How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 8

How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general manager. Part eight delves into the young career of backup catcher Hector Sanchez.

Hector Sanchez was born on November 17, 1989, in Maracay, Venezuela. At age 17, he was signed to an amateur contract by the San Francisco Giants on July 12, 2006. He began his career in the Giants organization playing with their Dominican Summer League team in the abbreviated season rookie level league. He stayed with the DSL Giants for 2007 and 2008, posting a .325 batting average, eight home runs, and eighty-one runs batted in over two seasons. In 2009, he came to the states, playing in the Arizona League with the AZL Giants at the rookie level. His statistics here were also strong, as he hit .299 with one home run and twenty-two runs batted in. He is not considered a player who hits for high power. The 2010 season saw Sanchez step up to the Class A Augusta Greenjackets in the South Atlantic League, where his season numbers read .274 for batting average, with five home runs and thirty-one runs batted in. He was fast-tracked in 2011, appearing with the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants of the California League, where he hit .302 with eleven home runs and fifty-eight runs batted in, his best single season numbers since 2008 in the DSL. Sanchez skipped Class AA and went immediately to Class AAA Fresno to play with the Grizzlies in the latter parts of 2011, appearing in forty-six games with a .261 batting average, one home run, and twenty-six runs batted in. He earned his first major league call-up on July 15, 2011, to help shore up the Giants depleted catching situation. His time in San Francisco that year was mainly spent on the bench, but he appeared in thirteen games, with .258 for a batting average, and he only had one run batted in. While he was in Fresno, he established a connection with Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito, and Sanchez has frequently been used as Zito's personal pitcher since that time. In 2012, he spent a minimal amount of time with the Grizzlies, while the bulk of his time was spent as the backup catcher for the big league squad. He continued to start when Zito was up to pitch, and he established a .280 batting average with three home runs and thirty-four runs batted in. He also made his first postseason appearance in only his second season, and while he didn't contribute much in the playoffs, his presence as a possible pinch hitter, insurance policy should Buster Posey get hurt, and in the World Series, as a designated hitter, proved him a versatile and valuable part of the 2012 Giants World Series Championship.

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