What Colleges are Looking for '07 Catchers?

Midlo - I don't really know how to answer your question.

But when my son was coming out of HS...his summer/travel catcher was fabulous. My son thought he was the best receiver he had ever pitched too (including on the USA Jr. National Team) up to that point...he hit for average and power and while I don't remember his pop time exactly, it was good. He led our Section as a senior in HS in power numbers and had a high average too. He was all-section and all state. He was drafted in the 50th round too. He had size (about 6 ft. 2 in., a tad skinny). He played (and started) on the most elite travel team in our area. His grades were B+ and he was the most solid citizen you could imagine. A real All-American boy...blonde hair, blue eyes, tremendously polite to adults, the whole package.

But he had no solid D1 leads other than invited walkon at a couple of lower tier D1s. He went JC where he was all-league as a freshman, started both years and is now at a fairly major D1 as a junior. Don't know where he is on the depth chart, but our son's team plays his later in the year and so I guess I will see.

I recently asked one of the very best baseball guys in the area..."Why did that happen to this kid?" His answer, "I really don't know...doesn't make sense."

We're still scratching our heads. Sometimes, it just doesn't make sense.

Midlo dad, and JBB.
I know that a few year's back there was a push for player's to become Catcher's.
They had a better chance of making a team as a Catcher.

Are we seeing a result of that push, Not enough roster spot's for all the catcher's that are out there??

That's why a player has to have more then one position that they play.
I believe a good second position for a catcher is 3rd base
or maybe 1st base.
either way, you must also be a power hitter.
EH

Seen several really good pitchers in our area not able to secure scholarships at top schools. They start in smaller programs and then transfer.

I think the average # of catchers in good programs is 3. With 11.7, not many coaches need more than that or can afford it as catchers do have a tendencey to get more $$$ than other positions besides pitchers. And top pitchers remain as starters for the time they are there. It's hard to find players who are able to handle the responsibilities of catcher (as a leader) and be a force in the lineup. In fact, there are VERY few who can really accomplish that. You might not understand, but things are quite different than in HS.

Just, if that catcher you refer to is the one I'm thinking of, he is outstanding. I think he played against us when we were in a Jr. Olympics qualifier 4 years ago. Initials are B.L. If that is who it is, he's as good as they come in my opinion.

Just some ramblings from a confused parent. I remember Phil Neikro saying several years ago, If your son is left handed make him a pitcher, if he's right handed make him a catcher.

My son's a catcher. Loves it. Doesn't want to do anything else. Loves to block and takes pride in his blocking. Will call the junk with the winning run on 3rd and not blink an eye. Pitchers love to throw to him. He works every pitch like it's the last pitch of the world series. But no "light tower power." He's not only a student athlete, but a scholar student also. Ranked 11th out of over 630 in the senior class. The downside is he is getting attention from elite academic schools that I can't really afford. Good problem to have I guess.

Oh well, like someone on this board said, college recruiting is a marathon not a sprint. I hope you folks find a school for your catchers. Good Luck to all this coming season.

this has been a great year for 07 catchers.have
2 that i'm helping now[late-just got them].will
tell you there are a number of d1's out there
that need an 07 catcher.one was sick last summer
and played football this fall[excellent catch
and throw with big power]and had nothing till
now.the other who can really hit and is a good
catcher had been basically overlooked till now.
you sure catcher is that good?

I don't know about teams feeling like they are "overstocked" on catchers, so much as making getting a catcher a different priority for the early signing period. It just might be that the catcher you are talking about just didn't quite hit the right schools, for whatever reason.

One D1 school that my son was looking at originally told us they might sign 1 or 2 catchers early. Then, they decided during fall ball that they were not going to do that, and that if they picked up a catcher, they would do it in the spring signing period. The school that my son signed with decided that catching was a priority, and they were going to sign 2 in the early period, so they did that. The D2 and D3 schools were just starting to heat up their letter writing over the last month or so, and that may get even more intense after they look at who signed, and who hasn't.

There are still going to be a lot of schools looking at catchers, make sure he doesn't get discouraged!

j.bags,

Care to share which d-1's need an 07 catcher?

Don't limit your/his search to just Division 1 schools. If he really wants to play, he should be looking into D2, D3, NAIA. Why limit himself?

quote:

Originally posted by 06catcherdad:
Don't limit your/his search to just Division 1 schools. If he really wants to play, he should be looking into D2, D3, NAIA. Why limit himself?

That is what I was thinking also. Ous Son just turned down a Div.1 offer for a Div.2 School. Money better at the Div.1 but it was not the fit we were looking for. There were also some really good Div. 3's that he would of considered if he hadn't decided on the Div. 2. There are some great School's out there that are not a Div. 1.

In VA there are some great choices in Div.3's that are looking for Catcher's. If he has the grades your mentioned then he would qualify for some great academic money for the Div. 3's.

Our son was the starting leftfielder in high school, and was also the back-up catcher. Not that it matters but, he caught the only two no-hitters in our school the last two years. Anyway, he is two small to catch at any level, and was trained by an ex-pro pitcher and catcher for that position. He's 5'-7", and that's all I'll say. D1, no way. D2 and D3, yes. He can play at the D1 level, and here comes the almighty "BUT", he's not big enough. O.K., no problem. He will most likely play and probably start as a freshman at his D3 school. PLUS, he received approximately half of his yearly education, based on his academics, for four years. Athletics in college is very hard, and chances are that he may finish playing in college before he graduates. That choice is up to him. You must consider alternatives.

You should then look for schools that have maybe one sophomore or junior catcher, and then look at that school. Coaches are trying to fill 'slots' for down the road. Especially D1 schools. D2's and D3's usually wait to see who may be available when the D1's are pretty much finished signing. Not always, but usually. Don't forget also, that most schools are now looking at JC players as well, that are "seasoned" with experience. This cuts down on the number of high school recruits.

You have to be "pro-active" with your schools of interest. Attend their camps, e-mail them, send letters, call and try and see what the coach is looking for. You may not always get a response, but be persistent. It doesn't hurt, and it shows the coach your desire and interest to attend their university or college. Sometimes, even with your experiences with showcases, tournaments, etc., you need a 'guardian angel'. Someone that may have an inside track to that particular program. You just have to find that angel.

And, as one poster suggested, be a multi positional player. It gives that coach many more options to work with. It certain could help in his decision process.

I can only say this. Catchers who are truly good ( and "showcase credits" mean nada) don't often slip through the cracks. As a position player, catchers are on stage constantly, and therefore have the opportnunity to be seen more than most position players. If the kid can catch and throw and is an athlete, he should find a home.
All of this is assuming that he's getting good advice in the process. If he's aiming above his level of play he'll have a problem.

06catcherdad - You are CORRECT! B. L.

Do you have any idea what happened with him in HS?

Great catchers can find a home. This is just my opinion but I think "great" boils down more to tools than their actual high school performance. There can be a gap that between the good high school catcher and the D-1 catcher that doesn’t show up at the high school level. A good high school catcher can handle the high school pitchers and shut down the running game at the high school level but would not be able to do either at the D-1 level. I have seen good (maybe even great) high school catchers (All-State etc.) that didn't get a sniff from D-1’s --- of course I’ve seen that go for hitters and pitchers too. The performance of a player in high school doesn’t always equal performance at the college level. Let me give you an example. My son hit only 3 home runs his senior year of high school yet he hit 8 home runs as a freshman at a major D-1 in the SEC ---go figure. A good college coach can look at a high school player and determine if he is D-1 material. That slight weakness might not show to the untrained eye but the good recruiter can tell if they can compete at the D-1 level. While my son was being recruited as a catcher most coaches told me they could improve some things i.e. blocking, receiving, and batting average but could not significantly improve arm strength or power.
Fungo

Based upon what I have seen in west coast college baseball a "good" catcher is defined the guy who can hit and doesn't drool on his chest protector. If a coach is not sure about a player's ability to hit college pitching he'll move onto the next prospect/player. Its all about hitting, or at least getting the coach to think you can hit

to 2007 baseball dad,

sent you a pm [hopefully]

Fungo,
Good post! I agree with you as stated above!

I think each coach looks for different tools from the catcher.

A catcher who holds base runners, can call the game, and manage pitching staff may be more important than one that can hit. Now if you get one that can do all of the above, most likely he will become a high draft choice. JMO.

I also notice that very few catchers get drafted out of HS?

Fungo, as usual, has some really good points.

quote:

...I think "great" boils down more to tools than their actual high school performance...The performance of a player in high school doesn’t always equal performance at the college level.

These are points that are often not comprehended by parents of all-league, all-section and all-state HS baseball players. Most think that is the ticket, it is not. Maybe it would help to think about the methodical 5 ft. 8 in. point guard who averages 20 pts. a game, 10 assists a game and is all-everything but doesn't get a D1 look...there's a reason that you probably understand in this case (height). Yes, he's got game, but the D1s can evaluate that he will not have much success in their game.

quote:

A good college coach can look at a high school player and determine if he is D-1 material. That slight weakness might not show to the untrained eye but the good recruiter can tell if they can compete at the D-1 level.

Its kind of like playing time in HS...we parents sometimes get upset with our coach over our son's PT. But do you know a HS coach who doesn't want to win? Likewise, do you know a college coach who doesn't want to win? He will recruit based on his knowledge of the game (which you must admit is more that yours and mine) and he will recruit the players who he believes will help him win games. Pretty simple.

I hear a phrase quite often from parents/fans of local players who dominate the HS scene. It goes something like this, "Sure, he only throws 82 mph, but he WINS and he gets hitters out! There's gotta be a place for a kid like that." Yes, there's a place...it just may not be at a D1 because the D1 coach knows that the tools aren't quite there for his level. Any coach who thought there was a place would surely recruit him.

jbags...you have a pm

quote:

It seems that many of the VA D-1 schools have overstocked on catchers and seem to have decided not to recruit even one catcher this year due to their already having more than they can find playing time for.

Personally, I don't find anything too mysterious about what MidloDad has posted.
By and large, with the reason given being recruiting budgets, baseball does recruit on a regional basis, with a few exceptions. If you are in a talent heavy area, the DI programs can select what they think is the top echelon. That leaves some very, very good players(DI players) without a spot. This does not mean the player isn't DI, it means there are not enough positions within the DI's in that region to accomodate the DI talents. This happens all the time in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in places like Houston, San Diego, etc. We had some experience with it first hand with our son and it is a hard lesson to learn, at times
Agree with those suggesting that the options be expanded but would also suggest that should mean expanding the schools geographically as much as by division.
Of course all this does not mean the guys on that DI roster are DI players. I can think of two catchers from our area that were very top recruits. They started right away as freshman and gradually showed they were unable to play/compete and perform at the levels that were "projected." Coaches make mistakes with players they project to succeed and those they project will not.

I know of a few DI's that are still looking for catching.. i would recommend having a local scout that has seen your son play make a call on his behalf

catchaprospect, could you name them?

I don't mean to seem ungrateful for all the good advice, but what I really want is a list of schools that this kid could contact right now to get into the hunt for a position that is actually available.

i just pm'd you.... my email addy is catchaprospect@yahoo.com

quote:

Its all about hitting, or at least getting the coach to think you can hit

quote:

Its all about hitting

Try and e-mail/pm catchaprospect he may be able to help in the East. I know of a few up here if you want to PM me..Jbags can help too but he provides it as a service.

just got an email from a few schools in virginia still looking for catching... waiting on replies from the NE colleges... also spoke with a recruiter in the south that is going to send me a list of schools he knows are still looking for catching.......... also just updated the www.catchaprospect.com website regarding underclass kids (www.catchaprospect.com/plans.htm)... as soon as i get more info i'll PM