It NeverCeases to Amaze Me How Appalling Most MLB catching Mechanics are.

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Oct 3, 2011
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Supposedly, some are making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some are making millions. Yet their dropping and blocking mechanics are horrendous. Let alone their receiving skills. Maybe they should let a properly trained SB catcher behind the plate. Hell, I have 12U catchers that would put many of them to shame and they could probably hit better too! Give them a little BP with overhand pitching and they'd probably be smacking it around all over the place considering they wouldn't have to worry about a risball;)
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,911
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Mundelein, IL
Right after Contreras let that pitch go through the 5 hole I emailed the dad of one of my catching students to tell his daughter "That is why we drop and block."
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
Looked like he was bullfighting, not blocking! Dave Weaver can RIP knowing that he and his boys are responsible for developing 14 year old catchers that can block circles around some of these MLB players that they put behind the plate.
 
Last edited:
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
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supposedly he can hit. that is the diff. if you can hit, bad defense is acceptable.

They can all hit and they have a canon for an arm...after that it is apparently all gravy.

You have to be confident they know how and even if during 162 game season you lose focus you would think you could focus on your job for a few weeks at the end of the season. But that is what happens when you slack off you develop bad habits and when the time comes muscle memory and instincts are not there, if you just did it right all the time you wold not have to worry about it and these guys usually have a backup so they are only catching 4 or 5 days a week.
 
May 23, 2015
999
63
Catching at the major league level is no joke. Having the pleasure of catching very high level pitcher I can tell you that there's no comparison between a great high level softball catcher and a great MLB catcher. Blocking a 85 mph slider or curve from a predictably wild pitcher takes years of experience. Now add in a few 95mph cutters.... it's a different world. If you think it's easy just fire up a two wheel machine add in a lot of topspin, and make sure the cameras are rolling. Machines are predictable skin and bone arms aren't
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
Catching at the major league level is no joke. Having the pleasure of catching very high level pitcher I can tell you that there's no comparison between a great high level softball catcher and a great MLB catcher. Blocking a 85 mph slider or curve from a predictably wild pitcher takes years of experience. Now add in a few 95mph cutters.... it's a different world. If you think it's easy just fire up a two wheel machine add in a lot of topspin, and make sure the cameras are rolling. Machines are predictable skin and bone arms aren't

I don't recall anyone saying it was easy or painless or didn't require years of practice. The criticism is about mechanics. In Contreras case, he doesnt block well to his left because his stance is overly staggered and he only goes down on his right knee. That is a correctable mechanics issue.

Now relative to your other points-
If you've caught high level pitchers you should be able to attest to the fact that they are easier to catch than low level pitchers because they are more consistent! That's the reason you can put someone with some mechanical deficiencies behind the plate at the highest level of play without paying too steep a price. You see this in MLB as well as the WCWS.

Regardless of whether it's a BB or SB, if you called what's coming, you know what it will do most of the time if it hits the dirt. Even so, you won't always be successful blocking, but your success rate will be higher with better technique.

For the sake of fair comparison, set your two wheeler 43 feet away and practice blocking 68 mph softballs, which equates to the same reaction time as 95 from 60, and then report on your experience. IME, the level of fun, difficulty, and pain are comparable.
 
May 23, 2015
999
63
I've actually caught in maybe 50 or so mens fastpitch games and I've caught many very high level women pitchers for short periods. The reaction time is the same for a batter, but a 95mph ball burns up a lot more real estate than a 68 mph ball. Another big part is the lever or horizontal and vertical movement. Sure I know what pitch was called, but a baseball pitchers arm slot and release point constantly vary, so is far more unpredictable. Some balls just bite late and others are very fluid. Some pitches work on days and not on others. Baseballs are exponentially more difficult to catch.

The biggest part of blocking is the mental part. You literally have to sell out and train your brain to do so. It's a lot harder when you have a good control pitcher, because you're lulled into complacency. Then the ball explodes on you. It's very very difficult! Anyone can train and dry block all day, but being mechanically sound for 2 or 3 pitches out of 90 is tough. Sometimes you just wing it. The faster the ball the uglier the winging it gets.

I also think that Contreras is a relatively new catcher. Make no mistake MLB catchers are the best in the world.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
I've actually caught in maybe 50 or so mens fastpitch games and I've caught many very high level women pitchers for short periods. The reaction time is the same for a batter, but a 95mph ball burns up a lot more real estate than a 68 mph ball. Another big part is the lever or horizontal and vertical movement. Sure I know what pitch was called, but a baseball pitchers arm slot and release point constantly vary, so is far more unpredictable. Some balls just bite late and others are very fluid. Some pitches work on days and not on others. Baseballs are exponentially more difficult to catch.

The biggest part of blocking is the mental part. You literally have to sell out and train your brain to do so. It's a lot harder when you have a good control pitcher, because you're lulled into complacency. Then the ball explodes on you. It's very very difficult! Anyone can train and dry block all day, but being mechanically sound for 2 or 3 pitches out of 90 is tough. Sometimes you just wing it. The faster the ball the uglier the winging it gets.

I also think that Contreras is a relatively new catcher. Make no mistake MLB catchers are the best in the world.

What exactly are you trying to argue? I don't disagree that MLB catchers are the best in the world. My point is that some, like Contreras, don't block well because of the mechanics they use.

I'm trying to understand but not following your logic as to why a baseball is "exponentially" more difficult to catch. Yes, there is more movement than a SB, but IMO that's much more of an issue for the hitter who doesn't know what pitch is coming.

I agree that blocking is mental in that it requires a committed mindset; however, it is a physical skill that can be practiced (using proper or improper mechanics) until it becomes ingrained. Control pitchers being harder to block because they make you complacent is no excuse for not being prepared to block a pitch whenever necessary even if its only 1 pitch of 100. Whatever you want to call it, mentally unfocussed or physically lazy are the two choices I see, it is inexcusable. Maintaining the mental focus of potentially having to throw a block every pitch may be tough, but it is not unreasonable to expect the same from the best in the world as you do from a serious 16-22 year old amateur baseball or softball catcher.

Per Baseball Reference Willson Contreras Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com Wilson Contreras is 24, pro for 8 years, initially as a 3B; at 20 converted to C, which has been his primary position since. First year at AA 2015, AAA/MLB 2016. MBL stats .282/.357/.845 12 HRs 252 ABs 37% CS 6 PBs

With the money MLB clubs have invested in players/player development, I'd have thought somewhere along the way they would've taught him better blocking technique.

PS Wilson Contreras now owns a World Series Championship ring!
 
Nov 16, 2015
184
18
I've actually caught in maybe 50 or so mens fastpitch games and I've caught many very high level women pitchers for short periods. The reaction time is the same for a batter, but a 95mph ball burns up a lot more real estate than a 68 mph ball. Another big part is the lever or horizontal and vertical movement. Sure I know what pitch was called, but a baseball pitchers arm slot and release point constantly vary, so is far more unpredictable. Some balls just bite late and others are very fluid. Some pitches work on days and not on others. Baseballs are exponentially more difficult to catch.

The biggest part of blocking is the mental part. You literally have to sell out and train your brain to do so. It's a lot harder when you have a good control pitcher, because you're lulled into complacency. Then the ball explodes on you. It's very very difficult! Anyone can train and dry block all day, but being mechanically sound for 2 or 3 pitches out of 90 is tough. Sometimes you just wing it. The faster the ball the uglier the winging it gets.

I also think that Contreras is a relatively new catcher. Make no mistake MLB catchers are the best in the world.

I agree with what you are saying here.
I've caught both.

Softball is way easier to block than a baseball. I often wonder if the size of the ball makes a difference. Baseballs tend to bounce all over as a softball is a truer bounce.

I disagree with high level pitchers being easier to catch. they can have nasty movement, yet very inconsistent where its going. 2 of the best softball pitchers i caught threw nasty drop balls that constantly beat me up.
 

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