Catcher coverage ?

[mike2000]

My background had been travel baseball. Daughter is a strong catcher 10u, very promising and has already caught for older teams. I'm not a coach on her travel team and am taken back by what I think is a short sighted defensive coverage approach.

>No runner on 3rd, runner on 2nd tempting to steal. They want the catcher to run all the way to 2nd base until the runner goes back to bag. Nearly the same with a runner on 3rd tempting to steal ... they want the catcher to run all the way to 3rd to get the runner back to bag.

Now let' be reasonable ... hot day, multiple games in a tourney .... The catcher is already with gear on, and working like a dog. Does anyone think this is a good play to repeat continously? ...You would burn through catchers and players.

Any thoughts, do colleges do this??????

 

[quincy]

Good strong throw to the P should resolve all these Issues. Runner has to run or stay as soon as the pitcher gets the ball.

Pitcher should have an easy out at 3rd if the runner goes.

I agree with you, the C should not be running all over the field.

I have never seen a college do this but thier arms are a lot better. At 10U if the C throws to 2nd, a lot of runners probably can make it to 3rd.

 

[Daddy O]

If catcher chases runner all the way back to 3rd and runner is aggresive you are just asking for a delayed steal. No one covering home it will be a footrace between runner and catcher trying to cover or pitcher trying to beat runner home to apply tag. Not a wise decision.

 

[starsnuffer]

Sounds silly.

Let me guess: Pitcher is coaches daughter and she can't catch worth a pigs-ear?

-W

 

[FPMark]

Hold on a minute. Sometimes a runner will get half way between 2nd and 3rd to bait the catcher to try to pick her off at 2nd, throw to 3rd for a possible error, or delayed steal on the throw to the pitcher. If the catcher goes toward the runner without throwing, she can force the runner to decide which way to go, or stand there and get tagged out. Once she decides which way to go, it can be an easy out. It usually only takes a few steps by the catcher before the runner sees that she is in trouble and commits one way or the other. The further out the catcher gets, the shorter throw to either base. Usually only happens with a fast runner. If the runner only takes a normal lead, then a good strong throw to the pitcher would be best.

In college you don't see runners atempt that very often because they know it wont work. I see it in TB occasionally though. It usually ends with catcher throwing to third and runner going back, or runner standing on 3rd. It can be an easy out though.

 

[mike2000]

Thank you for the replies.

Probably to apease the coach maybe on occassion allow Catcher to take several steps more toward 3rd when runner on 2nd, throw to 3 if real aggressive runner or simply back to pitcher.

( The team so far has 4 pitchers, 2 I would say are real pitchers the other 2 just have random arm whipe action. Only 1 has the smarts to listen and pay attention to the runner in order to throw during a delayed release. Still if the catcher has to make up for everyone else you might get a single game before she is out of gas. )

Catcher does have strength to throw to 2nd in decent fashion. Very little arc, good targeting .... no consistent ability to cover 2nd and take a throw though.

I guess a balancing act at this age ......

Thank you for your replies!!!!!

 

[Lozza]

Definitly not for 2nd, nothing wrong with a few steps, but the catcher shouldn't be too far past the batting box.

For third, possibly, as long as the first base is behind them. Catcher should be taking two to three steps to see what the runner is doing, and then chuck it.

 

[absdad]

Runner on 2 with aggressive lead, throw to SS. LF backs up SS, 2B covers 2nd, 3B covers 3rd. Catcher stays near the plate, pitcher in the circle. Let the SS do the running. The SS can tag runner, chase and then throw to 2 or 3, or wherever runner goes. All the bases are still covered. We do something similar with runners on 1 and 3, when runner 1 steals two; to try and draw runner on 3 to make a play for home. Catcher throws to SS, runner on 3 bolts for home while runner on 1 goes for 2. SS throws to Catcher for the tag. With runners in scoring position, I don't think you'd want your catcher more than 10' away from the plate.

 

[mike2000]

Ive used the throw to SS coverage with the boys - works very well. Now that I see this marathon running by the catcher is as odd as I thought I have to figure out a way to gently try to work a suggestive approach with the coach. There has to be a happy medium but the 4 ( yes there are 4 coaches ) all of which have different thoughts and that is how they communicate - ugh.

 

[absdad]

Ive used the throw to SS coverage with the boys - works very well. Now that I see this marathon running by the catcher is as odd as I thought I have to figure out a way to gently try to work a suggestive approach with the coach. There has to be a happy medium but the 4 ( yes there are 4 coaches ) all of which have different thoughts and that is how they communicate - ugh.

I once suggested a play scenario to a coach, for a situation that our girls got beat up on repeatedly. His reply was "thanks, if I ever need any advice on how to watch a game, i'll come to you.."
He saw a team use this play later in the season, and low and behold, we were practicing it the next week. I guess the moral is, be very careful how you word things to the coach(es). Hope you have better luck than I did.