Brent Mayne

Today’s Tip: A Simple Way to Improve Your “Pop Time”

Yogi Berra reaching out a little too much to receive a pitch to Ted Williams.

Here’s another catching tip…

Everyone is concerned with “pop times.” That is, the time taken from the instant a pitch hits a catchers glove to the moment it strikes the glove of the middle infielder at second base. Generally speaking, a decent time at the big league level is about 2 seconds. A great time would be something like a 1.8. So, as you can see, the difference between average and great is about the time it takes for someone to blink.

There are many different ways to shave those precious tenths of a second and improve pop times. Unfortunately, we can’t focus on velocity too much because, for the most part, either God blessed you with a canon or he didn’t. We’ve got to figure out a way to get it done with what we’ve got. There are ways to be creative though, and one of the simplest is to let the pitch travel.

Basically, it boils down to the fact that an incoming pitch can travel much faster than you can reach out, catch it, bring it back toward your body and make an exchange to the throwing hand. Make sense? Let the ball travel and make the glove-to-hand exchange closer to your body, especially if you can make the pitch end up somewhere between your shoulders. You can tinker with the distance, but I think receiving the ball about 12-18 inches from the chest is about right.

Obviously, if a pitch is extreme (outside your body), you must extend to catch the ball and bring it all back to the midline to make an exchange. But if the pitch is around your body, fight the urge to reach out and get it. Use the superior speed of the ball and make the glove to hand exchange closer to your body for more efficient times.

It’s not a big thing, but not much is when it comes to pop times. It can easily save a tenth of a second though, and transform you from just a guy to THE GUY.

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

Today’s Tip: A Catcher’s Body Language

My trying to project strong body language even in the powder blue KC uniform.

Here’s another catching tip…

Once in a while during a game I’ll notice a catcher acting inappropriately. Let me present a situation which happened the other day and I’ll explain. It was the first game of the season and the pitcher was obviously nervous. The poor kid was all over the place, bouncing some pitches and air mailing others. He was trying, but really struggling.

Meanwhile, the catcher was throwing attitude. Judging by his body language, he seemed sort of annoyed. Like the pitcher was inconveniencing him by making him chase the ball around a bit. Whether the catcher actually felt that way or not was irrelevant. It’s how I saw it. And if interpreted it that way, do you think it might be possible that a college or pro scout might too?

Simply put, your body language is VERY important. People are always evaluating and trying to make judgements on your attitude. Many times, these snap judgements are based on how you look. Most folks just don’t have time to get to know you as a person. It’s along the same vein as wearing your uniform correctly. The point is, don’t give anyone an excuse to write you off.

And the reality is this. As a catcher, you’re there to help. You are there to be of service to the guy on the mound and make his life easier. Not the other way around. You’re the focal point of the field and need to lead. A lot of good leadership can come without words, just by your body language.

Honestly, I loved it when a pitcher was struggling. While I obviously felt bad for the guy, what a golden opportunity. It’s a chance to show off my range and blocking abilities. Plus, helping a pitcher out of a bind builds trust and that strong, intangible pitcher/catcher relationship.

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

Today’s Tip: The Left Knee and Throwing Out Base Stealers

Mike Scioscia demonstrating a powerful throwing position.

Here’s another catching tip…

In previous tips, I’ve talked about the importance of both timing and coming out of the crouch low (like an airplane taking off) when trying to throw out potential base stealers.

An additional movement that tends to enhance both the above practices has to do with the left knee. After the runner steals and the pitcher releases the ball, slowly push your left knee towards the right. Make sure that the rest of your body doesn’t rotate to the right, just the knee. You can mess around with the speed of this move to find a tempo that feels comfortable. Think of it as a timing mechanism that’s similar to how a hitter’s hands might push back to go forward before striking the ball.

This is an especially valuable tool for those catchers who have a tendency to rush or who’s first movement when a runner goes is for their butt to rise. Done correctly, this left knee “slide” will keep you back longer and help you “stay in your legs” as you throw. Which all ultimately leads to a catcher who throws from a powerful base with proper timing.

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

Today’s Tip: In the Right Place at the Right Time

Me warming up Andy Petite during the 2010 All Star game.

Here’s another catching tip…

Part of being a good catcher is being of service to your teammates. And being helpful to your teammates means being where you’re supposed to be on time (or better yet, early) without being told by your coach.

Let’s take a couple situations and I’ll show you what I mean. First, let’s look at the catcher’s responsibilities to his pitching staff and bullpens. Simply put, a pitcher should never have to wait on a catcher. Ever. If a guy is scheduled to throw a bullpen, you should be down there with your gear on a couple minutes before it starts. Even if that means missing a few swings during batting practice. Better yet, communicate with the rest of your BP group and tell them you’ve got to leave early and get your swings in first.

Secondly, it’s especially important during games that you’re ready to warm up guys – both in the pen and between innings. Never disrupt a starting pitcher’s pre-game warm up routine because you’re late to the pen. You should be waiting for him. And between innings, make sure that you’ve designated someone to warm up the pitcher until you can get the gear on after you hit or run the bases. If you’re not starting that day, pay attention to where the starting catcher is offensively so you can pick him up.

Basically, a good catcher should be everywhere without being told. In order to do this successfully, you’ve got to be a couple steps ahead of the coaches and pitchers. Follow the game closely and recognize when you might be needed in the pen, or needed as a pitch hitter or defensive replacement. Be warm and ready when the coach turns to you and be there waiting for pitchers when they need to throw.

Doing this will keep you in the game, give your coaches one less thing to think about, and allow your pitching staff to complete their routines uninterrupted. Your team will appreciate and respect the fact that you care enough to be consistently in the right place at the right time.

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

Today’s Tip: “Do You Practice Throwing to 2nd Enough?”

Carlos Ruiz throwing the ball to second base.

Here’s another catching tip…

Topping the wish list of just about every catcher is a desire to throw out more runners at second. It’s probably the biggest request I get when I teach the position.

So my first question back to the aspiring catcher is “how often do you practice throwing to second?” Nine times out of ten, it’s not a whole lot.

Here’s the deal. Throwing to second is very timing dependent. It’s very similar to hitting in this respect. And how much do you practice hitting? Just about every day, right? It would be silly to expect yourself to walk into a game situation, have good timing, and get hits if you only practiced once or twice a month.

Since throwing is every bit as timing dependent as hitting, how can you expect yourself to perform if you rarely practice? It’s simple. If you want to get better at it, do it. Even in the middle of a big league season, I’d still be out on the field 3-4 times a week making throws to second. And that’s with a 100 plus game catching workload.

You don’t have to blow it out or over do it. 10-15 throws using about 75 percent velocity every other day will do the trick. You might toss the last few at game speed. Make a commitment to yourself to consistently practice your throwing mechanics to second and I’ll guarantee you’ll see improvement in game results.

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