Bad catcher, good pitcher

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radness

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Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Who should be responsible for NOT putting players in harms way...or others for that matter.

Even at tryouts coaches have to evaluate NOT putting players in harms way...
Tryout coach says
Here try catching our 12u pitcher who is wild and throws 55 to 58 mph...
...catcher who just turned 11yrs old coming from 10u replies
Our pitcher in rec threw 45.
...but i will try.
 
Mar 1, 2013
396
43
I got called to work an 18U league game a couple of years ago. It was apparently prom night for the local high school. Catcher comes out in ill-fitting gear for initial warm ups, turns to me and says, "I've never caught before". Sigh. To her credit, she did her best to keep stuff off of me. I recall the worst hit I took that night was a batter stepping out to take a swing during a steal attempt. Solo game, so I was responsible for the call on the steal. I cleared the catcher to get into a better position to see it and got cracked in the bicep by her practice swing.
 
May 23, 2018
93
18
Honestly, all you can do is ask the coach to instruct the catcher or replace her. Assuming she's not getting me hit on purpose (which would carry a different action by me), I'd just adjust both my positioning as well as "open the senses" more to better anticipate the pitch and "the hit". You do have to avoid getting jumpy. I saw a bouncing ball coming at me and while trying to avoid getting hit I twisted and took the ball in an unprotected area of my head. Staying in and taking it is counterintuitive but I learned a painful lesson to do just that.

Anyone who has strapped on gear and gotten behind the plate has experienced the phenomenon. Pitcher advances in skill beyond the ability of the catcher. That's why we wear all of that armor. Ball still finds flesh no matter how much you wear, though.
Yeah, I broke a collar bone. The chest protector has only one crease for movement - a million to one shot. That's why I like doing 10U games at the beginning of the year. A great practice to prevent flinching, or more egregious, a head turn.
 
Mar 4, 2015
526
93
New England
This thread reminds me of what Hall of Fame broadcaster and former MLB catcher Bob Uecker said when asked how he caught Phil Niekro's knuckle ball. He said, "I waited until it stopped rolling and picked it up."
 
Apr 23, 2019
17
3
I’m warning the coach that my strike zone is gonna be greatly impacted but I’ve got to protect myself, so he best not give me a hard time because I’m calling from a poor position out of necessity.

And I’m using that catcher as a meat shield, basically calling from an old school box position and I’m gonna start anticipating and being ready to dodge.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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