Rays' Jaso making an impression with big club

The story of Mikey Jaso began in September 2008 in Toronto on a bus ride to the ballpark. The rookie had been with the club for a week when he was summoned by Carlos Pena to the front of the bus to entertain the Rays.

Jaso worked his way through a set that included "Fat Bottom Girls," "Hotel California" and "With a Little Help from my Friends."

It's likely no one other than Jaso remembers his playlist. What they remember is how Pena got Jaso to walk to the front of the bus.

"Come up here, Mikey," Pena said.

Except his name is not Mikey. It's John.

Pena was kidding, right? Just giving the rookie some more of the business, right?

"No," Pena said. "I have a bad memory."

Naturally, it stuck.

"He goes by Mike Jaso now," Pena said.

The story of how John Jaso became a big-league catcher began early in spring training of 2008.

It started when Maddon called Jaso and Bobby Ramos, who coaches the Rays catchers, into his office and critiqued Jaso's work behind the plate in a manner that was, according to Jaso, "blunt."

"I was forceful," Maddon said. "Certain things had to change. It wasn't acceptable."

Certain things?

"Everything," Ramos said.

His footwork, the way his butt was position when he crouched, his stance, the way he positioned his hands, the way he blocked pitches in the dirt, the way he threw, the way he called a game.

"He didn't tell me anything I wanted to hear," Jaso said. "He told me exactly what he wanted me to do. I put my pride aside for a while and just opened myself up for suggestions."

It wasn't really suggestions. It was basically this: Change everything about your work behind the plate or forget being a major-league catcher.

Ramos said he and Maddon tried to get Jaso to change during the spring of 2008 and again in 2009.

"He didn't get it," Ramos said. "He got it this year."

Maddon didn't just make suggestions, he had a plan. Ramos, bullpen catcher Scott Cursi, video coordinator Chris Fernandez and Jaso were to report to a practice field at the spring training facility every morning for 21 consecutive days to erase the bad habits from Jaso's catching and change them into good habits.

"There's function and there's comfort," Maddon said. "Sometimes you have to sacrifice comfort for function. He was in a comfortable stance, but it wasn't functionable. He may have been comfortable, it may have felt good, but it wasn't going to work that way."

They had Jaso adjust his crouch so his butt wasn't so low. They had him move his hands closer to the plate. They taught him how to block pitches in the dirt by anticipating a pitch in the dirt by watching the way the ball comes out of the pitcher's hand.

"He took off with it. He surprised me how quick he really took," Ramos said. "It's amazing when you put you're mind into something, and you believe and you trust, and he knew this was going to help him."

The 21 days was the key. Do something for 21 consecutive days and it becomes habit. Do something correctly for 21 days and it becomes a good habit.

"It was a little bit uncomfortable at first, but I have been doing it every day and it's becoming more second-nature now," Jaso said. "I do feel like a better catcher."

Now look at Mikey Jaso. The Rays backup catcher is batting .429 with a home run, two doubles, five walks, six RBIs and, perhaps most important, undefeated in four games behind the plate since being recalled from Triple-A Durham on April 13.

Jaso was behind the plate for both of James Shields' wins on the recent road trip. He caught the Rays past two games, including Sunday when David Price threw his first complete-game shutout.

"I wasn't high on Jaso when I was in Durham," Price said.

He is now.

"I feel like he's more confident in his pitch-calling. He's more confident out there behind the plate," Price said. "Everybody knows he can hit. He's proven to everyone he can catch now, and that's awesome."

With Kelly Shoppach out until at least June because of knee surgery, and with Dioner Navarro struggling at the plate and facing a possible suspension for bumping an umpire Friday night, it's possible Jaso will be called upon often during these next six weeks.

"He's done a heck of a job since he's got here," Maddon said. "And I anticipate him getting even better."

The work will continue. Ramos said Jaso has now moved on to the stage of his development that includes learning the Rays pitchers and learning the American League hitters.

Perhaps the biggest transformation was made by Pena.

"Everybody thought it was hilarious that I couldn't come up with the right name," Pena said. "Obviously we know who Jaso is. Everybody knows who Jaso is now."