Backstops move to the forefront in NLCS The steady hands of catchers (and ex-catchers) will guide NLCS

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When last observed in the land of kayaks and moving masts, the Giants had reached the brink of humiliation - and it felt like elimination.

Anxious fans sat mostly in silence through a two-day festival of nothing. We know AT&T isn't a hitters' park, but that was ridiculous.

The Cincinnati Reds didn't seem to mind, laying waste to the countryside, but something came over the Giants upon their arrival at Great American Ball Park.

Their three-game sweep has been dubbed "The Hunter Games" by Chronicle reader Bob Burch, in honor of Hunter Pence's fiery speeches, and each victory brought a bit more glory to the Giants' franchise than the one before.

If you watched the St. Louis Cardinals wreck the first postseason series in Washington, D.C., since 1933 - particularly Friday night's stunning Game 5, when they emerged from the depths of almost certain demise - you know that raw emotion won't be enough to carry the Giants through the National League Championship Series. They have met their match in resilience, a heady equal in character and belief. Blue collars are advised for this week's playoff wear, along with the assorted pandas, giraffes and "gamer babe" attire.

This series will be best viewed through a mask. Not just any mask, as Halloween approaches, but a catcher's mask. Now you've got the vantage point of Buster Posey and Yadier Molina, who will guide their respective teams physically, strategically, spiritually. "Two of the best catchers in the game," as manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday. "A big reason why these two teams are here."

As it happens, you are inside the minds of the managers as well. Bochy and the Cardinals' Mike Matheny were catchers: brutally vulnerable to the hazards, at ease with the responsibility.

There is no position quite like it in any sport, no place where leadership comes attached with a guaranteed beat-down. A quarterback can relate, but anyone on a football field can be disabled at any time. While the first baseman kicks idly at the dirt and the center fielder blows a bubble, the catcher absorbs a series of torturous body blows, never having more than a split-second (if that) to prepare. With any luck, an ex-shortstop moves comfortably through middle age, very much the man people remember. The catcher has gnarled fingers, a bum shoulder and tortured knees, and he'd rather not get into the issue of concussions, if you don't mind.

A postseason first

Giants Manager Bruce Bochy watches batting practice as the Giants got some time in behind the batting cage on Saturday. The San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals practiced on Saturday, October 13, 2012, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., the day before the start of the National League Championship Series. less Giants Manager Bruce Bochy watches batting practice as the Giants got some time in behind the batting cage on Saturday. The San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals practiced on Saturday, October 13, ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close Backstops move to the forefront in NLCS 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

The plight of the catcher comes to mind this week because in the long history of postseason baseball, there has never been a series like this. For the first time, both managers and the two most influential players are catchers.

You could look it up. Never happened. There have been spectacularly relevant World Series matchups on the field, particularly in the 1930s, when Gabby Harnett faced Bill Dickey (twice), Hartnett squared off against Mickey Cochrane and Dickey matched up with Ernie Lombardi. It doesn't get much better than the Yogi Berra-Roy Campanella confrontations in the 1950s, or Johnny Bench going against Carlton Fisk and Thurman Munson in the mid-'70s.

In all those cases, though, greatness abounded in the lineups (at least one, and usually both). The Giants and Cardinals have plenty of experience in that regard, but they've moved on from Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols, trading glamour for substance and fiber. Matheny, who played the final two of his 13 seasons in San Francisco and won the Willie Mac Award for spirit and leadership in 2005, clearly savors the hard-core essence of what we're about to witness.

"I've always been a big fan of Buster Posey," he said. "I was able to talk to him as a young player coming through the minor leagues in the Giants organization, and it didn't take too much foresight to realize that he was going to be special. You could see his makeup, the natural leadership skills. And obviously, he can swing the bat a little bit. I really admire the fact that when many of the conversations were going toward moving him to first base (after his injuries last year), he was adamant that he was a catcher. And I understand that mentality.

"I will, however, stand behind the fact that Yadier Molina has impressed me more than any catcher I've ever witnessed. He does things that are intangible, things you can only see by watching every day, and with a very critical eye. There were some things offensively that people didn't think he'd be able to do - and that was just enough motivation for him to figure out how to do it. That's the makeup of Yadier Molina. I know Buster has to have a lot of consideration as Most Valuable Player, but from where I sit, I don't know how Molina couldn't be in that conversation, as well."

'You're a catcher, man'

There's an unspoken element to the Posey-Molina dynamic, not to become public until it manifests itself on the field. There were hints in Bochy's workout comments, when he said, "There will be a lot of comparisons, but they're different players. I don't want to get into that."

Matheny, an elite catcher whose career was cut short in the wake of numerous concussions, tends to side with the Giants (and many other teams) on the issue of blocking the plate, fully understanding why Posey was told to avoid jarring collisions at all costs. But Molina is an old-school type who relishes the challenge of protecting his territory, and he has a very vocal ally in his brother - not Bengie, the onetime Giant, but Jose, who plays for Tampa Bay.

"These days, a lot of people baby the catchers," Jose told the New York Times last month. "You're a catcher, man. Just stand there, be a man and take the hit. If not, go to first base, go to second and play another position. I hate seeing GMs and owners saying, 'I don't want my guy to block the plate.' It's the position of a man and toughness."

That sounds like a challenge, albeit from a distance. It's say to safe that both philosophies are defensible, and everything's wonderful until that certain play comes down, late in the game, when a runner crossing the plate means a postseason victory and a swipe tag just won't cut it.

Bochy's right: It's a comparison best left unspoken. Just know that an old, priceless line - catchers donning "the tools of ignorance" - isn't really accurate this week. Try changing a few letters. The proper word is "influence."

Buster Posey 2012 stats Average.336 Home runs24 RBIs103