Time to hang up the shin guards?

Does he want to hit? That is the key to your decision. Is he a hitter? If so, then catch. If he is okay giving up hitting, than the pitching route makes sense.

Some folks think they can pitch and hit, it does not last. You may be able to hit for a few more seasons but as a pitcher the opportunities to swing the bat will diminish rapidly.

Both positions are very specialized and both coveted as you go up the ranks.If your really good at either of these positions you can play a while.

Good question. My 2014 went thru kind of same thing. Always a good catcher and pitcher and in young ages 12-13 and below did both a lot. I have learned that that much use of his arm is not good for him. I, like you said, recognized that the throwing motion is completely different and next to impossible to do both very well (muscle memory and all that). Simply put, I asked him which he liked more and which he thought he was better at. He (rightly so) chose pitcher, so he began to concentrate on that. Of course, he wanted to still be a 2 way player, so we transitioned him into a SS and 3B, when he is not pitching (much closer thorwing motion, although nothing is like pitching when it come to throwing motion). He still occasionally catches (he is his summer teams 3rd catcher), his coach is careful about when he catches so that it does not affect his pitching from an arm point of view.

I guess all that rambling was to say, he should really think about it sometime during his 14u season., that is year before HS and players become much more specialized. Also,at 15u is when they start changing how pitchers are handled in my experience. Before that, right or wrong, I saw that on good teams, most players pitched and basically it was a rotation along with other positions. At 15, when you pitch, you came out of game after you were done, you don't catch ever or very rarely, many if they are a 2 way player DH or play 1st when playing. Many become potion players or pitchers only.

I also agree that it comes down to whether he's a hitter or not. My son, who played all 9 positions thru little league when he tried out for HS was primarily a SS,OF,P & C. He decided where to try out for HS based on where he felt he had the best shot to make the team. He figured it was in the OF since there was less a logjam for spots compared to the oother positions he played. Also, he could hit. He wanted to pitch and catch in HS too but I think he didn't push either position was because I think he wanted to focus on hitting and felt he became a good outfielder and would compete for a varsity spot at some point. He also told his coaches he was still very much interested in pitching and catching. However, he found that s he went from freshman year to senior year, he saw less time on the mound each year and did not even pitch his senior year. H3 also made it known to his coaches he still can catch if needed and he caught thru his junior year. His sophomore and junior years, he was actually the #2 catcher and caught a number of games those two years. The one constant was he coulod hit. His bat was always in the lineup during his four years with the exception of the frshman team which focused on playing time for many to see who will stick.

I think had my son been not as strong a hitter as he was, he may have gone the pitching route.

I also think it depends on how the HS coach at a given school picks his players and the positions they will play.

The last thing a player will want to do is pigeon hole himself into one position while it may turn out his HS coach sees a player who can maximize his ability and shot to play at another position.

I also would say keep an open mind going into HS tryouts and let things work themselves out because that's what's usually going to happen anyway.

Play as many positions as possible. Especially if you can hit. Be versatile when entering HS. Coaches like guys that they can move around. Don't get stuck behind a kid that is a stud at his position. My son was predominantly a MIF up to 13U and also pitched some. He decided he wanted to also catch so he started to catch in 14U. He is now going into HS and playing in the HS summer program. He played SS for frosh team and pitched. Was asked to catch on JV because they were short in that position and now is playing 3B for varsity because they had a need for one. Since he could hit it was easy for the coaches to use him in those positions.

I thought this thread was going to lead with ...

I was catching my son last night. He d@mn near killed me. At what age did you stop catching your son?

Moving on, it's tough on the arm to pitch and catch. I'm not a fan of it after LL. Another way to look at the situation is if he likes to hit, will the high school coach let him hit when he's pitching? If he has a good arm he may want to become an outfielder when he's not pitching. BUT, the fastest way to the starting lineup in high school is usually the kid who can catch well.

I agree with those who say that the key is his hitting ability.

My son moved behind the plate when he was 13. He thought it was his best chance to play a long time. He is a rising senior, and still catching. Loves it.

He has played almost every game on every team he has played on for the past 2 years. Why? Because he gets on base. When he couldn't catch due to injury, he DH'd. When it was someone else's turn to catch, he DH'd.

What I concluded is that the key to a lot of playing time is hitting. If you can hit, you will play. I had been told that before, but now I truly believe it.

I am of the opinion that you keep playing multiple positions all the way through HS and beyond if you have the ability and drive to put in the extra work (and it is a lot of extra work) Eventually you may have to concentrate or maybe not, even at the college level. If you are one of the few that moves on to the professional levels then you will have to make a choice, but you don’t have to, certainly not at 13 !

Case in point: On my son’s collegiate summer team there is a player who was recruited primarily as a pitcher, but told he would be able to play in the field. When the season came around they reneged on the “agreement” and he ended up being just a pitcher. He hated it and realized how much he loved to be in the field every day. He decided that he had to be a position player, so he is now playing in the field on this team and has 1 or 2 innings on the bump. He is leaving the college (4 year D1 with scholly $) and is moving to a JC and will do a 4-2-4 transfer to another school where he will be a position player. (he is one of the better hitters on this team BTW)

My son is a two-way college player and he loves being in the field, hitting and pitching. He was the only freshmen to get any time in the field this year and he got some mound time as well, so it can be done even at the collegiate level if you have the drive and work ethic. I know a couple of years ago, USC had a starting catcher who filled in as their closer. (Stock)

My point is that you can play multiple positions even at the collegiate level if you have the skills, desire and work ethic. He will have to manage his practice time and you will have to manage his pitching and catching workload to protect his arm, but it can be done and 13 certainly is not an age where any player should be forced to pick one position.

Catchers are special and he will likely figure out whether he wants to keep doing this on his own. I know mine gave it up on his own at 13.

RJM I quit catching my son in HS when he started getting over 85 and throwing hard breaking balls…. I first went to a mask, then shin guards after a couple of huge welts on my shins, then when there was anything in the dirt I would hop up like a kangaroo and let it go by, and eventually he would just look at me and shake his head I figured it was time to hang it up.

My 2015 faced something similar at 13U, but an elbow problem made the decision for him. He was lucky… he can hit, and the elbow healed enough for catching but not pitching.

After a nice JV season this year mostly catching, I’m very happy with the hand that he was dealt. I see so many kids with arm problems from pitching, and he was heading down that path. I’m convinced that biomechanics has a lot to do with that.

Now hitting is priority #1. He catches because he’s pretty good at it and he still has a strong arm, but he also plays first base and corner outfield.

My advice would be to focus on your son’s strengths. Does he look like a pitcher, or a catcher? Most coaches I know still rely heavily on the “eye test”.

And like others have said, take reps at as many other positions as possible, even if it’s just during practice. When his high school coach asks him if he can play x, make sure he can say yes.

Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by BOF:
RJM I quit catching my son in HS when he started getting over 85 and throwing hard breaking balls…. I first went to a mask, then shin guards after a couple of huge welts on my shins, then when there was anything in the dirt I would hop up like a kangaroo and let it go by, and eventually he would just look at me and shake his head I figured it was time to hang it up.

I quit when I couldn't pick up the movement against the wall of an indoor facility before his soph year. I dove out of the way of the pitch. It was right after I took a a 59 1/2 foot curve in the ankle.

quote:

Originally posted by zombywoof:
I also agree that it comes down to whether he's a hitter or not. My son, who played all 9 positions thru little league when he tried out for HS was primarily a SS,OF,P & C. He decided where to try out for HS based on where he felt he had the best shot to make the team. He figured it was in the OF since there was less a logjam for spots compared to the oother positions he played. Also, he could hit. He wanted to pitch and catch in HS too but I think he didn't push either position was because I think he wanted to focus on hitting and felt he became a good outfielder and would compete for a varsity spot at some point. He also told his coaches he was still very much interested in pitching and catching. However, he found that s he went from freshman year to senior year, he saw less time on the mound each year and did not even pitch his senior year. H3 also made it known to his coaches he still can catch if needed and he caught thru his junior year. His sophomore and junior years, he was actually the #2 catcher and caught a number of games those two years. The one constant was he coulod hit. His bat was always in the lineup during his four years with the exception of the frshman team which focused on playing time for many to see who will stick.

I think had my son been not as strong a hitter as he was, he may have gone the pitching route.

I also think it depends on how the HS coach at a given school picks his players and the positions they will play.

The last thing a player will want to do is pigeon hole himself into one position while it may turn out his HS coach sees a player who can maximize his ability and shot to play at another position.

I also would say keep an open mind going into HS tryouts and let things work themselves out because that's what's usually going to happen anyway.

great post

He's 13. If he has the ability and desire to do both let him. Pretty good chance he won't be playing in the bigs. Might as well let the kid have all the fun he can playing rather than saving something or a future that may never come.

Good thoughts so far.

If it was another position other than catcher, I don't think there would be an issue. I want him to do whatever makes him happy - but at the same time I don't want him to end up wearing out his arm.

If he was nearing six feet tall I think the path to take would be clearer. However he's just about 5'5 at this point - although he hasn't really hit puberty yet. I'm 6'3 and he already has hands and feet bigger than mine. I figure the rest of the body will catch up eventually.

He's always been a solid hitter. Gap to gap line drive hitter, occasional power. We'll see how he progresses over the next year I guess.

RJM- I gave up catching him when he was playing around and threw a cutter that just about broke my thumb, then hit me on the instep with a sinker on the next pitch. Enough of that mess.

It is a fact, catchers get no respect. Smoke pot, get bad grades but throw in the 90s and MLB will be calling.

Bottom line, if son is a superior hitter, go that way. Average hitter, have a good arm, go the pitching route. After HS it becomes the rat race trying to make it to the MLB job.

I am a bit confused, this parent was asking about his 13 year old, and what might become a better option later as he goes through HS.
I don't see where he asked anything about professional ball.
It isn't and should not be about MLB, but rather about obtaining a scholarship to play at the college level.
This is and always will be what is most important here, getting a roster spot on a college roster, to help reduce the ever increasing costs of college.

Everything else should be icing on the cake.

JMO.

Rob,
Your son is young, he should keep playing two positions, however as noted you need to make sure that it doesn't become too much for your son on his arm. Your son is probably just going into an important developmental stage, so limited throwing time should be a consideration. How far your son goes is dependent upon remaining healthy always keep that in mind.

I have found that often it isn't the player who decides but others for him.

A good example, as mentioned, Robert Stock in his earlier youth was a pitcher/catcher, caught in college, drafted as a catcher but just converted to a pitcher. I understand he wasn't happy but the people that pay his paycheck made that decision. He wasn't hitting well, and no one was going to turn away a good arm.
You tend to see lots of the better catchers be better in offense than defense. The higher you go the more important it is to be able to hit. There are some guys out there that did both in HS/college and seemed to have survived but they were exceptions rather than the rule. It takes a special player to be a catcher as a well as a special one to pitch at the highest level. FWIW, Jason Motte, the closer for the cardinals was a catcher. Sometimes that strong catchers arm gets another shot at doing something else.

Pitchers are more in demand than catchers on any level, pitchers get more scholarship money, more bonus money, unless the catcher is highly ranked out of HS, more money will keep him away from the draft or more money may keep him out of college. You very rarely see top draft picks HS catchers, I think that this is one position that is really hard to be really good at until you mature physically. BTW, we all know that Harper did both, but interestingly enough, he doesn't do either.

If your son enjoys pitching, let him continue, you never know what will happen. If he is a good hitter he can play another position that may not be to hard on the arm as he is developing as a pitcher. In reality , it will be the coach (s) who will decided in the end.

Just a funny story, one of sons teammates was converted to pitcher at Clemson his spohmore year. His folks were sooooo upset, as well as the player. They even considered leaving the program. He had a good bat and fast as lightening in the OF. Last night my husband and I watched him warm up during the televised yankee game in the bullpen in case he had to go in. My husband was wondering if the parents were still upset.

The above story was to let you know that what happens is often not the players decision, so my suggestion is to keep doing what you want until someone tells you otherwise!

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
I am a bit confused, this parent was asking about his 13 year old, and what might become a better option later as he goes through HS.
I don't see where he asked anything about professional ball.
It isn't and should not be about MLB, but rather about obtaining a scholarship to play at the college level.
This is and always will be what is most important here, getting a roster spot on a college roster, to help reduce the ever increasing costs of college.

Everything else should be icing on the cake.

JMO.

Good point, the boy has a ways to go.

Yesterday my son's Legion team played a very tight game. In the 7th inning they put a pitcher in at 1st base. Why? He's better defensively than the hard hitting guy who usually plays that position. The coaches know this because they are playing pitchers in the outfield and at first in non-critical games, to see who can do what. The 3 pitchers - who aren't allowed to do anything other than pitch on their HS team - are having a blast playing other positions and batting. And yesterday one of them got to make a difference at 1st in an important game.

As parents most of us tend to think a lot about specialization when our kids are younger, but as they get older it becomes more about skills and talent, and less about specialization. I wish I had I had figured this out earlier.

I agree with TPM on this one.

It seems though that even at this age, if a player becomes a pitcher, fewer opportunities present themslves for getting AB's.

A SS playing Center or a 3rd Baseman playing 1st or Left Field, all these position changes increase skills that come in handy everywhere on the field, and they get their AB's.

Moving to the mound just seems to be different to me. And before I would encourage my 13 year old son to give up perfecting his hitting for perfecting his FB, I would look at his stature and expected growth. Even colleges place a lot of weight on the size of their pitchers.

When my son was nine he insisted on catching. He wanted to be in the middle of every pitch. I told him he was too fast to catch and would get banged up. He caught for four years. He played some short at twelve.

He played short from 7th grade through soph year of high school. He thought it was cool he played The Position. He caught a little in 13U. By 14U I couldn't make him catch.

Summer after soph year his showcase coach moved him to center. He played center in high school his last two years. Now it was cool to rob hitters of extra bases and throw runners out at home. He also enjoyed not get spiked at second base anymore.

He was recruited as an outfielder. Outfield is where shortstops with arms dangerous to those in the first base stands end up.

The moral of the story is just play the game. Every position between the lines is better than any on the bench. If you can hit the coach will find the best place for the player to help the team.

Side story: When my son caught I asked if there were times when he wasn't sure where the ball was hit. He said by the location of the pitch he knew where to look for movement. In LL all-stars Blaise Leyzinski of CRNLL (now Notre Dame) hit one off the center field scoreboard of the next field. I asked my son when he picked up the ball. He said when he heard the BOOM against the scoreboard.

Let him do both. He is young and can handle both positions. I had a friend get drafted in the 15 th round as a catcher and hitter one year and then signed a contract as a pitcher the next year.I see no reason to take anything away from him at this point. HE CAN HANDLE BOTH.... My buddy is in the Bigs today as a reliever...

I'd be careful about pitching and catching during rapid growth years. What a body can handle at 14 is not the same as what it can handle at 19 or even 16. And not every body can handle the same physical stress.

quote:

Originally posted by metsfan1:
Let him do both. He is young and can handle both positions. I had a friend get drafted in the 15 th round as a catcher and hitter one year and then signed a contract as a pitcher the next year.I see no reason to take anything away from him at this point. HE CAN HANDLE BOTH.... My buddy is in the Bigs today as a reliever...

Agree. Corn jr was a catcher in AAU ball that pitched when needed. When High school came around he had to pitch because he was the best pitcher on the team. In 5 years of HS ball he caught 12 varsity games. He still made 1st team all conference as a catcher and today is pitching and catching at the D1 level. Coaches love versatility.

There is no reason to specialize at this age unless the player is a marginal player at both postions. In terms of pitching it generally comes down to velocity, an 80 mph pitcher generally won't be playing d1 baseball but an 80 mph catcher can.

Posey was a reliever at Florida state and many catchers with the good velocity are converted to pitchers when the catching thing isn't working out. Its tough to tell at this age where a kid will end up velocity wise, so its a tough call but if a coach isn't suggesting a change, I'd be hesitent to make one.

Wasn't Posey a Shortstop that FSU converted to become a Catcher?

Agree that it is far too soon to specialize. If he enjoys being a catcher let him keep doing it. Both catchers and pitchers are needed at every level. There's probably no way to know at this point which he is going to be more likely to succeed at. You've indirectly stated that his velocity isn't that much but that he's got a lot of growth potential so who knows what is going to happen? If he ends up 6'3" he may tend to be a pitcher. If he ends up 5'10" he may be a catcher or vice versa. You never know.

quote:

Originally posted by floridafan:
Wasn't Posey a Shortstop that FSU converted to become a Catcher?

Yes, but he also pitched.

Check pitching stats

This thread reminds me of people I knew in my military career who took assignments to "punch their ticket" for promotion even if those jobs were not good matches for their professional skills, interests, or family needs.

When the ticket punchers fail to get the promotions they tried to line themselves up for, they regret wasting their careers on jobs that weren't rewarding and that ended up not helping them rise.

My advice is to avoid taking this grim careerist mentality to youth baseball, something that should first and foremost be fun. Play what you love as hard as you can. Throw yourself into getting as good as you can at it.

Worry less about what some unknown coach five years from now might want to see and enjoy playing the game today. If you're good enough to remain at your favorite position, great. If you're not, you'll know you had fun giving your best to something you love, and you will be more likely to have developed some skills and knowledge that will ease the transition to another position.

It's way too early to start thinking like an adult in this regard.

(But do keep working on the hitting.)

Best wishes.

Swamp that is a great post. I think there are many young players and parents that could benefit greatly from reading that post.

Thanks for the wisdom.

I think at this point I'll leave it up to him and his head coach.

CADad

quote:

You've indirectly stated that his velocity isn't that much but that he's got a lot of growth potential so who knows what is going to happen?

It actually a strange thing... I never think of him being a flamethrower. In the couple of times he has been on a radar gun, he has hit 70 - but usually cruises at 67-68. He's at the same speed as two teammates who are 5-6 inches taller. He just doesn't seems to be throwing hard to me, although I guess it could just be that I see him throw all the time.