Catching Essentials
The catcher is baseball’s field general. Other than the pitcher, no other defensive player touches the ball more often or has more influence on the defense. The unique nature of the position requires that the catcher possess a variety of mental and physical characteristics. Among these characteristics are physical skills learned through years of practice and catcher drills as well as mental skills like leadership and mental toughness. A catcher that can master both the physical and mental aspects of the position will excel, while those that overlook them will fail.
The Mental Aspect of Catching
The catching position requires intelligence, tactfulness, stability, and leadership. As mentioned prior, the catcher is often thought of as the leader of the defense. He is the only player that stands outside the foul lines during normal play and can view the entire field as each play unfolds. Because of this, he can use his leadership and communication skills to direct the defense. Not only can he use his skills during plays, such as directing cut-off throws from the outfield, he can also use his leadership between plays to rally his team.
Another important duty for a catcher is to manage pitch calls and ensure that the pitcher remains emotionally resilient through his outing. This not only requires knowing basic pitching strategies, it also requires learning batter tendencies and learning the positive and negative emotional triggers of each pitcher that he catches. He must know how best to pitch each batter and he must know his pitchers well enough to know their physical capabilities. This may seem like a tall order, but great catchers do it, and they do it well.
In addition to the rapport that a catcher must have with his teammates, he must also have a rapport with the umpire behind the plate. While good umpires always strive to be objective judges of the game, the reality is that umpires are human and can sometimes let their emotions influence their calls. Arguing calls or trying to show them up by over-framing pitches will only annoy the umpire. Baseball is a game of fractions of inches and when there is a borderline call to make, you want them to make it in your favor. Good catchers respect the umpires, try to build a rapport, and consequentially reap the benefits.
The Physical Aspect of Catching
There is no other position on the field more strenuous than catching. Not only must catchers squat and stand up over 100 times per game, they must do it wearing about 10 pounds of cumbersome catcher’s gear. On top of this, the catcher must risk being pelted by the baseball on literally every pitch either with a foul tip or wild pitch in the dirt. The physical toll that this punishment can have on a catcher’s body is astonishing. Nevertheless, good catchers find a way to push through the punishment and perform at high levels.
Ideally, catchers have strong arms, are agile and quick, and have soft hands. These characteristics aid in the basic skills of blocking pitches and throwing out baserunners. In addition, it is beneficial for catchers to have very strong and conditioned legs that have the stamina to last an entire game.
Catchers must learn and master a wide variety of physical skills to be successful. These include:
1. Setting up, receiving, and framing pitches
2. Blocking
3. Throwing out baserunners attempting to steal
4. Relays, cut-offs, and plays at the plate
5. Covering bases
6. Covering bunts
7. Run downs
8. Attempting pick-offs
9. Catching pop-ups and foul balls
10. Fielding past balls and wild pitches
As noted, catching requires both mental and physical skills to be successful. However once these skills are mastered, a catcher can truly become the “field general” of his team.
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