Here I am over-communicating with umpire Mike Reilly.

Here’s another catching tip….

As a catcher, you MUST communicate.

You don’t need to be a “rah-rah” guy, a cheerleader, or possess an out-going personality; however, you’ve gotta come out of your shell enough to risk embarrassment and verbally help your teammates.

You are the focal point of the infield, the closet player to the coach, and the only defender who looks out onto the field of play. You have a perfect perspective from which to direct traffic.

Here are a few simple suggestions passed on to me from Australian coach/scout Peter Gahan. These are automatic catcher responses to particular game situations. Memorize them and speak up every time they occur.

1. A bunter at the plate: “Stay alive”, etc.
2. Left Handed Hitter up to bat: (to pitcher) “Be ready to cover 1B.”
3. Ground ball to the right side: (to pitcher) “Get over!”
4. 2 out, runner on 2B: “Diving, keep the ball in the infield.”
5. 2 out, full count, runners moving on the pitch: “Going over to 1st base on a ground ball.”

These are just a few of many opportunities you’ll have to help out your teammates and become the defensive leader of your team. Pay attention and add to this list.

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

Tony Pena spicing things up with a creative catching stance.

Here’s another catching tip….

Watching a catcher do the same thing – squat, catch ball, toss back – for three hours is about exciting as watching paint dry.

As much as anything, baseball is entertainment. Here’s a suggestion on how you can do your part as a catcher to bring some showmanship, creativity, and energy to your position.

In a non-blocking, non-throwing situation (less than two strikes, less than three balls, and nobody on base) mix up your squatting style.

Here’s just a few of the many benefits that come from using multiple stances.
1. It’ll give your pitcher a different look (which is especially helpful if he’s struggling to find the zone.)
2. Breaking the one-stance monotony is fun and will help keep you mentally engaged for the whole game.
3. It’ll set you apart from the masses and help you get noticed.
4. Varying your stances will make you appear to have bounce and brings positive energy to your defense.

Remember though, it’s only for the non-blocking, non-throwing situations!

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

Paint Wite-Out on your fingers to help pitchers see signals.

Here’s another catching tip….

There’s nothing worse than a pitcher who can’t see the catcher’s signs. A pleasant 2.5 hour game can easily turn into an ugly 3 hour marathon when the battery can’t get their communications straight.

Getting crossed up sucks, and trying to catch when you’re unsure whether the pitcher is actually going to throw the fastball you signaled for or some other pitch is no fun either.

The fact is, pitchers don’t see very well (or else they’d be hitters, right?) I’m kidding…kind of. In all seriousness, sometimes shadows created by a catcher’s knees makes it very difficult to see.

One solution would be to open up the sign stance or give the signals higher or lower. However, doing so might give the opposition a chance to peek in and introduces a whole new set of problems.

I’ve found the best idea is to keep a bottle of Wite-Out handy. Paint the back of your signal hand fingers making them easier to see. This works better than tape because it won’t interfere with your throwing feel. In a pinch, if you don’t have the Wite-Out, moisten the back of your hand and drag it along the white chalk of the base line to illuminate the fingers.

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

Proper blocking technique helps a catcher keep wild pitches close to his body.

Here’s another catching tip….

Blocking the ball effectively means keeping a bounced pitch in front of your body and making sure the resulting ricochet stays close enough to stop base runners from advancing.

Let’s focus on the second part of the equation – keeping the ricochet close to your body. To consistently accomplish this, a few things must happen. First, the receiver’s body must be square to the incoming bounce. Secondly, the catcher must stop moving by the time he and the ball collide.

The resulting impact when two moving objects (ball and catcher) bounce off each other is explosive. Conversely, if the catcher is quick enough to be waiting for a wild pitch, the ricochet will be muted.

Now for the cherry on top. To take your blocking to the next level, EXHALE when you and the ball meet. This will soften your body and further deaden the impact. Is a ball going to bounce farther off a wall or a pillow?

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

Roger Bresnahan and Honus Wagner...simpler times and shorter games.

Here’s another catching tip….

The catcher impacts the pace of a game more than just about everyone else on the field. In basketball it’s the point guard who has the option to push action or stall. In baseball, the catcher controls momentum.

As a receiver, you must take responsibility and realize that how quickly you move, give signs, catch the ball, and get it back to the pitcher has a direct impact on the length of a game.

Make no mistake about it, baseball is a game played slowly. It’s easy and comfortable to play this way. Matter of fact, ninety nine percent of all people playing this game ONLY know how to compete at a leisurely pace. Use this fact to your advantage!

Catchers, if you can learn how to hustle and play quickly, you’ll add another weapon to your defensive arsenal and have a positive impact on the game. Here are but a few of the benefits. You’ll help your pitcher find a groove and minimize the amount of time he has to think (a good thing). You’ll disrupt the offense’s rhythm and help keep your defense on it’s toes. Not to mention, you’ll make it home in time to eat dinner, do your homework, and maybe even watch some TV!

So, take control. Bounce around and push the pace. Let’s get rid of the 3.5 hour game. Trust me, your coach will love you more, the fans will love you more, and your girlfriend will love you more. But most importantly, I’ll love you more.

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

Proper hand position of "the four-seam grip."

Here’s another catching tip….

It never hurts to review the basics, and this is an important one.  As a catcher (or any position player for that matter), you must throw the ball with a four-seam grip!

Unless you’re pitching, you want the trajectory of the ball to stay true and straight. The rotation which results from using a four-seam grip will consistently create this path.

Gripping any other way will cause ball flight to dive, cut, sink, or rise.  Unfortunately, you may do everything else correctly only to have your throw move off target at the last moment.

Pay attention and consciously find this grip everytime you warm up.  Never throw a ball without it!  When you’re at home watching TV, flip a ball in the air and practice coming up with four seams quickly.  Make it second nature so you won’t need to think about it come game time.

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

We no longer have to put our bare hand in this situation thanks to Johnny Bench and the “modern glove.”

Here’s another catching tip….

By adding a “break” in the catcher’s glove back in 1969, Randy Hundley and Johnny Bench changed everything. Now catching is a one-handed position, just like first base.

This quantum leap in equipment design allowed post-1970 catchers to safely maximize their athletic abilities. The old glove required two hands to catch which  pulled the upper body out of alignment (athleticism) and opened one up to serious finger injuries. With the modern glove, we’re safer because the bare hand isn’t involved in receiving the ball. Plus the upper body can stay “stacked” and more upright when the arms can work independently of one another.

So, in a non-throwing/non-blocking situation, keep the bare hand behind the body, protected and out of the way.

And even if you choose to have the bare hand out in front of the body in a throwing/blocking situation, make sure it doesn’t follow the glove out to receive the ball. It’s only there to aid with transition and works independently from the glove.

There are two exceptions to this rule. Try to use two hands when you’re catching a pop fly and when you’re tagging a runner out.

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

Control the reaction of blocked balls by getting in position quickly.

Here’s another catching tip…

Before we explore today’s tip, first let’s review a few requirements for the successful blocking a wild pitch. Remember, blocking is really three things combined into one. First, the bounced ball must hit the catcher squarely in the chest area. Second, the resulting ricochet must stay close to his body. And to complete the play, the catcher must have enough athleticism to bounce on the block and throw out an aggressive base runner.

For today’s purposes, let’s take a better look at the second part – keeping the block close. If you recall, the reaction of two things moving towards and colliding with each other is going to be dramatic. In other words, if a catcher is still moving when the ball strikes his chest, the ricochet is going to bounce too far from his body to be effective. To best control and predict the trajectory of a blocked ball, the catcher must have stopped his forward momentum by the time he and ball meet.

I’ve seen a wide variety of blocking methods, but almost all the good ones share this common trait. That is, good blockers get down quickly and with violent conviction. I’ve yet to see someone get the job done consistently with slow, soft movements. For some reason when you go at a block lethargically, the body never completes it’s movement and the ricochet becomes impossible to control.

So to sum it up and to simplify, make all of your blocks one speed – fast. Regardless of the pitch’s velocity, be it a slow breaking ball or a fast ball, your reaction if it’s in the dirt is going to be violent and quick. With that commitment, it just boils down to timing. Obviously, for an over-the-top curve you’re just going to wait longer than a hard slider to start the whole process.

Once comfortable with the timing, the violent blocking technique ultimately allows a catcher to stop body movement at the right time and control the ricochet of a wild pitch. And when a catcher can do that, his pitching staff can go for the strike out and stay down in the zone with confidence.

Till next time, have fun, play hard, and keep your eye on the ball…

Grind it out till the last out of the last game of the season.

Here’s another catching tip…

Alright, we’re almost there. The end of the season is right around the corner and you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve caught 130 plus games. You’re tired, I get it. You’re hurt, I get it. You’re teams out of the race, I get it. Trust me, I’ve been there.

But that’s still no excuse for not busting your ass till the end. Keep pushing yourself to hustle out to your position. Challenge yourself to pounce on balls that get away from you – whether they dribble a foot or ten feet away, whether a man is on base or not. Sprint to back up first base on ground balls to the infield. Keep moving, keep bouncing, keep working hard!

Here’s why. As a catcher, you set the tone for the whole defense. You’re the focal point. Do you think a third baseman or a middle infielder or an outfielder is going to dog it after he watches you bouncing all over the place in game 150? Absolutely not. Your job behind the dish is fifty times more demanding than everyone else’s, and if you’re hustling they have to as well.

You can lead as much as you want with your mouth, but to me, this is the type of leadership that works. Leadership by example. And if I can do it, or Jason Kendall or Mike Matheny, or any number of pro’s can do it after playing 150 games in 150 degree heat, there is absolutely no excuse for an amateur at any level not to do it.

You’ll feel better about yourself, you’ll be a better teammate, and you’ll give people evaluating you the impression that you’re tough. Bouncing around also gives the illusion that you’re light on your feet and faster than you actually might be.

I know it’s hard. But I’m pretty sure it’s not as hard as a “real” job.

Till next time, have fun, work hard, and keep your eye on the ball…

Yadier Molina is one of the best throwing catchers in baseball.

Here’s another catching tip…

First off, let’s get something straight. As a catcher, you must understand there’s many things that are out of your control which will determine how effectively you throw out runners. How quickly the pitcher delivers the ball to the plate, how big a jump the runner gets, and how well the middle infielders cover and handle your throw are but a few of these components.

You can only do what you can do. Ultimately, that would mean an accurate toss with a sub two second pop time. From there, the rest is up to the baseball gods.

So, here’s something that helped me consistently do my job to the best of my ability. Once the pitch was thrown and I noticed that the runner was stealing, I made a conscious effort to just focus on the ball. Like I said, it’s out of your hands whether he got a great jump or your pitcher is slow to the plate. What’s in your hands is how quickly you can turn that pitch around and put it over second base.

Instead of keeping one eye on the progress of the stealer and one eye on the pitch, just focus on the ball and your timing. Once that guy goes, it’s simply becomes a dance between you and the incoming pitch. The rest is out of your control anyway. If you’re reacting and adjusting to the runner, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree and sacrificing consistency.

Throwing out base stealers in this way will help you stay within yourself. You’ll end up throwing some guys out by ten feet and some by an eyelash. Ultimately, it’ll insure you throw out the ones you should throw out and help you sleep at night knowing you did your best.

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