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As the crow flies, it’s 42 miles from Dinwiddie, Va. to Richmond, home to VCU. However, for Rams’ sophomore catcher Taylor Perkins, it feels like he’s a world away. Perkins grew up a farmer’s son on a roughly 2,000 acre plot that produced soybean, peanuts, cotton, tobacco and corn. His father, Robert, farmed for 25 years before moving into real estate when Taylor was 12. The workday often started at 4:30 or 5 a.m. and everybody lent a hand. “I drove a tractor some. I pulled tobacco a lot. I was in the fields a lot when I was younger,” Perkins said. “I didn’t like it at the time, but those are some of your fondest memories. I feel like I really had to come to the city to appreciate what the farm life is. “I think about it from time to time when I’m like, man, I don’t want to do this paper or this homework sucks or this and that. And I think, well, you could always go back to Dinwiddie and pull tobacco. I’m not doing that.” Although he’s been transplanted to the bustling Virginia capital, Perkins made sure to bring his farmer’s work ethic. It’s come in handy for the 20-year-old international studies major. Perkins, a former outfielder and first baseman, moved to catcher for the first time prior to this season and has been a major force in the Rams’ return to the national stage. Despite his inexperience, Perkins has hit .306 with 30 RBI and was better than expected behind the plate. “Some people have said we’ve overachieved this year. If we have, he’s one of the guys that has led the charge,” VCU Coach Paul Keyes said. “He’s just a hardnosed kid that comes to play every day.” The Rams were already thin at the catching position last year when Keyes and his staff floated the idea to Perkins, but the graduation of Carlos Rodriguez and the loss of a junior college transfer prior to the 2010 season put VCU in a precarious spot. Perkins, who was able to play catcher in an adult league over the summer in Dinwiddie, eventually won the starting role outright. That’s not to say that he was a finished product. “They handed me a mitt last year and I started catching bullpen sessions and stuff,” Perkins said. “I wouldn’t say I was catching bullpens. It was pretty much me just knocking balls down. It was bad for a long time. Balls were going through me like Swiss cheese. “I was so nervous when I got my first pinch hit this year at Charleston Southern and then I had to go catch. They threw a pitch and I just kind of looked at it. It just kind of went right past me.” Catching is a multifaceted animal. The good receivers have a professor’s smarts, an outstanding throwing arm, a dancer’s footwork and a bulldog’s tenacity. It’s a baseball chemistry experiment. As time passed, Perkins began to find his way. By the time VCU was gearing up for postseason play, the sophomore catcher began to settle into his role. “I actually felt like I got a lot more comfortable in the George Mason series (May 14-16),” Perkins said. “That’s when I kind of felt like when there are men on base and there’s a ball in the dirt, I’m going to block it, not I want to block this. There was more of a certainty about it.” Although he acknowledges that his game still has a long way to go, Perkins is starting to become a believer in this catching thing. “I like the mental aspect of the game, where you’re thinking about who’s on deck, who’s at the plate, what to call in this situation, the runners, all that stuff is a factor,” When I was playing the outfield, I was just ready to get up to the dish.” Questions or comments? E-mail us at aroundthehorns@yahoo.com or look us up on Facebook. |
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