Olivo building a legacy with Rockies

There’s a consensus among Colorado Rockies’ players: If a brawl busts out, get behind Miguel Olivo.

“You don’t ever want to get on his bad side,” reliever Matt Daley said.

Olivo is building a legend as a tough guy — most notably for passing a kidney stone between innings yet remaining in the game — and his teammates say that fearlessness is what’s led to his other reputation, that of a catcher who gets the most out of his pitchers.

“He’s not afraid to call any pitch in any count,” Ubaldo Jimenez said. “If I was the hitter, I wouldn’t know what to expect.”

Jimenez is the latest ace to benefit from Olivo’s direction.

In 2003 Olivo caught most of Esteban Loaiza’s games with the White Sox. Loaiza won 21 games and finished second in Cy Young voting — easily the best season of an otherwise mediocre career.

Last season Olivo caught every game pitched by Zack Greinke and the Royals’ righty had the lowest ERA for a starter in more than a decade. This year, with Olivo in Colorado, Greinke is 2-8.

Now, paired with Ubaldo Jimenez, Olivo is at it again.

“I just try to make my pitchers feel comfortable,” Olivo said. “They’re the ones who have to throw, so I just try to make sure they feel right — like they’re ‘the man’ on the mound.”

The Rockies pitching staff’s ERA (3.75) is on pace to shatter the club mark and the team is 30-22 with Olivo behind the plate, 8-12 when he’s not.

He’s also hitting .296 with 33 RBIs. Not that his offense matters.

“He cares more about catching than his hitting,” Jimenez said. “If he’s 0-for-whatever it doesn’t matter.”

Olivo has helped himself by throwing out 17-of-33 attempted base stealers, best in the major leagues.

“He does a good job of calling the game and he definitely helps slow down the running game,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “But he’s also been a little lucky to have worked with some good pitchers. Maybe it’s coincidence.”

Still, the evidence points to something more than luck. Olivo coaxed a no-hitter out of Anibal Sanchez with the Marlins when Sanchez was an unknown rookie. He recently helped Jason Hammel string together 28 scoreless innings. Those guys aren’t exactly Cy Young.

Maybe it’s his knowledge of hitters. Jimenez, a meticulous believer in film study, said Olivo spends more time in the video room than he does. Maybe it’s his flexibility, Daley said Olivo reacts to the flow of the game and doesn’t hesitate to chuck the scouting report.

Most likely it’s a combination of everything. A catcher working with an emerging pitching staff who has the presence to make it all come together.

“He definitely takes control of the game and that’s kind of his personality,” Daley said. “He’s an outgoing guy and really wants to get to know everybody and likes everybody, but he’ll mess with you. It’s kind of nice to have that dichotomy of really, truly caring for people but when push comes to shove he’s not someone to mess with.”

Note: Stats are not up-to-date.