Blake Barthol

The position of catcher is one of the most important jobs on the baseball field. Some people compare the catcher to the point guard in basketball or the quarterback in football. I disagree with both of those comparisons.

This year, the Giants won the Super Bowl. Who got credit for leading the way, the quarterback. When a NBA team wins the championship, many times they talk about how the point guard led the team the whole way. When a team wins the World Series, how often have you heard people talk about the great job the catcher did handling the staff or how well he blocked balls? The answer most of you will give is, never.

I always compare the catcher to a head coach. He is the field general. He needs to know everything about everything. He needs to know all of the bunt plays, all of the relay situations, all of his pitchers, all of the opposing hitters, all of the defensive alignments, and the list goes on and on. The part that I think I love the most is, when the game is over, where does everybody go……….to the pitcher.

When I work with a group of catchers, I always give them a list of things a catcher MUST do. The list starts off by telling them that they must catch every ball (easier said than done), it continues with things like blocking balls in the dirt, dealing with the umpire, and knowing the signs. After I go through all the things I think they should handle, I mention the most important job of the catcher……………….HANDLE THE PITCHING STAFF. Take notice, I did not say hit home runs, hit for a .300 average, or drive in 3 runs a game, HANDLE THE PICTHING STAFF. The great catchers are the ones that are not even noticed. Next big league game you watch, try to take notice to the little things the catcher does. You will be amazed at all the things he is responsible for throughout the game.

As coaches, we have to remember that catching is probably the toughest position on the field, but often overlooked during practice. Take time during your practices to work with your catchers. Don't forget little things like practicing to catch the ball. Even at the big league level, during spring training, they do drills that work on receiving. Again, the goal is to catch every ball. As a coach, if you take pride in developing a good catcher, you will find that your team will follow his lead. So on those hot, humid, summer days and your team just won a nail biter, don't forget to give thanks to the unsung hero on the field………THE CATCHER.