Skip to main content

46 replies

Catcher height

AC Adam Carlton100+ posts
At a certain point, does a guy get too tall to be a catcher? If so, how tall about is that? I would think that eventually you would get so tall that you wouldn't be able to get low enough to allow the umpire a good view.

I am 6 ft, and the doctor says I haven't had my growth spurt yet, and I am supposed to get between 4 and 6 inches, and I kind of hope I don't get much taller so I don't get too tall.
Last edited {1}
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

06catcherdad06catcherdad1,000+ posts
You ask an interesting question, Adam. When height is discussed, players are almost always worried about not being tall enough. You're potentially playing a position where being too tall can be a disadvantage. My son was worried about not being tall enough, and was talking about it with a friend who played MLB baseball. The friend told my son that he was already as tall as Mike Lieberthal, Paul LoDuca, Brad Ausmus and several others. He then said that he needed to worry about being as good as them, not as tall as them. If you look at it from your perspective, you'll see that you will likely be as tall as Sandy Alomar, Benito Santiago, Mike Matheny, and several more as tall as them. Just like my son, worry about being as good as them, not about being as tall as them.
D deaconspoint100+ posts
From all I have read and heard I figure it is less how tall you are and more how tall you get. If your 6'6" and stand straight up to throw down then yes, this could be an issue. If you stay low and have good mechanics, then look at it as a blessing.

Think of it this way. If you call an intentional walk, you will be able to get the ball out far enough so that someone like Cabrera wont drive a run in with it.

Good luck,

Tim
Last edited by deaconspoint
Catch43Catch43500+ posts
I'm 5-11, and I'm the short one in the family. I have 2 older brothers. One is 22, he's 6'2. The other is 19, he's 6'3. My little brother is 13, he's 5'5, we expect him to be about 6'4. I don't complain about my height, because I'm a catcher. Although Javy Lopez is 6'3. I'm pretty well built, so I'm very happy, I still wrestle with my older brothers, and win sometimes. Being on wrestling for a winter did help, though.
C Coachric1,000+ posts
Here's some catcher's stats. Varitek, 6'3", Alomar was 6'5" and Fisk was listed at 6'2" but stood next to 6'2" Rice and easily had 2 to 3 inches on him. There are many other 6'2" to 6'5" catchers that play and have played. Pudge is like 5'9" and Yogi was an exagerated 5'8". Size really doesn't matter, but talent sure does.
CA Coach A100+ posts
I was 6'5" and was able to play 5 years professionally with the Red Sox and Devil Rays. The only thing that held me back from getting to the bigs and playing every day was hitting that da** slider. Smile Defensively, it was an asset my pitchers loved because they had a huge target to throw to and it was easier on my body wear and tear wise because I had more size and didn't get tired as easy...not to mention helping out in the collisions at the plate.

I will tell you that you will have to work twice as hard on keeping your foot speed as quick as the smaller guys, but if you are wanting to climb that ladder as far as you can go, you aren't afraid of a little hard work.

You would be surprised how many "big" (6'2+) catchers there are now a days in Division I and professional baseball. Just work at all the small things and you will be fine.
GshewGshew10+ posts
At 5-8 I blame Johnny Bench for the demise of the small catcher....just kidding...baseball players as a whole are bigger, stronger and faster than "them old days." I was just trying to come up as the Big Red Machine was in its heyday...I was told a hundred times if once...your too small...we are moving to bigger catchers...I do enjoy watching guys like Santiago and Pudge! They give hope to some of us ---Little People. I agree with above....if you have the talent, heart and willingness to work hard at your trade...no one but you can stand in your way.
T thenewrebelMember
I'm in the same boat as you in this.I'm around 6' tall and am expected to get about 4 inches taller.The only problem it has given me to be tall is at the plate.If nething, being tall has made catching easier for me.It makes me bigger when blocking, and often makes baserunners more afraid to steal against me.Just learn to use your heigth to your advantage and it will do nothing but help you.
S 57special5,000+ posts

I will be the dissenting voice here. Mauer was mentioned, but no one mentioned how he stopped catching years ago due to Concussions(non height related), bi-lateral leg weakness(??), and knees(possible size issue).

I think once you get over 6'3" you better make sure that you have a secondary position, and can hit the ball. It's hard enough on the knees when you are 6'0", 195 lbs. Can't imagine getting up and down when you are 6'5", 235, thousands(ten thousands?) of times per year.

While you might have a cannon of an arm, it has to take longer for a tall person to get his feet and arm in throwing position after bending down to dig a throw out of the dirt.

 I have nowhere near the experience in Baseball that Coach A has, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I'm old, back when 6'1" was considered a good size- I was switched over to pitching from catching at 16. Even then, I remember how bad my knees felt from July on. I do know that pitching coaches LOVE any kid 6'4" and over.

  Apropos of nothing, we have this wonderful local catcher who will be playing for TCU this spring. He says he's 5'8", but as my height challenged elder son said, "Dad, he's 5'6"!" Kid is a freak though. Switch hitter with power, fast, and a great arm. 

Maybe the lesson is that don't let your size hinder you.

 

One other thing. Catchers like Bench, Parrish and Carter used their size in collisions at home, but those collisions don't happen any more, at any level. I used to love them, but I was a hockey player when I wasn't playing ball, so it seemed pretty old hat, and kind of tame, to me. 

Last edited by 57special
M Madmax854110+ posts
CTbballDad posted:

1.77-1.80 pop time?  That’s better than MLB quality, I thought 2.00 was good?

Keep you eye open for Alec Thomas, he was popping solid 1.9 in high school and 

(Ohio PBR) and with serious conditioning cut it drastically!! 2.0 is good, 2.2 is good if your hitting the bags, but, then there is real fast, hes a solid 190 lbs and a freshman at Wilmington College.

Attachments

Hide
Images (2)
  • FB_IMG_1540072138314
  • FB_IMG_1540072138314
Last edited by Madmax8541
Next

Add Reply

Post
Catching Camp

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Advanced Search
Advanced Search
Link copied to your clipboard.
×