It’s Time to Accept that Paul Hoover is Gone

Its never easy to lose a third or fourth string catcher.  Who of us can say they weren’t sucked in by the sturdiness of Hoover’s defense, and the .300+ of his batting average over 25 plate appearances in 2010?  Only those with souls made of cement, that’s who.  But Paul’s gone now; whisked away by the tepid allure of the greater Boston area.  The endless drawing power of Massachusetts in winter claims another

I felt it only appropriate for the words of poet Paul Hoover, from his “Winter (Mirror),” to hover over the exit of Phillies minor league catcher Paul Hoover.

"“The vacant shuttlereturning to earth,its voices heardon last year’stapes, these signsalso lurching outto history, wherethe unnerved godsleeps on its back.”"

Mmm, yes.  I’m no poet laureate, but I would assume that the “vacant shuttle returning to earth” is the Giants, “signs also lurching out to history,” is the signals with which Paul Hoover would communicate with our pitching staff for the nine games he appeared in, and “the unnerved god sleeps on its back” must refer to Roy Halladay, allowing his muscles to regenerate in a hyperbaric chamber during his two hours of daily stasis.

Farewell, Paul.  If we didn’t have other catchers, we would miss you.  But we have Chooch.  So, sorry.