"Ramon Hernandez bounced around the Rockies' clubhouse last week, hugging old friends, meeting new teammates and making himself right at home.

He bubbled over with a rookie's energy and enthusiasm.

But the truth is Hernandez is a 35-year-old catcher with nearly 1,500 big-league games behind the plate. Last season with Cincinnati, he played in just 91 games, sharing time with Ryan Hanigan. The Rockies hope Hernandez's experience makes him a perfect fit.

"Our scouts felt really strongly about acquiring him," general manager Dan O'Dowd said."