CollegeParentNoMore posted:"Maybe some of you can answer this question that I was thinking about as I was watching my son's team last week....why is the number of passed balls a catcher allows in a season not a statistic people seem to be interested in? "
Passed ball or wild pitch? This statistic is not very helpful because 1) most HS scorekeepers can't consistently identify either, and or the/coach or scorekeeper changes the scoring for other reasons. AND/OR 2) A catcher working with a strong pitching staff will have fewer pass ball opportunities.
I'm not sure that it matters all that much. a bounced throw by the SS is not an error by the 1B but still coaches expect the 1B to pick pitches. of course many wild pitches are not catchable at all but a good catcher will still catch more of those borderline wild pitches. what matters in the end is how many pitches go to the backstop and I think a Coach can judge that quite well no matter how the scorer scores it. for example a pitch that bounces 2 feet left of the plate would be a wild pitch but some catchers can still Keep it in front.
that is not to say that Pop time doesn't matter, it is important but it is also a big plus to have a catcher that Limits balls to the backstop and can receive the ball well.