SAL IS BACK!!!!

Sporting a Cleveland Indians jersey, career backup catcher Sal Fasano is back in the major leagues.

In his third game as an Indian, Sal went 3 for 4 with double and a run scored. He also added a fielding error, but despite that it was a triumph.

Cleveland is Fasano's 9th major league team in 12 years of service. He spent some time earlier this season with the AAA Richmond Braves, Atlanta's farm system.

Fasano is a career .220 hitter with 47 home runs in 414 games.

So why do we love Mr. Fasano so much?

Sal represents a group of players that make baseball special. These are backup catchers. They bounce from team to team, move up and down from the minors to the show and no one notices them. Until Victor Martinez gets hurt.

Most healthy starting catchers only play around 120 games per year due to the punishment handed out by the position, so who plays the other 42?

The unnoticed, unappreciated Sal Fasano's of the world. These backup catchers often look like they should be working night stock at the local grocery store chain or fixing the breaks on your SUV.

Similar to Fasano, Catchers like Jason LaRue, Toby Hall and Henry Blanco are all reserve players who play a significant role. They give a manager confidance that he can give his #1 guy a night off, they are intellegent and defensive minded and most of all, they so often act as mentors to other young players.

Most of the time, fans can't name the backup catcher for their favorite team, but a true baseball guru knows that in the dog days of summer, giving Yadier Molina or Jason Veritek a day off can be important to their health come October.

So we solute you Sal Fasano, congratulations on getting back to the bigs and good luck!