Rob,
Had to laugh at that story...kinda the same thing happened to me in HS except that I was the senior and we had a soph. stud who could bring it but was a space cadet who liked to freelance a bit. When he informed me what my job was, I was like "Oh, really...then you do yours and hit the mitt and we'll be fine". Told blue to stay behind me and be light on his feet because the next few pitches were going to get interesting.
Literally didn't move my mitt for about 4-5 pitches in a row. Obviously we had a few passed balls and an upset coach. Called time, went out to the mound and had a "prayer session" with my pitcher....Old Testament style. Waved the coach off as he headed out...he wouldn't have approved of my very un-Christian dialogue. Just glad I was a senior or the coach probably would have killed me in the dugout.
Did it work...yes and no. He never again threw something I hadn't called but he must have been rattled ( like I said, real Old Testament fire and brimstone) because he couldn't throw a strike to save his life for a couple innings. The opposition made us look good by swinging at anything close.
To this day, he still laughs about "our talk" that afternoon and that he thought I was going punch him out right on the mound. I tell him he was just lucky that we had nobody warming up in the bullpen and that his face that day looked like a baboon's butt after I finished with him.
Actually, it was fun catching him as he could really throw. He later signed D1,drafted and made it to AAA. He was a much better pitcher than I ever was a catcher.