke and Craig Counsell in Milwaukee, Mike Scioscia with the Angels, A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker in Houston, Ned Yost in Kansas City and Joe Maddon with the Cubs
*AT THE RATE: Maldonado slashed .255/.317/.309 with no homers and three RBI in 20 games at Guaranteed Rate Field. Of the venues he’s played at least 20 games in, the only park where Maldonado has higher average than at the Rate is St. Louis’ Busch Stadium (.283 in 26 games).
Note: Much of the reasoning behind why I used some of these nuggets on the scoreboard are described in my blog on Lopez (link) https://soxnerd.wordpress.com/2023/11/23/a-look-at-lopez-analyzing-naperville-nicky-soxnerd-style/