The talented, tall, blond right-hander hated pitching to the offense-first catcher. The numbers backed up his contention that the pairing was ineffective. The preference was the strong defender who could not hit.

So as much as Joe Girardi disliked the concept of personal catchers, the then-Yankees manager relented for the good of A.J. Burnett and his 2009 club. He lined up Jose Molina to catch Burnett rather than Jorge Posada.

Girardi recognized the minefield. Unlike Wilson Ramos, Posada had a legacy in New York, a leadership foothold in the clubhouse. Thus, disrespecting Posada, particularly sitting him in the playoffs when Burnett started, carried the potential for internal discord. Yet, Girardi knew the Yankees could not win without getting the best possible from Burnett, the No. 2 starter behind clear ace CC Sabathia.

Phil Hughes had pitched his way out of the rotation. The Joba Rules had removed Joba Chamberlain as a starting choice. Girardi would have to navigate through October using just Sabathia, Burnett and Andy Pettitte as starters — unless he wanted to deploy Chad Gaudin (in retrospect, if the opener was commonly used in 2009, those Yankees might have gone that way for a game or two).

When I chatted with Girardi earlier this week, he appreciated the variables and said he decided what was most vital was elevating Burnett’s comfort, confidence and performance. Molina caught Burnett’s final six regular-season starts, during which the righty had a 2.92 ERA. Molina caught all five of Burnett’s postseason starts, most vitally World Series Game 2. With the Yanks down one-game-to-none to the Phillies in the Bronx, Burnett delivered seven innings of one-run ball to help the Yankees tie the series.

Mickey Callaway must follow the Girardi path with his talented, tall, blond righty. Noah Syndergaard is most comfortable and confident pitching to Tomas Nido or especially Rene Rivera, who grew up 14 miles from where Molina did in Puerto Rico and whose career results look similar to what Molina’s were through 2009 (both, for example, were at 2.2 Wins Above Replacement).

So Friday night Nido or Rivera need to be catching Syndergaard, not Wilson Ramos — though Callaway indicated on Wednesday it would be Ramos. And it needs to be that way the rest of the year because the Mets need the most from their rotation. Syndergaard, as clear a No. 2 to Jacob deGrom as Burnett was to Sabathia, cannot be mentally unsure when he takes the mound. Brodie Van Wagenen, as an agent last year, motivated deGrom to insist on Devin Mesoraco as a personal catcher, a request granted in deGrom’s Cy Young season.

Van Wagenen is in a more difficult spot here because he gave Ramos a two-year, $19 million contract. But he also promised a player-first management style for his administration. Unlike Posada with the Yankees, Ramos does not hold a critical place in Mets history or in leadership. There is no threat to clubhouse harmony if Nido or Rivera catches Syndergaard.

Plus, Ramos is playing plenty. The only two catchers to start more games this year than Ramos (103) were J.T. Realmuto (121) and Yasmani Grandal (108), who were the two catchers Van Wagenen pursued before settling on Ramos. Realmuto and Grandal are two of the best defensive catchers in the game and also are outperforming the offensively strong Ramos, who is one of the worst defensive catchers.

Perhaps informative for Ramos is another Girardi personal catcher story. In 1996, Girardi was the primary Yankees catcher. But Andy Pettitte’s numbers and confidence were far better with Jim Leyritz — so then-manager Joe Torre lined up Leyritz with Pettitte, appreciating that Pettitte was his only healthy starter all of that year and the best was needed from the lefty. Like in 2009, the Yanks won the World Series in 1996 giving in to the personal catcher.

Girardi did not sulk. He said he decided it was his job to figure out how to blend better with Pettitte to the point Pettitte would want him catching. That happened. From 1997-99, as he evolved into Posada’s backup, Girardi caught 93 of Pettitte’s 108 starts, including all eight in the postseason.

Ramos does not come with the same reputation for defensive or preparation diligence as Girardi. But can he take it upon himself — making the huge assumption both he and Syndergaard are still Mets in 2020 — to convince Syndergaard to want him behind the plate? That might be impossible because as a big, stiff catcher, Ramos has trouble framing well low in the zone and getting up quickly to deter a running game, and Syndergaard depends heavily on his sinking fastball and needs all the help he can get to prevent on-base thievery.

But that is a story to be taken up with pitchers and catchers next February in Port St. Lucie. For now, the Mets desperately need the best from Syndergaard. So, Syndergaard must get Nido or Rivera as his catcher the rest of 2019.

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