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Reply to "Coaches... If you have several great catchers on your team... which one do you start?"

playhard314 posted:
 

Not entirely so.   There were MLB scouts and some college coaches in attendance.   He did pitch well for the rest of the game.  Just that 1st inning was bad.  This kid would eventually be drafted in the 6th round (right out of HS) by the Rays.

I guess I just meant that’s its frustrating to play so well and still lose.  But I’m glad he ultimately got a great outcome!  Happy to hear that.  Is your son still catching?

Long story short - no.   He last played in 2015.   He was the primary catcher for his travel team prior to HS and during his sophomore year in HS.  His junior year coach moved him to 3B (needed his glove there) and his senior year moved him to 1B.  A good friend of his became the starting catcher though my son would catch occasionally and was one of two catchers for his Legion team.  Once he got to college (D2 Juco followed by one year at a D2 university) he never played catcher again.  After the 2015 season the school did not renew his scholarship as his grades had slipped (NCAA regs) though he was still welcomed to be on the team.

He went back to his old JuCo (he hadn't quite gotten enough credits to get his AA degree when he first went there) to finish his AA.  While there he was a volunteer assistant coach.  After getting his AA he transferred to East Tenn State University.   This December he should be getting his BA (finally! Yay!).

I did ask him in college if he missed catching and the answer was no.  He said his knees took a beating and he actually hit better when not catching.   Something his Legion coach noticed.  He really was the best catcher in the county when he was in HS (note - it's a small county).

During a inter squad scrimmage at the D2 university, he did catch on request of the coach - one of his two catchers was hurt or something.   Anyway, after the game they timed his pop and it was 1.8.   Not too bad for someone who had not been actively practicing at the position.

Sadly, baseball is no longer part of our life (except an occasional minor league game or a trip to Baltimore or DC).  It's been a year or so since I've attended a HS game.  But we enjoyed 15 years of non stop baseball with our son.  It was a helluva ride. 

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