When did you stop catching your son? Levity encouraged.

My squatting days ended when he was around 12.  After that I became the old guy sitting on the bucket.  Did that until he was a HS Sr. and he caught me in the big toe with a 90 mph fastball that I should have caught.  Continued to throw with him through college and a couple of years in the minors, but no more pretending to be a catcher.  Took a year and a half for that toe to heal.

Rob T, buckets are great invention aren't they?  I had to start using one to long toss with him when he was 13-14.   They also make a pretty good cup when you're sitting on them.  ;-)

Truman posted:

At age 60+ I gave up catching his pitching when he was sitting in the low 80's in HS.  Yes, I'd squat with full catcher's gear and since I couldn't do it reliably wearing bifocals, I'd us an old pair non-bifocal glasses.  It took extreme concentration to do and still would miss a few and glad I wore full protection.  But, it was getting scary with all the movement his FB had, so I finally said "that's it, no more." 

Now I still like to have a catch with him (not pitching) and he takes it easy on me . . . though he has a hard time throwing soft enough where we don't finish with bruises on my hand.  Reminds me of when he was little and I would tend to throw it too hard to him and how the table had turned.  But, when he's throwing at full strength from 150 feet or more, then I can still handle it (for how much longer, I don't know).  At these longer distances I can catch, but I have a hard time reaching him with my throws, even on one bouncers. 

Truman, I can relate.  A piece of advice.  Either let him throw to you and drop the balls in a bucket (but that is no fun) or do like me.  Our high school has a turf field.  Pretty easy to get that ball back to 250-300 feet with a lot of hops and rolls on the turf.  He just laughs and rolls his eyes.

I haven't thrown with son in a couple years due to his injury and rehab schedule.  The last time I threw with him was the winter before his senior year in high school, 2015.  There was absolutely NO WAY I was gonna try to catch a bullpen.  Even at 90 feet, his fastball had so much movement it scared me to death.  I was a catcher in high school, but that was MANY moons ago.  As a lefty hitting low 90's, the ball always has some type of movement.  But gosh I do miss those days of catching and long toss when he was 13-14.  So many fond memories.

I extended my catching days by wearing soccer shin guards, but eventually  2014s increasing velocity and movement intersected with my decreasing eye sight and reaction time to a point that neither of us wanted to risk it anymore.  Thankfully, 2014 then caught for 2018 while I observed and offered coaching which hopefully was somewhere close to helpful.  2018 is now a corner guy/hitter, so ...

I was at my son's 11 yo practice shagging balls in the outfield.  It was a dad run/dad centric team, but there was one paid coach.  But the dad's ran the team.  I was 50 at the time, and not in great shape, glasses, etc.  A high pop up, I ran as fast as I could, dove (stumbled really) hit the ground about 3 feet from where the ball hit the ground.  The coach yelled "Why did you do that?  That's dumb, you'll get hurt!".  I yelled back "It might be the last one I ever catch!"

I still catch my son.  At some point there will be a "last time".  I will not go gentle into that goodnight.

RJM posted:

... I didn't even like standing in the box so he could throw to a hitter. I guess it's an admission of getting older ...

Not catching but related to RJM's comment... and not my kid... 

HS team practice, 1st & 3rd situation drills on field with P's throwing 70-80% to catchers to initiate play.  I thought it would be a good idea to stand in the box so C would have realistic throwdown and "glance to 3rd" obstacles.  Pitcher let one get away.  Having preached "turn in" forever, of course I couldn't bail.  Turned in, took it to the ribs where there used to be muscle.  Didn't say anything but I had to sit for a while.  Got nauseous and dizzy (you know, like when you break a bone) but had to fake it with the boys the rest of the day.  Couldn't throw BP for a week or so.

I still catch an occasional light bullpen for our varsity P's..  No gear, bucket, quick bail or double leg lift in the dirt.  This becomes more and more adventurous as my eyes pick up the ball later and later.  I think it's from global warming.

Fun thread...  another would be L-screen adventures with hitting. 

2boydad posted:

I gave up when the ball starting coming at me faster than I can focus. 

This^^^......except I still try.  When GHHS Jr started hitting 90, it was ugly (I started wearing gear).  When his slider and change-up became actual plus pitches, it became near impossible.  The family went to Ohio for the holidays this past year and he was due a bullpen, so we set something up with a kid from a 17U travel team.  The day before the bullpen, the kid calls and says he can't make it.  I end up "trying" to catch him (without gear).....I lasted thru his warm-up pitches, then I had to cry Uncle.  Luckily, I didn't take any serious punishment, but I just couldn't follow even the fastball (we were indoors and the lighting wasn't great).  He ended up throwing to a catcher's glove, propped-up on a chair.

I still love to catch him.  Nowadays I stink at it and it can at times be painful, but I'll continue to do it as long as I can.

cabbagedad posted:

RJM posted:

... I didn't even like standing in the box so he could throw to a hitter. I guess it's an admission of getting older ...

 

Fun thread...  another would be L-screen adventures with hitting. 

 

Well, since you opened the door, I bought an L-screen when my son was around 10-11.  Saved my life on many occasions.  Of course, as I soon found out, they work better if you are FULLY behind them.  But, my story is about two friends who lived next door to each other.  One built a batting cage between their houses.  The other contributed an L-screen that he got someone at a fencing company to build out of chain link.  Bad Idea.  One day we took the team over to hit in the cage.  Son, age 13-14, is first to hit.  Friend is sitting behind the screen, preparing to soft toss underhand.  Before he started I told him "you realize that a baseball can squeeze right through a chain link fence."  He looked at me, held a ball up to the chain link, and, a bit incredulously,  said "Really?"  To which I responded, "Oh yeah, I've seen it."  He then proceeds to soft toss to my son anyway.  FIRST ball he hits is a line drive that goes through the chain link and hits friend right between the eyes.  Fortunately, the chain link slowed the ball enough that all it did was knock his Raybans off, but it did leave a little mark across the bridge of his nose.  That ended the soft toss, and the next day he ordered a REAL L-screen.

Go44dad posted:

I was at my son's 11 yo practice shagging balls in the outfield.  It was a dad run/dad centric team, but there was one paid coach.  But the dad's ran the team.  I was 50 at the time, and not in great shape, glasses, etc.  A high pop up, I ran as fast as I could, dove (stumbled really) hit the ground about 3 feet from where the ball hit the ground.  The coach yelled "Why did you do that?  That's dumb, you'll get hurt!".  I yelled back "It might be the last one I ever catch!"

I still catch my son.  At some point there will be a "last time".  I will not go gentle into that goodnight.

Dude, you're catching 84?! I hope you have gear.

I learned when to quit pitching to my son with a wiffle ball to the cheek.  

Caught my oldest for the last time over Christmas break.  50 years old + Nine knee surgeries + he's 88-90 =  Turn it over to younger brother who is a high school senior catcher.  I've sat on a bucket for a long time.  I was a college catcher so the mph part still isn't a problem.  Tough thing is catching the mph at the bucket level instead of squatting and being on the same level as the pitch.  

I guess this is sort of related. 

When my son was 5 or 6 he was really afraid of the ball. And if he even got grazed, he would sob like i hit him square on the nose. One day, playing catch with him in the back yard, i hit him in the chest. And he let loose like the ball had been an arrow or something.  And so in an effort to quiet him down so the neighbors wouldnt think i was torturing him, i made him an offer. I hit him, so he could hit me.

I still remember the wide eyed incredulous look he gave me. "Really?" Stopped the crying dead in its tracks.

And i let him. Played it up good too...fell on the ground and rolled around like i had gotten hit by Nolan Ryan. It made him laugh, and we got back to playing catch. For the next 2 or 3 years that was our deal. If i hit him, he could hit me (no face/head/nut shots allowed). I dont know why, but it actually made him be more brave.

When he closed in on 9/10 i had to put an end to it, when it started to hurt more than i could stand. Im also pretty sure sometimes he let himself get hit on purpose.

ThreeU, that is absurdly funny, my mind's eye is loving the picture 

Overthehill posted:

  Tough thing is catching the mph at the bucket level instead of squatting and being on the same level as the pitch.  

That's always been my problem.  I'm a tall guy, so if I'm on a bucket it is hard to receive pitches that would be in the lower part of the strike zone.  Can't seem to get the hand positioned properly and take way too many off the thumb.

Pro tip - if you are going to sit on a bucket, make sure it is empty.  I can't tell you how many times I've bailed out on pitches and the bucket tips over spilling a couple dozen balls.  Then your kid gets bonus time to laugh at you while you pick them up.

Rob T posted:

Overthehill posted:

  Tough thing is catching the mph at the bucket level instead of squatting and being on the same level as the pitch.  

...

Pro tip - if you are going to sit on a bucket, make sure it is empty.  I can't tell you how many times I've bailed out on pitches and the bucket tips over spilling a couple dozen balls.  Then your kid gets bonus time to laugh at you while you pick them up.

Nope.  Empty is worse... direct shot, bucket shatters and you're flat on your a...  

Once when a taller assistant was lazy, he decided to stack a bucket in a bucket for a little higher seat.  Well, we all know there is no stronger force of nature than a bucket stuck in a bucket.  IMPOSSIBLE to remove.  Just throw that cluster in the trash 'cuz it ain't comin' undone.

oh I wish I had a picture to post with this....  I can still catch the long toss throws if they hit the glove. My vertical leap is down to an embarrassing low. So the son doesn't recruit to me to participate anymore. I truly appreciate that from him now, because seeing and catching a 90 plus throw is getting way above my skill and desire level.

Anyway I see him in the backyard last fall hanging a tarp from a tree to throw into, ( the tarp was about three feet from the portable net in the attic which would detract from the humor in this). But I don't say much, I'm just happy I'm not involved. The back side of the tarp he was throwing into wasn't visible from the driveway. After a couple of days of this I happen to be by the tarp and notice one of his mothers pride and joy old heavy duty steel lawn chairs in front of the tarp. They were from the 50's , they belonged to her grandparents. I had them sandblasted and repainted, they were beautiful.

He had strapped a pillow to the chair back but the damage inflicted on this chair was impressive. The chair looked like someone beat it with a sledgehammer. After a 1/2 hour butt chewing I think he realized I wasn't happy.  We hid the chair for as long as we could but he still got busted by his mom, it never ceases to amaze me how much mothers can still love their sons after some of the boneheaded things they do.  Hopefully the HOF will someday want that chair!

cabbagedad posted:

Nope.  Empty is worse... direct shot, bucket shatters and you're flat on your a...  

True, but most likely if there was going to be a direct shot I would have already bailed out like the ball was a hand grenade.  Sorry bucket, every man for himself.

I never caught for my son (who is now 17) but his coach's wife is more adventurous. She came over to me one day last summer, after he had been practicing with them, and showed me her glove hand, with the forefinger and thumb black and blue. "Your son did this to me," she said. She was so proud of him. I was so proud of her.

cabbagedad posted

Nope.  Empty is worse... direct shot, bucket shatters and you're flat on your a...  

 

Years ago we were practicing a local batting cage.  There was a plastic lawn chair in the cage, so I decided to use that to catch bullpens.  Player threw a ball that I missed.  It hit a leg on the chair and shattered it, which lead to me doing the old combat roll.  Kids loved it.

cabbagedad posted:

Rob T posted:

Overthehill posted:

  Tough thing is catching the mph at the bucket level instead of squatting and being on the same level as the pitch.  

...

Pro tip - if you are going to sit on a bucket, make sure it is empty.  I can't tell you how many times I've bailed out on pitches and the bucket tips over spilling a couple dozen balls.  Then your kid gets bonus time to laugh at you while you pick them up.

Nope.  Empty is worse... direct shot, bucket shatters and you're flat on your a...  

Once when a taller assistant was lazy, he decided to stack a bucket in a bucket for a little higher seat.  Well, we all know there is no stronger force of nature than a bucket stuck in a bucket.  IMPOSSIBLE to remove.  Just throw that cluster in the trash 'cuz it ain't comin' undone.

Drill/poke small hole in bottom bucket.

Go44dad posted:

cabbagedad posted:

Rob T posted:

 

Nope.  Empty is worse... direct shot, bucket shatters and you're flat on your a...  

Once when a taller assistant was lazy, he decided to stack a bucket in a bucket for a little higher seat.  Well, we all know there is no stronger force of nature than a bucket stuck in a bucket.  IMPOSSIBLE to remove.  Just throw that cluster in the trash 'cuz it ain't comin' undone.

Drill/poke small hole in bottom bucket.

Cool, keep going... where?  and then what? Is it an air pressure thing or something to try to latch on to?  I thought I had tried all the tricks but don't think I'd heard this one.  Water flush, heat up, freeze, etc.

Sorry OP, but a possible worthwhile sidetrack...