When should catchers start calling pitches?

[Lenski]

I have been to several college games now and still see coaches calling pitches. I also see MLB coaches calling pitches from the dugout.

They are not necessarily calling pitches. They are calling defensive alignments and plays (pitchouts, throw back to first, etc.). Most MLB catchers call their own game, with input from the coaches.

 

[wichita]

I have 2 thoughts about this:
1. This might explain why college coaches complain about not getting experienced catchers.
2. Was every game a 0-0 no hitter? Were there no HRs or well hit balls? If no coaches were perfect, were some more/less effective than others? How many 0-2 change ups were thrown? LOL - maybe that's more than 2 thoughts

How many college coaches have you personally heard complain that catchers aren't calling their own games?...and just because they don't call their own games doesn't mean there not experienced.....besides most colleges coaches call there own pitches anyway just like a kid that can knock the cover off the ball and coach changes her swing to their style of hitting to put her brand on the kid so she can be a career .250 hitter after....

 

[Greenmonsters]

How many college coaches have you personally heard complain that catchers aren't calling their own games?...and just because they don't call their own games doesn't mean there not experienced.....besides most colleges coaches call there own pitches anyway just like a kid that can knock the cover off the ball and coach changes her swing to their style of hitting to put her brand on the kid so she can be a career .250 hitter after....

I hear you loud and clear. All I can say is that you don't know what you're missing when you call pitches from the bench unless you are experienced calling pitches from behind the plate. IMO, its two different games i.e., chess v. checkers. I would trust a good 16U catcher w/ 2-4 years of pitch calling experience over a coach, including myself, every time.

 

[Greenmonsters]

They are not necessarily calling pitches. They are calling defensive alignments and plays (pitchouts, throw back to first, etc.). Most MLB catchers call their own game, with input from the coaches.

There is a disproportionate number of MLB managers that formerly were catchers. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[BrianMonk]

I hear you loud and clear. All I can say is that you don't know what you're missing when you call pitches from the bench unless you are experienced calling pitches from behind the plate. IMO, its two different games i.e., chess v. checkers. I would trust a good 16U catcher w/ 2-4 years of pitch calling experience over a coach, including myself, every time.

I think the when and where play are part in who is calling pitches.

If it's a reg TB game or Fall ball game why not let the catcher call the game.

If it's an important HS or any College game, I'd side with that of the coach calling pitches.

Coaches can and do have "data" on hitters. I'd trust multiple video clips of hitters and knowing how they react to certain pitches over real time data in the box (what you can gather).

 

[riseball]

I think the when and where play are part in who is calling pitches.

If it's a reg TB game or Fall ball game why not let the catcher call the game.

If it's an important HS or any College game, I'd side with that of the coach calling pitches.

Coaches can and do have "data" on hitters. I'd trust multiple video clips of hitters and knowing how they react to certain pitches over real time data in the box (what you can gather).

I would add that there is a huge difference in pitch calling in an ASA Qualifier versus a College Showcase.

 

[tmiedona]

Watched d3 game and both catchers got the pitch from coach and did nit call there own game

 

[RubberBiscuit]

So in watching the TN vs SC game over the weekend I saw what I think was a bad pitch calling scenario from the benches:

BOTH teams pitch-calling appeared to be desperately trying to get the outside corner call and in the case of TN it appeared they were additionally trying to "force" Ellen Renfroe into getting her screw to become an inside strike.

To me, for a good while there, it seemed to be the definition of insanity going on for both teams (continually trying for a different outcome on a strategy that was failing). To me, if the pitcher/catcher were empowered to realize EARLIER that the outside strike was NOT going to be called and Ellen's screw was NOT going to come up off the inside ground that allot of walks could have been avoided...

At least that is what I saw.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

When a catcher can tell you accurately where the pitcher is throwing, where the umpire's zone is, and what the batter did the last time up, I'd say give her the conn...but in my experience (admittedly not as much as some, more than others) I have only met one catcher that I would absolutely trust to call pitches...and she's got a ride to Cal Poly SLO next year because of it and her work ethic...

When a catcher can't tell you 5 seconds after a pitch, where the pitch was - she's not ready...JMHO...

 

[Momo'sDad]

I don't think it's reasonable to compare the college game to youth softball in this regard. In college, the coaches' jobs are on the line. One could make the argument that the same is true in TB, but it's definitely true at the collegiate level.

I start from the position that the game belongs to them, but also understand that this question comes down to personal coaching philosophy. Even if you complain that a coach having 'control issues' is the reason, it's still their coaching philosophy, meaning it's one of the rules they use for their program which may or may not agree with what you'd do with yours.

I had my 10u rec catchers call their own games and my 12u rec catchers will this season. Part of my reasoning is that some of them may grow up to be coaches themselves someday, but more importantly for right now, I want them thinking about the strategies involved in the game they're playing.

For the really high level programs that are doing significant scouting on their opponents, an assistant coach should be assigned to track pitch location and results for every batter and then that information should be communicated to the team's catchers, even if there's a coach calling pitches during games.

Like WinThemAll said, though, not all players want to or should be calling games.