Brent Mayne

Today’s Tip: “Batter’s Interference”

There will be no argument if you complete this play correctly.

Here’s another catching tip…

Today, let me explain how a catcher should deal with a batter who gets in the way of his throw to second base. This is actually a very simple play, the receiver just has to do his part and trust the umpire will make the right call.

So, the first thing I’d like to do is ease your mind by pointing out that 99% of the umpires in the world (at every level) recognize batter’s interference and absolutely LOVE to call it. I think it makes them appear like they know more than they do. On top of that, assuming the catcher reacts correctly, this play really puts an ump in the driver’s seat. Kind of like, “bring it on coach…do you really wanna try to argue with me about this one?”

Like I said, it’s an easy play, but its up to the catcher to make it easy. How do you do this? Simple. You’ve got to sell it. If a batter crosses the batter’s box and gets anywhere remotely close to you as you’re trying to peg a stealing runner, you MUST tangle up with him. And you MUST throw the ball.

That being said, in a real game situation, I’m going to tell you what your natural reaction to this play will be. You’ll try to avoid contact with the batter and you’ll hold on to the ball because you don’t want to make a bad throw. DON’T! If you react this way, even if the batter is jumping up and down right in front of you, the umpire can’t make an interference call.

Repeat after me. Get all tangled up with the hitter, throw the ball, scream like a basketball player taking a charge or tripped soccer player, and sell that sucker. If you do this, trust me, the umpire will smile, puff up his chest, and look right at the opposing team’s coach as he calls the batter out and sends the runner back. Then he’ll probably thank you for giving him the opportunity to prove his umpiring worth. It’s a thing of beauty and works every time.

Till next time, good luck, have fun, and keep your eye on the ball.

Today’s Tip: “Hit the Pitcher in the Head”

The Bod was the catalyst for this tip.

Here’s another catching tip….

1991 was my rookie season with the Royals, I was 23 and thought I was pretty cool. We’re in the bullpen in Milwaukee and I’m warming up my teammate (and at that point, 11 year veteran) Mike Boddicker for his start. He’s throwing and I’m kind of nonchalantly flipping the ball back to him. Let’s just say not every toss back was on the money.

Well, after about the fifth time he had to bend over to catch my return throw, Mike stepped off and screamed, “Dammit Brent, hit me in the chest!” There may have been a stronger word in there.

He took me by surprise, and my initial thought was, “who’s this old guy telling me what to do?” But then I kept thinking about it and a light went on. Mike was right.

First of all I thought, the poor guy is like 100 years old (he was probably 33, but that seemed ancient) and is going to have to throw about 100 pitches out there. The last thing he needs to do is chase my errant throws around.

Secondly, it dawned on me that if Mike’s standing on the mound and I throw the ball back to him head high at about 75% velocity, and instead of catching it he ducks out of the way, guess where the ball ends up? That’s right, second base.

This was big. I knew I was going to have to throw the ball back to the pitcher about 150 times every game anyway. If I just paid attention to that throw half the time, I was effectively practicing a throw to second base 75 times a game! Now if a Ricky Henderson or a Carl Crawford runs, I don’t have to think about a thing. That’s just where I throw the ball.

It’s a simple thing. But then again, if you want to be a player, you better pay attention to these simple things because baseball is a game of repetition. Whatever you do the most is what you’re going to do when the heat is on. Aside from being a bit selfish, mindlessly flipping the ball around creates bad habits. Police yourself to throw accurately and you’ll be a better teammate and a better player for your efforts. I sure was. Thanks Bod…you old man.

Till next time, good luck, have fun, and keep your eye on the ball.

Today’s Tip: “11 Reasons to Let the Catcher Call Pitches”

The dreaded catcher wrist band.

Here’s another catching tip…

Let me get right to the point…coaches, I realize how attached you’ve become to calling pitches. At the risk of ruffling a few feathers, please allow me to explain why allowing your pitchers and catchers to control this facet of the game might be a more effective option.

1.) The pace of a game is disrupted when coaches call pitches. It takes WAY too long to relay the signal to the catcher, have him look at his wristband, and echo the information to the pitcher. Especially if you understand that pitchers are more effective when they work quickly and offensive teams hate to be rushed. Working quickly is a defensive weapon, get out of the way and use it.

2.) In my opinion, the very best pitch a pitcher can throw in any given instance is the pitch he can throw with his heart…with conviction. Regardless if it’s the “right” call or not. There’s only one person who knows what that pitch is…the guy on the mound, not the coach.

3.) How can the coach possibly see and adjust to the minute adjustments a hitter is making in the box? Only the catcher is close enough to use this information.

4.) Isn’t it the role of the coach to educate players? Coaches, your days of playing are over. Let the kids play. Just like every other aspect of the game, teach them the proper way (or at least what you want) and let em go. When they screw up (and they will) you make corrections.

5.) Teaching a kid how to call a decent game isn’t that hard. Use the fastball. Get ahead. Teach them when to give in and when not to give in. Economy of pitches. Work fast. Don’t fall into patterns. How hard is that? Write down a simple game-plan – a general outline of how you’d like to see the game called (i.e., get ahead with fastball, don’t go soft after you’ve blown heat by someone, etc.). Copy it and give it to your catcher as homework. Test him and make sure he gets it.

6.) I’ve been hammering on the catchers about their responsibility in controlling the tempo of the game. This is impossible if coaches interfere.

7.) You know that groove a pitcher and catcher fall into when it appears like they’re reading each others minds? When the catcher puts down a sign and the pitcher is already in his windup because he was thinking the same thing? Although intangible, when pitcher and catcher work in concert, it’s a very powerful weapon. Cultivate this, and again, get out of the way and use it.

8.) Newsflash! No coach or manager in professional baseball calls games. A pro  catcher glancing into the dugout is looking for instructions to control the running game. Period. What service are you doing to your kids if you “graduate” them to the next level without the basic understanding of how to call a game? It’s like a teacher letting a kid go to the next grade without learning to read. I would venture to say that the stakes in pro ball are higher than whatever level you’re coaching, right? And if they’re not calling, why should you?

9.) I can hear you now telling me you’re catcher’s a rock head and can’t get it. Another newsflash! We’re all rock heads. That’s part of the reason we’re back there. I’m not real smart, but I made a lot of house payments because I could call a good game and work well with pitchers. Trust me, you don’t need to be a genius to call a decent game.

10.) Here’s a compromise. When you absolutely, positively need a certain pitch, have a simple signal with the catcher to relay that information. Let your catcher know that you’re always available with your pitch suggestion if he gets confused and looks over. Keep an open line of communication, let him call most of the game, and see what happens.

11.) Let me ease your mind a bit. I’ve sat behind the plate and seen about a billion rockets come off the bat. I’ll can honestly say 95 percent of them had more to do with location than what pitch it was. Allow me to repeat that…it’s almost all about LOCATION. That means you can relax and allow the catcher to call the game knowing that even the “wrong” call in the right location will work. You can’t throw the ball. The guy on the mound is going to have to execute regardless of the call.

I know all of this sounds harsh. Forgive me, it’s a real sore spot. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why the coach calling a game has become such a popular trend. Before 1990, it was an anomaly if you saw a coach calling pitches. Now it’s shocking if a Little Leaguer is allowed to call his own game, much less a high school or college player! What happened? Did all the pitchers and catchers in the world get dumb? Or did coaches all the sudden get real smart?

I’m sure I’ll receive a ton of hate mail for saying all this. That’s alright, bring it on. I’ve yet to hear a coach give me a reason that would sway my opinion. Listen coaches, do yourself, the kids, and baseball a favor and give your catcher a chance. A huge part of the catching is being creative and learning how to think clearly under pressure. The good part is, this can be learned and improved upon. They just need a chance to do it and a coach that will support and teach correctly. Just try it. Who knows, the results might not be half bad….maybe even better than you could’ve done?

Till next week, good luck, have fun, and keep your eye on the ball.

Tip of the Week: “Working Quickly Works”

Every position player's dream pitcher and every hitter's nightmare, Mark Buehrle. by John Zich

Here’s another catching tip….

This is about the third “Tip of the Week” where I harp on catchers to push the pace of the game. Am I crazy? Probably, but that’s beside the point. Here’s a question for you. From 2003 to 2009, can you guess who the five quickest working pitchers were? Just five schleprocks named Greg Maddux, Mark Buehrle, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Jake Peavy. I’m might be crazy, but I’ll take that starting staff.

Once again, let me reiterate that working quickly works. And I think it’s important to understand and teach that the catcher (as much as anyone) is responsible for this facet of the game. How quickly you catch the pitch, get it back to the pitcher, and put another sign down will dictate how quickly a game moves.

Here are the simple facts: Pitchers who work quickly are more effective. The defensive players behind a fast working pitcher are more consistent. Hitters facing a quick pitcher are less effective. Girlfriends of pitchers who pitch quickly are happier. Short games are a thing of beauty.

“He sets the pace; he’s attacking. He doesn’t give the hitters time to think and regroup. He may get away with not making some pitches because he’s on the attack.” White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper on Mark Buerhle’s pitching style.

Here’s another fascinating thing about Buehrle’s approach…he’ll go games without shaking off his catcher. “Sometimes I don’t pay attention to what hitters’ tendencies are…my catchers see their tendencies, so I just go with what they say.” Mark wisely understands that execution and location are far more important that “the right pitch.”

From a hitter’s perspective, here’s what Darrin Erstad has to say. “You hate it. You’re trying to be slow and calm in the box, and it feels like he’s already let go of the ball.”

I’ll finish with this Greg Maddux quote on why he loved working with catcher Eddie Perez. “Eddie got the ball back to me in exactly two seconds after every pitch. That allowed me to work at whatever pace I wanted.”

Till next week, good luck, have fun, and keep your eye on the ball.

Tip of the Week: “A Good Teammate”

Everyone benefits when the team wins, except that guy on the bottom of the pile.

Here’s another catching tip….

Yes, baseball is a team sport, but it’s very easy to get consumed with our individual accomplishments and statistics. As a player, you must be very careful of this trap and adjust your priorities accordingly.

Wrapping ourselves up in ourselves like an orange peel is a miserable, selfish way to approach the game…not to mention ineffective. We’ve all been there. Geez, it’s one of the main challenges of baseball and life.

Here’s why it doesn’t work. Results are elusive and unpredictable. The only thing that happens when we focus on stats and base our worth on results is we get a front row seat on a never-ending roller coaster of ups and downs. It’s the nature of baseball and you can’t control it. This ride saps all enjoyment from the game and has burned out many a player (especially over the course of a 162 game season.)

My suggestion is to take control of what you can take control of. While you can’t control whether you walk away from a game with four hits, you can control how well you pulled for the guys on your team. You can give up your at-bat and bunt a guy into scoring position. You can run the bases intelligently. As a catcher, you can control how much you helped your pitching staff by calling a good game or blocking the ball. In short, you can control how good a teammate you are.

If you base how great a game you had on how good a teammate you were, I’ll guarantee a couple things. One, you’ll have a lot more fun. And two, the Baseball Gods will reward you with the best statistical season you ever had. Don’t ask me how, the game was just designed that way. Remember, results are just a by-product of your approach to the game.

The simple fact is, when the team does well, everybody shines.

“Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.” ~ Magic Johnson

Till next week, good luck, have fun, and keep your eye on the ball.