Who's calling?
- Thread starter Tatonka
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I agree....except it is the pitcher and the catcher calling the game, not just the catcher.
Yep, and getting help/suggestions from the coach as well.
when I mentioned my DD calling her own game when guest playing (along with a couple of her rgular pitchers at the time) because the coach they were guest playing for was not used to having pitchers with actual multiple pitches and ability to hit spots, some said that since catchers will not call their own games in college (coach is doing it), really not all that important for fastpitch catchers to learn.
has anyone ever done some type of study to see how many college coaches at various levels call the pitches and how many let the Cs do it?
has anyone ever done some type of study to see how many college coaches at various levels call the pitches and how many let the Cs do it?
I don’t know the ratio of coaches vs player calling game in college but I’d say fairly low. However, I think both pitchers and catchers need to develop that talent. Yup - talent. It’s easy for coaches to call their routine sequence but it takes some talent to read a batter, incorporate a situation, understand what pitches are working that day/that game, the umps strike zone and defense abilities among other things.
If you can get your catcher educated....do it. Even if she never calls a game in college, the knowledge will be useful.
DD is a pitcher. Last summer she and her catcher picked up with a team for several weeks during the dark season. Because they had worked with DH and were both learning how to call a game, they were able to call games very successfully once the coaches saw them in action. It took a friendly and he was sold.
It’s a valuable skill and makes a catcher smarter behind the dish.
If you can get your catcher educated....do it. Even if she never calls a game in college, the knowledge will be useful.
DD is a pitcher. Last summer she and her catcher picked up with a team for several weeks during the dark season. Because they had worked with DH and were both learning how to call a game, they were able to call games very successfully once the coaches saw them in action. It took a friendly and he was sold.
It’s a valuable skill and makes a catcher smarter behind the dish.
- Feb 15, 2017
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I was at a couple of the Texas/OU games and sat next to staff from both teams. They were charting speed, location and pitch selection on every pitch on a computer. I had lengthy conversations with both teams staff and it sounded to me like a very large number of teams do the same thing MLB teams do. He said staff calling signs study tendencies of other teams pitchers in different situations and against different batters etc. Later asked a local JuCO coach and she confirmed they do same on smaller scale.
Definitely not rocket science however it settled in my mind that if DD ever makes it to that level the pitches will not be called by a catcher. Why cram catchers/pitchers heads with worries about stuff like that and waste that time on something you could be working on like mental game as a batter or technique to shave micro seconds off pop time etc. I am in the camp of let coaches call the signs. Its our job to develop the pitchers. Answer this - would any 12u catcher call a 3-0 change up with bases loaded? (Even in a game they are winning 9-1?). I take my pitch calling seriously and with the idea of its a marathon and not about winning that one AB or game. To succeed at high levels my pitchers need to be able to throw any pitch on any count with confidence. I don’t believe any P/C combination would do that as intentionally as I would calling signs.
My 2 cents and that’s probably all its worth....
Definitely not rocket science however it settled in my mind that if DD ever makes it to that level the pitches will not be called by a catcher. Why cram catchers/pitchers heads with worries about stuff like that and waste that time on something you could be working on like mental game as a batter or technique to shave micro seconds off pop time etc. I am in the camp of let coaches call the signs. Its our job to develop the pitchers. Answer this - would any 12u catcher call a 3-0 change up with bases loaded? (Even in a game they are winning 9-1?). I take my pitch calling seriously and with the idea of its a marathon and not about winning that one AB or game. To succeed at high levels my pitchers need to be able to throw any pitch on any count with confidence. I don’t believe any P/C combination would do that as intentionally as I would calling signs.
My 2 cents and that’s probably all its worth....
- May 17, 2012
- 2,807
- 113
Assuming you don't have data on the batter (MLB and college have scouting reports so that's different as they face the same batters repeatedly) pitch calling is not a skill.
Sure you can use analytics to aide your pitch calling; but anyone can look up that information and apply it. You are not better than random chance.
I find it best to involve all parties (coach, pitcher, and catcher) with the pitcher having the final say.
Sure you can use analytics to aide your pitch calling; but anyone can look up that information and apply it. You are not better than random chance.
I find it best to involve all parties (coach, pitcher, and catcher) with the pitcher having the final say.
- May 17, 2012
- 2,807
- 113
Why can't the 2B call pitches (instead of the catcher)? Why not SS?
Because the 2B and SS aren’t behind the plate.
Catcher should be calling the game. Full stop.
It’s the catchers job and part of their position.
The inability to teach girls how to call games is an aboustle failure of coaching.
Part of the reason it doesn’t happen in college is because catchers aren’t taught it. Both Washington and UCLA have started having their catchers call games.
I always laugh at coaches of U14 who think they know better. Whose game is this? Whose sport? It’s the players. Not the coaches.
Catcher should be calling the game. Full stop.
It’s the catchers job and part of their position.
The inability to teach girls how to call games is an aboustle failure of coaching.
Part of the reason it doesn’t happen in college is because catchers aren’t taught it. Both Washington and UCLA have started having their catchers call games.
I always laugh at coaches of U14 who think they know better. Whose game is this? Whose sport? It’s the players. Not the coaches.
- Feb 7, 2014
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From my vantage point, I see very little time being spent on the mental side of the sport.
