How would you describe it?
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I've always believed it was the most important position on the field and in the clubhouse. Everything goes through the catcher, and a good catcher can make a team great. An average catcher can only make a team average at best.
JMO.
During the Area Code games I would often sit with the pro scouts and listen to their "breakdown" of each of the 30 catchers, who we invited to the AC games."Truly amazing"
Catching is the only position where the player has his "back" to the audience.
He can discuss with the umpire w/o anyone listening except the hitter. Yogi was one of the best. One of our former players is the Catching Coach with the Orioles.
When I selected our Summer team from the local HS and Colleges I watched each catcher 3 times during the HS season and conducted interviews with the player and his family. Selected 3 catchers and rotated their games.
#1 blocking pitches
#2 calling the game and managing the pitcher
#3 "showing" a strong arm during infield.
#4 "reading the bat, the feet", the eyes
Bob
I'm not an expert, but to me, the Catcher is the most athletic position. And , due to his job at defensive and offense, game in and game out, he's usually the team leader(or at least one of them).
A good catcher , can take alot of the nervousness away from a pitcher. A poor Catcher, can add alot of anxiety to the pitcher.
@Adams Baseball posted:A good catcher , can take alot of the nervousness away from a pitcher. A poor Catcher, can add alot of anxiety to the pitcher.
I think this, more than anything, is what makes a catcher so valuable. A good catcher brings out the best in the pitcher.
Just as you would want a best in class jockey sitting in the saddle of your phenomenal race horse, you want to have an exceptional catcher handling your pitching staff.
What I want in a catcher. 1. Are you vocal, can you take control of the defense before and during the ball in play. 2. Can you call a game. 3. Are you good enough and confident enough to call for the pitcher to bury the curve with men on base. 3. Do you have the respect of the pitching staff and team as a leader. 4. do you communicate with your pitcher between innings.
Defense in baseball for players in the field can start to become lonely and isolating, a good catcher makes sure a defense understands it takes the entire team to keep runs off the board.
If you want to teach a kid how to play baseball have him catch. When my son was nine all he wanted to do was catch. He said the other positions were too boring. He caught through age twelve. At eleven I started playing him more at short. But when all stars came around he caught every inning except for a handful he pitched.
Catchers are in the game every pitch. They have to understand everything that could occur on the field. The 6th tool may be instinct. But catching enhances it.
My son moved to short (my decision as a coach) and ultimately center (his 17u travel coach’s decision followed by his high school coach). He was too fast, quick and athletic to catch long term. But catching was a great training ground.
@HSDad22 posted:What I want in a catcher. 1. Are you vocal, can you take control of the defense before and during the ball in play. 2. Can you call a game. 3. Are you good enough and confident enough to call for the pitcher to bury the curve with men on base. 3. Do you have the respect of the pitching staff and team as a leader. 4. do you communicate with your pitcher between innings.
Defense in baseball for players in the field can start to become lonely and isolating, a good catcher makes sure a defense understands it takes the entire team to keep runs off the board.
as an ex pitcher with a son who's a catcher, this is what i stress. i told him that a good catcher can add a foot to the bottom of the strike zone for me because i know i can throw a swing and miss curve or change down low and he'd block it.
i also told him that throwing is important but the better you throw, the less important it becomes (bc no one runs on you), so learn to do the other things well.
Take it from a dad of a catcher...
You can "take a few pitches off" in the outfield and get away with it more times than not.
You might even be able to snooze on one in the infield, and, if you're lucky enough, get away with it and no one will be the wiser.
Catcher? You can't take one single pitch "off" for all the obvious reasons.
My son is a catcher who will sometimes play the outfield or first when he is getting a break from catching. He says playing the outfield is like "getting the day off" compared to catching because there's so much less you have to do and be aware about, mentally.
The Head Coach is critical to the development of a catcher. Confidence in the "calling" of pitches by the catcher.
"Micro Managing" can hinder the development of the catcher. During the AC games I often ask the catchers what position did they play in football. QB and linebacker.
The "on deck" batter will "non-verbally" tell the catcher what pitches he cannot hit. His feet in the batter's box will continue this investigation by the catcher and his pitcher.
"read the bat" "read the feet"!!!!!
Example: if the RH hitter's right toe is pointed "out", where will he hit the ball? If a runner's right toe is pointed out, is he stealing??
Bob
