Gronauer: - Hi Mack!
Mack: - Kai, first of all, kudos for a great seaosn. Are you out in Mesa already for the winter league games?
Gronauer: - Thank you. I am in Germany at this moment enjoying a couple of days off and spending some time with my family and friends. Before I go to Mesa, I will work out at the Instructional League in Florida.
Mack: - Kai, you've had an electric year, but let's first go back to that day you were told that you were going to be signed by a professional baseball team. What was that like?
Gronauer: - It was a great day. I got a call from Lionel Chattelle (the Mets European Scout) and he told me that the Mets want to give me a chance. I could not believe it, but was happy at the same time.
Mack: - You sought of set the table a little with your short stay with the GCL Mets after signing... .356 in 45 at bats. How did that feel coming into pro ball?
Gronauer: - It was tough. We had a lot of catchers down there and I only caught maybe twice a week with no spring training/preparation coming into the season. But I did my best in the games i caught and worked hard in practice.
Mack: - You went to Savannah in 2009 and basically platooned with Jean Luc Blacquiere for the entire season. This was your first full professional year and did you have to do anything special to make it through the grind?
Gronauer: - No, I did not do anything special, but I got to know what that grind feels like and how to deal with it. There are so many things that can make you feel and think negative and the only thing you can do is work against this and make the positive things look even better. Your mind set has to be right to perform well and this is why you have to see the good things and build your confidence with this.
Mack: - Well, it definitely all came together this past season. You first returned to Savannah, hitting .267 in 191-at bats, but it all came together after the all-star break when you were promoted to St. Lucie (.324 in 139 at bats). That was the second top BA in the league if you had enough at bats to qualify. Again, anything different or just result of all your hard work over the past few seasons?
Gronauer: - Especially George Greer and Michael Barrett helped me out. But my approach stayed the same. I was trying to see the ball long and be quick to it. It worked out fine, especially towards the end of the season.
Mack: - George is a great guy, even if he was from Wake Forest... Well, it looks like the Binghamton job is yours next spring, so, being from Germany, you should be used to wearing long underwear in April. Don't be surprised if you don't see more reporters asking you for interviews next season. Other than Mike Piazza, Josh Thole, and Jesus Flores, there haven't been too many Mets minor league catcher to hit above .300 consistently.
Gronauer: - Well I hope it will work out with Binghamton after next spring, but I do not think it is a done deal yet. I will just continue to work hard and whatever happens happens. But a cooler climate after three seasons of heat definitely sounds great. The media attention in New York is huge and the closer you get to the city the more it will be. These catchers are all great company and I will keep on working hard to hit .300. Still I would say that I am more a 'defensive catcher' then a 'hitting catcher'.
Mack: - And, a humble one, as well. Kai, it is always a pleasure to spend time with you, either over the internet or in front of the dugout. Have a great summer out in Arizona and I hope you and I can discuss your time out there later on this year. Take care.
Old Kai stuff...
Gronauer was an international undrafted free agent, out of Germany, signed prior to the 2008 season.
He played sporadically for the GCL Mets in 2008… 45-AB, .356/.408/.378/.786… 15 of his 16 hits were singles…
2009 brought a platoon situation with the Savannah Sand Gants. He split time with Jean Luc Blacquiere (who was promoted to St. Lucie ahead of him) and finished the year: .243/.294/.352/.646 with 0-HR and only 6-RBIs in 230-AB.
4-28-10: - Kai Gronauer – C – A-Savannah – Gronauer platooned last year at Savannah and returned this season as the number one backstop. He’s off to a great start which included a torrid week last week. For the year, Kai stands at: .321/.410/.453/.863
7-11-10 from: - http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/jul/11/germanys-top-player-making-a-name-for-himself/?partner=RSS - When catcher Kai Gronauer signed a minor-league contract with the Mets out of Germany in April 2008, he was a virtual unknown in the United States.
He came to prove himself, and he has started to do just that in his second full season. One of St. Lucie’s newest additions after several players moved up from Low-A Savannah mid-season, Gronauer was batting .400 with eight RBIs and a homer through his first 10 games in the Florida State League… Gronauer, now 23, was limited to 16 games that first season, while playing in a backup role, but he batted .386. During an injury-riddled 2009 season — in which he missed almost two months with a groin-area injury and broken hand — he batted just .243, but his improvement has been steady. He was hitting .267 when he got his promotion June 24, and he said he is still getting used to American baseball.
7-14 from: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2010/7/14/1567569/mets-farm-system-mid-term-review - He's not a true prospect but the German national is certainly making the possibility of major league backup duty look a lot more attainable. And for this regime, a backup making league minimum is a beautiful thing. When you couple his all-around solid batting line with his strong defense and game-calling skills, not to mention his excellent start in Hi-A, Gronauer suddenly looks a lot more palatable as far as organizational catching depth goes. Don't go nuts over his advanced age (23) as European players always need a usually lengthy transition period to catch up to the speed of the game in the US.
8-19-10: - We’ve also written a number of times about the lack of Mets’ catching prospects and the fact that German-born Kai Gronauer has impressed us these past few seasons in Savannah. He has since moved on to St. lucie and, after 84-AB, he’s hitting .310/.370/.369/.739. No pop, but you have to love a Mets catcher hitting .300. And he’s right-handed. Would make an interesting platoon with a left-handed hitting catcher if the Mets had one hitting .300.
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