The Catcher or the Pitcher?

[Eric F]

I’ve found it tough to find good catchers. A good catcher really needs to embrace the position and be all in.
Currently I have one daughter catching for the other. The DD catching just won’t sell out and hit her knees on low balls in the dirt. She knows proper technique and I’m constantly reminding her to drop down and block low balls. She is good with everything around the plate & high balls. I think it makes our pitchers look bad.
Now the pitchers should recognize low balls are a problem and stop throwing them in the dirt but just not that accurate yet.
I think extra practice and camps/clinics are in order. First I think we need to make sure the kids we have catching really want to catch and are willing to work hard to get better.

I have found that there are 2 kinds of catchers...

1. "In-the-blood catchers". They identify themselves as a catcher before anything else. Their favorite place in the world is in the thick of the action behind the plate. Heat, dust, bumps, and bruises are part of the territory, and they will readily show off where the ball hitting their arm left the mark of the stitches in their skin. They consider receiving an art form. They take opposing runners crossing their plate as a personal insult. The satisfaction of sticking a pitch on the corner for a called strike 3 is right up there with throwing out a runner.

2. All the others.


EDIT: Another way to look at it...

1. Girls who ARE catchers.
2. Girls who PLAY catcher.

 

[Helkat]

I would think it would be pretty easy to just SEE if they’re wild pitches or passed balls??

That said, a decent (I’m not even saying GOOD) catcher should definitively be able to keep almost any pitch from hitting an ump, especially at 14U right??

 

[The Man In Blue]

As someone who umpires rec games, I can tell you there are a lot of pitches that everyone is sure was a strike that are 2-3 inches outside, and a lot that everyone is sure is a ball that catch an inch of the plate, or catch the front corner.

I also have some catchers that move after I'm in my set position and get in my way of seeing the outside corner.

The C1 on my DD's team 'frames' pitches (moves the glove some) versus 'receives' pitches (what Eric's DD does), and loses several close strikes a game in my opinion. The framer will get their pitcher a smaller strike zone than a receiver.

Last summer in the championship game of a SoCal (PYL) 12u-B tournament, the plate umpire told the coaches at the pre-game meeting he was not going to call strikes on pitches the catcher had poor glove work on.

NO, NO, NO ...

If she is moving her glove she is selling not framing.

A catcher with good framing gives the umpire a better look and will not end up losing strikes.

Framing is not moving the glove ... framing is having good form, good positioning, and good receiving skills so that you are providing a good frame for the umpire to see the pitch through.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Our coach wants our pitchers throwing the change up in the dirt

That’s a good place for it ... make them chase it. You know what you call a change up that drops from the high-letters to the low-rib cage? A home run.

 

[Eric F]

NO, NO, NO ...

If she is moving her glove she is selling not framing.

A catcher with good framing gives the umpire a better look and will not end up losing strikes.

Framing is not moving the glove ... framing is having good form, good positioning, and good receiving skills so that you are providing a good frame for the umpire to see the pitch through.

I like your definition of "framing" a lot. Unfortunately, that's not what a majority of people think "framing" is.

 

[The Man In Blue]

That’s why it’s my mission in life to fix that ...

Your picture frames don’t slide around the wall and try to convince you that your grandma is actually a bikini model.

 

[MadBandit22]

That’s why it’s my mission in life to fix that ...

Your picture frames don’t slide around the wall and try to convince you that your grandma is actually a bikini model.

I see MLB catchers move their gloves all the time after receiving the ball. Always bring the ball in the direction closer to the plate/strike zone. I believe framing to the masses means making a borderline/ball look like a strike.
I understand your definition but your fighting a losing battle with that one.
Let’s be honest pitching is hard especially the windmill technique. I have no issues with umps being consistent calling borderline pitches strikes. The batters should be at the plate trying to do damage. If an ump can get the bat off the batters shoulders I’m all for it.
Honestly I really don’t know how an ump can call balls & strikes consistently being behind the catcher. I’m an advocate for the ump standing behind the pitcher calling balls & strikes. I believe calls would be much more consistent and no more issues with umps being hit by balls, umps getting over heated wearing gear, and no issues with umps touching catchers for balance or to get a better look at pitches coming in.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I’m not fighting the battle against catchers doing it ... all the more power to you if your umpire is going to call the ball in the mitt (and shame on him/her). I just want people to call it what it is - selling - because framing is a very valuable skill and should be given its proper dues.

Yes, it is a losing battle along with my fights to maintain proper English (even if I’m sometimes guilty) and grammar.

As far as calling pitches from behind the pitcher, it is much less accurate (IMO). You are reducing your angles essentially down to a two dimensional view, much like that #$@* box on televised MLB games. You lose accuracy in judging when the ball crosses the plate. From behind the catcher, you are seeing the ball cross the plate. You have both X and Y axis and tracking on the ball’s approach.

But hey, it looked good from the dugout.

 

[sjw62000]

But hey, it looked good from the dugout.

"Where am I missing blue?"
"Blue, that was right down the chute."
"C'mon blue, you're killing me!"
"Blue, blue, that was a strike for the other team."
"Blue, be sure to call it both ways."

 

[The Man In Blue]

1) The strike zone, obviously.
2) The chute is on the fence and it is where we put retrieved foul balls.
3) Time to have a serious conversation.
4) There is no five.