Baseball Coaching Digest - The Catcher, Your PR Player

Baseball Coaching Digest - The Catcher, Your PR Player
By guest author: Nick Dixon


This is a short article explaining one of the most important roles that your catcher will play in every game. The role is that of being the team public relations representative with the umpire staff. The attitude and behavior of a catcher can have a huge effect on the attitude of the umpires. Many times what a catcher does or does not do, has an affect on how an umpire perceives the whole team and catching staff. The best way for me to help you see what I mean is to give you several examples of how bad catcher behavior can possibly adversely affect an umpires attitude during the game. I am not saying that all umpires will react negatively to what a catcher says and does. However, more times than not, bad catcher behavior will make the umpire angry and cause a negative atmosphere.

Here are a few examples of how a behavior of the catcher can affect the attitude of the umpire.:

Example #1 - It is the first inning of the game. The pitcher throws a pitch that is "border-line" that could have been called a strike or ball. The plate umpire calls the pitch a ball. The catcher gets angry. He turns and stares at the umpire and shakes his head in "disbelief" before throwing the ball back to the pitcher. The next 6 pitches are border-line also. Every one of them is called a ball also. The atmosphere is tense. The brief stare may cost his team big time.

Example # 2 - It is the 3rd inning. The catcher has had a rough time handling the wild pitcher his team has on the mound. A lot of balls have gone to the back stop. The plate umpire has gotten hit in the shins by several pitches. The umpire tells the catcher that he has got to do a better job of blocking the ball. The catcher resents the umpires comment. He makes no attempt at all to block or stop the pitches in the dirt for the rest of the inning. When a ball bounces away or goes to the back stop, the catcher makes not effort to retrieve it. The umpire has to go and get everything. As one would expect, the atmosphere is tense. The team begins to feel that the umpire is making calls against them. The truth is that they may be correct.

Example # 3 - The catcher is a great player in his own mind. He feels that he is the worlds #1 gift to baseball. He thinks that umpires are an unnecessary evil of the game. He has little or no respect for them and that fact shows in what he says and how he acts. When the umpire tries to establish a sense of rapport, the catcher is short, impolite, and disrespectful. He often does not respond to the umpires questions. When he does respond, he answers with a "huh", "yea" or "no". The umpire senses an attitude and resentment may build. The atmosphere is tense and the team may suffer later in the game should a close call have to be made. The calls that can go against them may.

Example #4 - The pitch was called a ball. Every player, coach, and fan of the team feels that the pitch should have been called a strike. The coach yells to the catcher, "Where was that pitch? Was that a strike?" The catcher yells back to the coach, "Yes it was!". Then the catcher yells at the pitcher, loud enough for everyone present to hear, "Throw that one again, he can not miss that call two times in a row!'. What do you think the umpire's reaction is going to one? Do you think these loud verbal exchanges are helping the defensive team?

I am not saying that umpires are evil people that hold a grudge or have big chips on their shoulders. What I am saying is that umpires are human. They come and umpire sometimes after a hard 8-hour shift. They just expect to be treated with respect.

6 Things Catchers Should Do to Establish a Good Rapport with the Plate Umpire:


Always answer the umpire with a "yes sir" or "no sir" when he asks a question.
Never turn toward the umpire after a call. A hard stare or glare is not going to help your team. Do not have an "attitude"!
Make sure all comments made to the pitcher and to the coach are positive in nature and do not "show up" the plate umpire.
Be a hustler. Quickly retrieve all "passed balls". Work hard and show a willingness to go above and beyond when it comes to helping keep the game running smoothly with no delays.
Never shake your head or show negative emotion to a ball or strike call or an out or safe call.
Stay down on all pitches. Make an effort to field or block every pitch. Consider it your job to protect the umpire.

I hope this article give you some insight into how a catcher behavior and attitude can help create a positive game atmosphere and develop good rapport between your team and the umpire staff.

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Baseball Tips - Catchers - Where's the Instinct?

Baseball Tips - Catchers - Where's the Instinct?
By Chico Reese

Sometimes I'll be watching a game and one of the teams has a pretty darn good catcher. I mean, he has a cannon for an arm, good size, quick feet back there, blocks real good, and on and on.

But little things happen in games with guys like these and I sit there scratching my head thinking, "Why didn't he do this? Or, why didn't he do that? Or, he had him there if he would have just thrown it!" There can be a small list of these things that this "pretty darn good" catcher does, or doesn't do. It's only recently that I think I realize why I see this type of thing today.

Think back, you older guys, when your video game was Pong, or at the best, the original Atari. There were no computers (and, no Instant Messenger, thank God!), no cell phones, no X-Box 360 and so on. What did we do, besides have to cut the grass? Well, we played baseball, softball and sometimes football in the same day. We did this day in and day out and still had baseball games at night. We developed many baseball "instincts", even as small kids. Kids don't play pickup games in neighborhoods anymore. It's all organized now, down to the smallest details.

Years ago, even though kids didn't play as many organized games, I think on the average kids played more baseball. As they grew older, they developed many instincts...things that tell you to throw or not, in a split second. Catchers knew how to read batters. They knew how to read runners and remember that #14 always looked down when he started back to first as soon as he saw the catcher's hand go up and start to throw back to the pitcher. Catchers knew when they had to trot out to the mound and say some bad, goofy stuff to make the pitcher laugh a little, just to relax. Many catchers were calling their own pitches at thirteen.

Today, this seems to be less and less. Catchers are more like wind up dolls. Just go and watch a game today, even older kids. You'll see catchers looking into the dugout after every pitch, looking for the next sign and pitch to call. Many times they're clueless why some of these are called. It's like a wireless video game for the coaches sitting on the buckets near the on-deck circle. And to make matters worse, after every pitch, what do you usually hear? You hear two or three coaches yapp'in away at the catcher, the pitcher and the infielders given multiple instructions and demands. It's a puppet show at times...not a baseball game.

Players attempt pickoffs when told to, or if some play is on. If they do it on their own and they throw the ball away, you'll hear, "Hey! What was that? Did I call that? Let's go!" So much for instincts. Won't do that again.

I'm not saying catchers today are no good. I actually think they are way better than in the past in most cases. I'll see many that are more trained in throwing and blocking than years ago. Hitting, well I just think players today are way better hitters than hitters in the past. Kids today are more exposed to different baseball training methods and different baseball drills. They get much more instruction and therefore are more skilled than kids years ago.

It's those little things that they don't have as much as players did in the past. Those little things are instincts. I guess they eventually get them, but just at an older age.

There are coaches out there that encourage the catcher to think on his own given different situations. You can always correct and teach later. This is commendable as it doesn't happen very often anymore. In time, you and he will think alike and you'll see him grow into a smart catcher, not a wind up doll looking for the next instruction.

Maybe some of the coaches out there can let their catchers and other players work on developing some of their own instincts at times. There might be a game that you know you are going to win or a game where the score indicates that you can maybe let the catcher try to call pitches, encourage the infielders to communicate among themselves and try to set some things up on their own. Let them take control. Let them be responsible for what happens on the field. They'll make mistakes, sure. But that's when you, the coach, come back in for a little word or two and then back out. If things look like they are going the wrong way, then take over again.

You'll see them become smarter players in time. They'll be developing some instincts. They'll think a little more differently and maybe understand why you do some of the things that you do.

Most importantly, they'll look forward to that time in certain games when they're winning enough that you say, "Hey! You guys got it...don't blow it!" They'll have fun...just like we did in the neighborhoods years ago.


Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years and enjoys working with young catchers.

For excellent Catching instruction, drills and training, consider the following sources:

Catchers Instruction, Training and Tips

http://baseballcatcher.baseballgloverestore.com

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Blocking Drills for a Baseball Catcher

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Article Title:
Blocking Drills for a Baseball Catcher
By Scott Mathewson

The most unheralded position on a Baseball field is the Catcher's position. The reason being you are involved in all the action but receive very little of the glory. If you are truly doing a good job back behind the dish, you have a ghostly appearance. It is those who struggle that are at the forefront and stick out like a sore thumb.

With all this being said, the thing that I see most Catcher's need to work on is their blocking skills. Too many out there try to catch the bouncing ball with the glove. That is mistake #1; because your main purpose at that point is to block the baseball, not catch it. I say this because you shouldn't go into that situation thinking I need to catch this because more can go wrong than can go good. When you try to catch the ball your body tends to rise up, leaving a huge gap between the legs, or in terms of baseball lingo the "wickets". I will bet 9 out of 10 times it find that gap.

So when blocking a baseball the first key is to have the right mindset, next think of your body as a pillow. Drop to your knee's and let your arms fall straight down next to the outside of your legs. Palms up and relaxed the ball will bounce off the ground first and then off you preferably off your chest protector. If you have the perfect form the ball will be within a couple feet of you. Always try to round the ball off angling your body towards home plate. By doing this you can usually avoid the errant bounces to the backstop. Here are some drills that can help catchers blocking skills.

- Practice dropping straight down on your knees in full gear repeatedly and getting back up into the squatting position. This builds quickness and strength.
- Use a flat glove and have someone throw balls at you for a period of a couple minutes. This constant repetition in a short period of time builds up your endurance and reinforces the mindset of not trying to catch the ball into your head.
- Practice rounding your body off angling it always towards home plate. If the ball is a foot to the right than slide your feet over two feet to the right. Always exaggerate your movements.

I've coached many kids here in Omaha and a good catcher makes the team so make sure you praise them. At our store, PrimeTimeSportingGoods you can find the equipment you need for these drills - like the Mizuno training glove. You may also be interested in our youth chest protectors. For a little baseball commentary, come visit our baseball blog [http://coloradolegionbaseball.org/baseball-cash].

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The Categories they have are: BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

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Baseball Coaching - Don't Forget Your Catchers

By Chico Reese

There's this certain "thing" about baseball coaching and baseball practices that I've noticed over the years. It isn't just High School teams or just teams in summer leagues…it's a common problem the way I see it. Some teams/coaches can be worse than others when it comes to this, but many times it appears to be much the same story.

If you are a baseball coach, player, or have watched a lot of team practices, you've gotten the idea that repetition is a BIG thing. Repetition is what develops the "Muscle Memory" that allows the brain and body to perceive a complicated task as just an ordinary routine task. Many coaches know this and if you watch a number of different teams practicing you'll see the following things being practiced over and over and over:


Batters hitting off tees
Batters doing soft toss
Batters practicing bunting
Infielders taking ground ball after ground ball until they "get it right"
Outfielders taking fly balls and ground balls
Outfielders practicing cutoffs, throws to third, throws to second and home
Shortstops and second basemen turning double plays
Pitchers throwing and throwing
Pitchers running banana routes
Pitchers throwing over to first...pickoffs to second

Now, think back to these same practices. How many times did you see one of the coaches take two or three catchers and go off somewhere and block balls in the dirt? Correctly, I mean. And not three, four or five balls at the very end of practice. I mean a bucket or two each. In the dirt, center, left and right...correctly. Probably not often, maybe never.

How much footwork did you see the catchers doing at practice? Did you see coaches working the feet? I mean with no baseball or throwing...just footwork...fast, correct footwork. You probably didn't see that or remember just a little bit in the season.

Did you see the catchers fielding bunts down third and first and making the play? Again, not one or two. I mean ten times, like the reps all of the other infielders got when practicing their required skills.

What I mostly see is common...throws to second and a few to third and first during infield practice. That means a catcher might throw down to third three or four times. Big deal. During a practice, a shortstop will field fifteen to twenty ground balls and make the throw to first.

Now, here's the part that's even more funny. During games, now, the coaches have the same expectations of the catchers and their skills as they do their shortstop, second and third basemen. If there is a bunt down the first base line and the catcher throws it away, it's possible he'll get hammered by a coach. But it's also possible that he hasn't practiced that throw since the beginning of the season. I think this is one reason why I see so many balls thrown away at third and first by catchers. There just isn't enough repetition there. No "Muscle Memory."

Seasons start out with good intentions...with a lot of promises. The catchers will do this and the catchers will do that. But guess what? It usually ends up the same way in a relatively short time. The catchers will do a little bit of infield and then go right to the mounds to catch pitchers. All of the pitchers. At the same time, when it's getting dark, everyone's tired, parents are waiting and the coach who is pitching to what he thinks is the last batter turns around and yells, "Who hasn't hit yet?"

Guess who raises their hands? You got it. The two catchers. So they'll bat last. Coach is tired. He'll throw some to one catcher and then some to the other. They'll get half of the pitches that the first five guys got, if they are lucky, and these are sometimes crappy pitches anyway. Sometimes they will get the promise that they'll hit first the next practice...right. Yet, they are expected to hit like the other guys.

I've watched catchers with good size and cannon arms. If someone steals and the pitch is a good one, that catcher nails the runner by two steps. Unfortunately I've watched these same catchers and find that they can't block a beach ball. They'll let the easiest ball in the dirt get by them. I'd see seven to ten balls back to the screen, runners advancing and runs scoring. This just tells me the coach found a guy with a cannon arm and basically did nothing else with him. Happens a lot.

But I've seen some great coaches who have coached their catchers well and boy these guys are great to watch. You can immediately recognize a well coached catcher. They are just fun to watch. Umpires love them.

So coaches, don't forget your catchers. They'll win you for you games if you help them...they'll lose games for you if you don't. They have more skills to master than the other players. That's just the nature of the position. They need time too. Not at the end of practice when everyone's tired and wants to go home, either.

Oh, one more thing...Don't Forget Your Catchers.

Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years and enjoys working with young catchers.

For excellent Catching instruction, drills, training and other valuable baseball tips, consider the following sources:

Catcher Instruction, Training and Tips To Make You A Better Catcher

http://baseballcatcher.baseballgloverestore.com/

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