Tip of the Week: “A Defensive Slump?”
January 9, 2010
"Hindu"
Here’s another catching tip….
The other day somebody asked me a question I’d never heard before. The question was, does defense slump? Interesting. Maybe discussing this might help someone.
Heck yes, defense slumps. Geez, just ask Steve Sax, Mackey Sasser, Chuck Knoblauch, or anyone who’s ever had that throwing thing. That’s the most obvious kind of defensive slump. But even if it’s not that dramatic, we all go through defensive ups and downs.
For us catchers, let’s take throwing out base stealers for example. Since success in this arena is so timing dependent (just like hitting) we’re all prone to hot and cold streaks. In addition, there’s so many variables that are out of our control (the baserunner’s jump, the pitcher’s delivery time, etc.) This might be similar to a hitter enduring a period where he’s centering the ball but constantly lining out.
I considered myself as good a receiver, game-caller, and blocker as anyone in my day, but I definitely had times when my thumb hurt because I was miscatching the ball. There were also extended times when I had no idea what to call…every number I put down got crushed (bad fingers). And most of the time I knew the ball wasn’t going to get by me, but there were streaks where I felt a step behind and doubted my ability to block the ball.
So I say all of this to (hopefully) ease your mind. Yes, just like your offensive game, you will go through defensive highs and lows. Because the fact is, failure is built into every facet of baseball…ups and downs, ins and outs, hot streaks and cold. It’s just a matter of accepting this truth and figuring out a way persevere and have fun. My advice is don’t get too giddy when you’re good or too low when you’re bad. Just remember, this too will change. What shouldn’t change is you’re zeal for the game.
Maybe this quote from Dave “Hindu” Henderson will help you understand….
“We’re ballplayers. We fail most of the time.”
Till next week, good luck, have fun, and keep your eye on the ball.
I really enjoy your tips. I play catcher at Royals Fantasy on George Brett’s team, but your tips help me most by understanding the game more at The K. Thanks for sharing. Stephen “Niner” Cloud