I'm 52, and Anna's 16 so I've been catching her for over 6 years. I consider myself well above average as far as skill goes, I have a glove of some kind on my hand probably 5 days a week. I've never really been hit hard by her and she's got a great drop ball, at lessons when her PC says lets work on the DB, I say bring it on! Don't get me wrong, I've been hit by other pitchers before, girls I'm not too familiar with and a wild LH thrower this past Fall ball
, in travel and HS I catch and warm up all the pitchers.
Well I got hit Monday night!! By one of the best change ups that's ever been thrown to me....a change up!! Anna's staying in the upper fifties and every so often she'll hit 60/61mph. This change up was probably 51/52mph? Our PC just built a two pitching stall building with a concrete floor, and what I found out by the dad who JUST had his nose broken a couple weeks before and happened to be sitting right beside me when I got hit, was with her floor a change up would change directions and go exactly opposite of where you where expecting it to go because of the spin..........I KNEW I caught this ball, change up a ball outside, bounced right beside the right front corner of the plate, I was set up to play the short hop and it hit the ground, changed directions and went over my mitt and hit the middle knuckles on my right index & middle fingers!
I cussed, Anna laughed, and the guy next me said "change up?" I honestly thought both my fingers were broke!! I walked around for four or five minutes trying to get them to straighten out, once they would finally move I knew they were not broken. You know that moment (especially when you roll an ankle) when the thought of what just happened hurts more than the actual pain of what just happened? Yeah, my mind said those two fingers were definitely broken for the first couple of minutes!
And in 3,2,1.......waiting for all the catchers dads to say "hey idiot, move your throwing hand to back behind you!!" I get it, I get it!
EDIT: Forgot to say I did an incredible job of holding those tears back, no one knew a thing
, in travel and HS I catch and warm up all the pitchers.Well I got hit Monday night!! By one of the best change ups that's ever been thrown to me....a change up!! Anna's staying in the upper fifties and every so often she'll hit 60/61mph. This change up was probably 51/52mph? Our PC just built a two pitching stall building with a concrete floor, and what I found out by the dad who JUST had his nose broken a couple weeks before and happened to be sitting right beside me when I got hit, was with her floor a change up would change directions and go exactly opposite of where you where expecting it to go because of the spin..........I KNEW I caught this ball, change up a ball outside, bounced right beside the right front corner of the plate, I was set up to play the short hop and it hit the ground, changed directions and went over my mitt and hit the middle knuckles on my right index & middle fingers!
I cussed, Anna laughed, and the guy next me said "change up?" I honestly thought both my fingers were broke!! I walked around for four or five minutes trying to get them to straighten out, once they would finally move I knew they were not broken. You know that moment (especially when you roll an ankle) when the thought of what just happened hurts more than the actual pain of what just happened? Yeah, my mind said those two fingers were definitely broken for the first couple of minutes!
And in 3,2,1.......waiting for all the catchers dads to say "hey idiot, move your throwing hand to back behind you!!" I get it, I get it!
EDIT: Forgot to say I did an incredible job of holding those tears back, no one knew a thing
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