While I do agree with 06catcherdad for the most part, I don’t think it should be swept under the rug and forgotten since it does happen. Let me give you my take on this since my son caught, pitched, played 1b, 3b, and DH’ed in college. He actually played all five positions in one game. Most teams have more than one catcher and some will have upwards of five catchers, each playing an important, but somewhat different role for the team. If your son is fortunate to be the starting catcher, there will be times he will be given a break by another catcher. Depending on what “other” talents your son has, and how those other talents impact the team will determine whether your son plays another position. His ability to hit will have the most impact in him playing play two or more positions. It’s not too difficult, nor is it that uncommon, for a college catcher to be moved to the infield or the outfield, allow his body to recover from catching, IF he has adequate defensive skills so the coach can keep his bat in the line-up. If he has a strong bat BUT has difficulty adjusting defensively to the IF/OF, many will move him to the DH position when not catching.
The catching/pitching combination is the most difficult but can be done on a limited basis if properly monitored by the coach. A catcher can see limited use as a closer without too much difficulty but the role of a starting pitcher/catcher is very difficult to accomplish because of the recovery time from pitching. Also, if you understand the importance role of a starting pitcher, few coaches would take a chance on putting a good starting pitcher behind the plate.
So bottom line ---- it can happen --- it does happen --- but not as common as in high school. I would venture to say the most common catching/other position combinations would be:
1. Catcher/3rd
2. Catcher/1st
3. Catcher/Outfield
Hope this helps,
Fungo
PS: Remember the coach is there to win games --- and could care less about what your son or my son can do unless it is directly related to winning games.
