PHOENIX -- A few things define the Cleveland catching combo. They both want to play every day. They both could. Neither makes a big deal out of it.
Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez could make a strong case as the best 1-2 punch in the American League, and it starts with their work on the defensive side, the less glamorous but more valuable part of the job, considering the demands each game presents. A catcher might bat four times a game; he will call roughly 150 pitches and face around 15 runners looking to connive their way into an extra base.