Short Hops: Luke, the force was with you

Like countless catchers, Luke Carlin can’t hit a lick. But like countless catchers, he eventually found his way to the big leagues — belatedly — by handling himself well behind the plate, throwing out lots of runners in the minors and generally being a good dude. He may have started the 2008 season with a trifling .241 average in more than 1,500 plate appearances on the farms, but the switch-hitting Quebecer twice has won community service awards.

Last Friday, Carlin, who wasn’t even starting during his third go-round in Triple-A, was uneasy when he got word to report to the quarters of Portland manager Randy Ready. “The last time I got called in the office, I was released,” he said. But this news was much different: The Padres needed him in San Diego immediately. And for a potentially historic reason.

Twenty-four hours later, the chatty backstop was staring at a box score with his name in it, and it wasn’t flattering. He’d committed a passed ball and had struck out in each of his three plate appearances against the Rockies. For once, he said he was “pretty much speechless,” yet managed to characterize his experience as the day “all my dreams came true at once.” Carlin, in his major league debut, had just caught Greg Maddux’s 350th win.

DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE

• Jason Giambi is the proud owner of seven home runs and six singles. Don Drysdale finished the 1958 season with those exact stats.

• Jose Guillen leads the Royals with 19 RBIs even though he’s hitting just .216. That projects to 81 ribbies for the full year. Only two major leaguers have finished seasons with at least that many RBI and a lower AVG, and you might have guessed who they were — Dave Kingman twice and Gorman Thomas.

• Despite having only 29 hits, Rickie Weeks has scored 31 runs. The pace on this one is 129 tallies and 120 knocks, which would be a modern record for most runs with that many or fewer hits.

HIT AND RUN

Short Hops’ recurring installment of slapdash observation and imprudent opinion:

The Rangers and Rockies, two teams notorious for burning through a staff, needed fewer than 35 games to send 18 different pitchers apiece to the mound this year.

Brad Penny is now 5-12 with a 6.21 ERA in 20 starts versus the Mets, but 88-58, 3.74 against everyone else.

Casey Blake started 2008 with a .219 AVG in 736 at-bats with runners in scoring position. This season, he’s 16-for-36 (.444).

The Phillies intentionally walked Omar Vizquel three times on Sunday. That equals or exceeds his high for 19 of his 20 SEASONS.

Houston’s Shawn Chacon has set a National League a record by starting the season with no decisions in each of his first eight starts. Cincy’s Edinson Volquez has tied one by allowing two or fewer earned runs in each of his first eight.

The White Sox lead the AL in home runs, but they’re 0-10 when they don’t hit one.

QUOTABLES

“I was trying to speed up the game.” — Lyle Overbay after lining out to Asdrubal Cabrera, who turned the 14th unassisted triple play in history.