Catcher chating up a batter?

Don't advise your son to do this. It is not in good taste. About the only talking is small talk like, "hey man that was a nice play you had on my ball out in left" ... 

My 2017 will occasionally tell me that the catcher was chatting them up.  Most of the time its pretty normal stuff.  Something to try to distract you but nothing too bad.  He tells me that once in a while they will run across a real jerk who will pull out some pretty cr@ppy things.

I don't know what the rules are, but...I've seen kids do this sort of stuff - 1st (or 3rd) baseman try to get away with standing on the base or in the base path, SS stepping on runners hand after he dives back on a pickoff attempt...I'd put catchers trying to distract a hitter in the same bush league category.  I would never encourage my kid to resort to that sort of thing.  Besides, if it doesn't make the player better, why focus a kids attention on it.  Also, if he ticks off the wrong player he could be wearing one on the ear hole in his next at-bat.

Trojan:

I whole-heartedly agree with you. I know that LL a few years ago disallowed the "swing batter" chant. Just this past summer in 19U, the catcher was talking up that my son was a "first pitch taker." Often this is the case as he hits lead-off and likes to see a few pitches to give the rest of the line-up what he saw. I think it irked him so that he either ripped the first pitch down third or bunted the first pitch for a hit. Most of his conversations approaching the dish have been pleasantries w/ the umpires.

Don't give the other team a reason to want to beat you.

I truly hope you carefully constructed your original post in an effort to get some folks all worked up and hope to see your "just kidding" follow up post soon.  I am somewhat new and probably should go back and read some of you older postings (looks like there should be plenty) so I can decide whether to laugh or shudder.  The comment about your kid probably being too nice anyhow was a nice touch. 

 

Assuming you don't encourage you kid to "chat" with the batter (or perhaps he's just not mean enough to pull it off), perhaps his pitcher could throw two feet behind the first guy's head "to screw with a batter's mind". Have you son say "looks like he's a little wild today".

No, umpires do not allow it these days.

 

The rules are clear on taunting, which is defined broadly enough to include comments about mom and girlfriend. Disparage either one, and you are gone. I wouldn't give a warning. 

 

http://community.hsbaseballweb...r-talking-to-batters

 

Apparently some umps allowed it 9 years ago (gotta love that search feature), but even then it depended on the ump.

For the most part catcher chatter that is personal and negative won't make your kid any friends even on his own team.  Nobody wants to listen to "crap"  all game long, plus someday your kid might be on the same team as the batter/s. Disrupting the hitter is a subtle business that can't be applied on every pitch. 

You all brought up some good points, probably not a good idea.

Tell the batter when the fastball is coming from Nuke....so that when they speak of him ...they speak well.

My son has told me it has happened a couple of times while he is at the plate.  Also said it ends when he sweeps his bat back towards the catcher, through the dirt.

 

 

I actually teach my catchers to talk to the umpire and batters.  Especially the umpire.  The catcher should know the umpire's first name before the game starts (I always write the umpire's first names on the line up card so the kids know them).  By having small talk with the umpire and calling him by his first name, you can develop a rapport with them.  As for the batter's, I don't think a little small talk is bad.  You definitely don't want to talk trash back there, but a little small talk during the at bat wouldn't hurt.

 

With that, I give you the story of my first (and last) professional at bat....

 

As a relief pitcher in a National League organization (where pitchers only hit in Double A and higher), I didn't do much hitting.  In fact, it had been about 8 years since I had hit in a live game (since high school).  We were getting blown out and the pitcher on the mound for them was a LHP Prospect throwing 99mph.  He was throwing a no hitter that day.  When I came in from pitching my inning, I threw my jacket on and stood by the heater (it was freezing that day).  Then I heard someone say "Madden, you're on deck".  I said "WHAT????".  I thought they were joking but then I caught eyes with the manager and without a word I knew it was no joke.  So I said "Does anyone have a bat I can borrow".  One of my teammates reluctantly handed me his bat and said "please don't break it".  The batter ahead of me just struck out so as I was running out of the dugout I grabbed the first helmet I saw.  It was way too small.  But, it was too late, I was in the box already.

 

With my helmet sitting high on my head, I dig into the batter's box with no warm up swings.  (Here's where this story relates to this thread).  The catcher says to me "what the hell are you doing up here?" in which I replied "they sent me in to break up this no hitter".  Them umpire and catcher started laughing as the first pitch came in.  A 99 mph fastball in the dirt.  I'm not sure what I said or what my reaction was, but the umpire and catcher were hysterically laughing.  The catcher then asked me "are you going to swing at this next one?" in which I replied "I'm just going to try to keep my eyes open for this one".  They continue their laughter.  98 mph fastball for a strike on the outside corner.  1-1 count.  I've got him right where I want him!  At this time, the announcer realized who was hitting and changed the picture on the big score board to a picture of me and announced me over the load speaker.  I say "Oh man, look at that guy" reffering to the picture of me on the big screen.  "I just can't wait for tomorrow".  98 mph strike on the inside corner.  The catcher says, "why, what's tomorrow?".  I says "cause I get better looking everyday". Umpire and Catcher crack up again.  I get in to my 2 strike approach.  The catcher says "ok, here comes another fastball".  I had already decided to swing at anything that was remotely close but I couldn't tell if the catcher was serious or not.  99 mph Strike 3, way outside but right to where the catcher was set up.  So, I think that because of the small talk he got me second guessing myself for a split second on the last pitch and he had a rapport with the umpire which I think helped in getting that outside pitch called for a strike.  Not to mention it was 30 degrees and everyone was ready to get out of there.

As a HS coach, I sometimes talk to the third baseman while I'm coaching 3rd. just exchanging pleasantries. comment on the pitcher warming up if he's throwing really hard, say nice dig by the catcher, congratulate him after a nice play...stuff like that. I appreciate good baseball no matter who plays it. It doesnt mean i have to be a fan of them. Im not cheering for them. but i respect good ball when i see it and ill let it be known. I find that this usually throws the kid off, they want to hate you, but your giving them good reason not too.it sort of "un-pumps" them up. They develop mixed emotions and over think next time a ball comes their way. Originally this was not my intention but... ill keep doing it. 

 

in response to the OP. Absolutely terrible idea. do not do it. you can accomplish the same goal in a much better way. I remember a catcher trash talking me in LL because we had 1 ump who stood behind the pitcher instead of the catcher. I have to think any ump with any professional integrity (at least up through high school) would toss a kid pretty much immediately for something like this. 

 

I teach my kids to talk kindly to the ump and hitters. If hitter hits a close foul and drops his bat and runs until its called foul, my C will pick up the bat and hand it to him and say something like "close one." if the ump takes a foul tip off the mask, my C will ask if he is ok and call time to talk to the P for a sec and give the ump a minute to gather himself. as soon as the game ends, my C turns around to give the ump a hand shake and say thank you. your catcher is essentially your captain, quarterback, ambassador, whatever term you want to use. You dont want your team to be represented in that type of negative light, and umps should not allow it.

 

-CoachZ

CoachZ - my son does the things you talk about and umps sometime make comments to his coaches or to him about being a good kid etc. Everyone is right about building that repore with the ump, it can go a long way. I think he will focus on reading the hitters instead of chating them up.

Yeah, actually this happened two years ago. The catcher was talking to everyone when they were up at the plate... eventually, the ump talked to him and told him to stop... after that I didn't hear a thing.  To be quite honest, it can be quite distracting and well rude. So, if I came a cross a guy doing that I would be nice and tell him, "hey dude, just stop while your still behind in the game man..." Most of the time they don't talk to much because I have a tendency to tip some strikes (not on purpose mind you...) But I think that they think I pretty mean or something. lol