Coach vs. Catcher Calling Pitches

[Way2Be]

My DD's 12U town travel team is about to start playing games. I am an AC and DD is a pitcher. She throws a fastball and change-up. As far as pitch location goes, she has two: strike and non-strike. What is the best way to call the change-up? Should I give signal to catcher, who then flashes sign to DD? If so, what is the best way to do this, without allowing opposing coaches to steal sign and start calling out pitches? Should I leave it up to our relatively inexperienced catcher? During a few rec games this year I sat on a bucket and signaled the catcher, while 3-4 opposing coaches lined up at the fence trying to figure out what I was calling. Thoughts?

 

[JAD]

I had a friend who coached baseball, and his pitcher only had a fastball and a changeup. He would go through a series of hand signs with the catcher and the pitch called was really based on whether or not the coach was leaning against the fence or sitting up straight. I thought it was pretty funny considering there was probably someone in the stands trying to figure out his 'signs'....

 

[NVfishing]

I had a friend who coached baseball, and his pitcher only had a fastball and a changeup. He would go through a series of hand signs with the catcher and the pitch called was really based on whether or not the coach was leaning against the fence or sitting up straight. I thought it was pretty funny considering there was probably someone in the stands trying to figure out his 'signs'....

LOL! I like that!

Smart teams have their lead runner look for the call. If the lead runner is on second base they have a good view of the catcher and the signal.

 

[texas4life]

Well first off I would start looking for a pitching coach because the more pitches she learns the better she will be in the circle.

as it come to calls getting creative is the best way to go. I love the bucket throwing numbers from the side. Now is how you change it. For example throw three numbers but tell you catcher to only throw the second one and see how confused you can make other coaches. the above comments work as well its a coach thing.

Above all I thing you should give the pitcher the power to change your throw but i think the inital call should always come from a coach due to the extra perp and recongition a coach can do compared to the catch/pitcher.

 

[starsnuffer]

12u all you need is a fastball and changeup. She should start working on locations though. You should let the catcher call the pitches, and you coach the team. Let the catcher and pitcher figure out what signals they want to use, help them if they have trouble.

-W

 

[chinamigarden]

When you are at the stage where the pitcher is throwing a change, but doesn't have good location. Some coaches use a verbal signal instead. That way the catcher never puts down a sign. I have seen names used. Call the pitcher by her last name and its a change up. Call her by her number, or middle name are other variations.

I like teaching the catcher to call for it when its appropriate. That way she is learning at the same level as the pitcher. If you wait until the pitcher has full command of location, plus 4 pitches now you have a lot for the catcher to learn at once. If you let her learn what to call and when as they age. Then she only has to learn 1 at a time.

 

[sluggers]

Should I leave it up to our relatively inexperienced catcher?

If you don't let her call the pitches, how is she going to become experienced?

 

[Carly]

If this is a girl who is going to be a catcher for the long term, it's definitely worth starting her on the strategy behind calling pitches. Now is a good time, because when the pitcher only has 2 pitches it's not that overwhelming. I'd call a few games yourself with one of the suggestions above, and tell the catcher to see if she can recognize when the change-up is going to be called. Then have a pitcher-catcher practice or two and work on it more. Let the catcher try on her own against a weaker team and see how she does. Be sure to critique her decisions in a friendly way after every inning, and ask her whether something was her call or a mistake by the pitcher.

If you rotate catchers and don't really know who is going to end up being a catcher in the future, it might not be worth the confusion to your pitcher to have them all call pitches.

 

[BaldNBeautiful]

Get that catcher involved in the pitch calling! In practice communicate to her not just WHAT pitch for a certain situation, but WHY you would call that particular pitch.

 

[chinamigarden]

My dd was in a 12u tournament, with a change up she struck out the #3 hitter to end an inning with 2 girls on base. I heard the coach (who usually called the game) ask her and the catcher who called for the change up. the catcher said she did, because the girl had just turned on one and hit a long ball foul so it was time to try something different. the coach just looked at her for a second and said. "good keep it up". She called the pitches the rest of the year.