Catcher Technique - Part 1

 Photo credit: Andrea Wlazlowski

The Fundamentals

Catcher is the most difficult position on the field to play.

The responsibility of the catcher goes way beyond just receiving pitches.  He is the on-field general of the defense and is involved in every single play.

The responsibility of the catcher includes:

• Calling the pitch based on:
• the strengths and weaknesses of the pitcher
• the way the batter is setup in the box
• batter's history of at-bats
  
• the count
• the location and speed of the base runners (if any)
• Calling for a pick-off or pitch-out when the runner has a big lead
• Appealing check swings if he thinks the batter went around
• Calling out plays on 1st and 3rd situations
• Calling the base to throw to from the outfield on a well-struck ball
• Establishing and keeping a good rapport with the umpire
• Helping dial in a struggling pitcher with pitch selection, setup position, and psychology.  A good catcher knows when to call time and go talk to his pitcher.
• Establishing confidence of the pitcher and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of all pitchers on the team

The catcher has to be tough enough to take a ball off an arm or foot, a kneecap, a thigh, or a crotch, walk it off and then get back into position to maybe take another one.

A good catcher is hard to find and understanding how to play the catcher position takes years of study, hard work, and practice.

I have found very few good tutorials or videos about playing the catcher position but have come up with some fundamentals over 17 years of coaching that I would like to share.

This is the first post of a two part series.  The first will discuss getting prepared for the game, setting up and receiving the ball, then making a throw down to catch a stealing runner or picking off a runner with too big of a lead.

Part II will discuss pitch selection and some of the more subtle nuances of playing the position.

Preparing for the Game

Field Conditions

As with all defensive positions, the catcher should walk out to his position before the game starts and look for obstacles and field conditions.

He should step off the distance between his stance and and the fence directly behind him and to his left and right so that he can "feel" if he is getting close when playing a high pop-up.

He should look at what kind of backstop is behind him.  Is it a foam pad that will kill the momentum of the ball and drop it right at the bottom of the fence or is there a concrete wall or ledge where the ball could hit and bounce back quickly?

Know Your Umpire

One of the most critical parts of being a catcher is establishing a good rapport with the umpire.  This is easier to do when you are frequently playing with the same umpires.  As much as they are trained not to, human nature dictates that if an umpire feels he/she is being disrespected, fewer calls will go your way.  I know this because I have had umpires tell me they do it over and over.

One umpire told me before a game: "You see that kid?  Last time I umpired them his mom was really loud and rude to me throughout the whole game."  Another umpire told me "I had a dad once who was riding me the whole game.  He even followed me to the parking lot after the game constantly riding me until I drove away.  Next time I umpired their game I told the batter 'you're going to walk'.  All four first pitches were right down the middle and all four of them were balls.  Then his bad started apologizing profusely from the stands." And then he laughed.

I once saw a meme on Facebook of a catcher who had "I love umpires!" written in red on the back of his helmet!

The bottom line is, whether it is conscious or not, if the umpire likes the catcher/pitcher battery they are like to get more of those "could go either way" calls going their way.  The catcher should make it a point to introduce himself to the umpire before the game and shake his/her hand before.  Friendly banter throughout the game never hurts either.

Pausing the ball where it is caught for 2 or 3 seconds waiting for the call you want or audible sighs after a pitch will get an umpire grumpy really quick as will comments or body language if the catcher feels the umpire is getting it wrong.  A good catcher will maintain a good rapport with the umpire and let the coach interact with them if there is a consistent problem.

On the other side, when on offense, a catcher with a good rapport with the umpire might also find that those "could go either way" pitches go his way as well when he is up to bat.

Last, and probably the most important thing about knowing your umpire is understanding where his/her strike zone is. Although the rulebook defines the strike zone, each umpire will have his own interpretation of that rule.  In younger age groups when players are just learning to pitch most umpires will give at least one ball width to the inside and as many as 2 to the outside so that every player doesn't walk.  As the players get older this zone shrinks down to the actual rule, but where the upper and lower bounds of the strike zone are is determined by the umpire and every umpire will be different.

By learning quickly where the strike zone is, a catcher can know best where to setup to receive the pitch so that he can get those corner calls more often than not.

Know Your Opponent and your Pitcher

In many (if not most) games, you will be playing against an opponent you have played before and have knowledge of the batters you will face and their strengths and weaknesses.

You will also know which pitcher will start the game and should have a good understanding of that pitcher's strengths and weaknesses as well as what pitches they can throw well and which they can throw, but not as consistently.

Before the game, the starting pitcher and catcher should have a bullpen session to get the pitcher warmed up to come into the game.  During this bullpen session the pitcher and catcher will gauge which pitches are working well that day and which are not.  They should discuss how the pitcher is feeling that day and in which pitches they have confidence based on the bullpen work.

As the game progresses and the pitcher gets into a rhythm and gets a good feel for the ball, those secondary pitches may be easier to throw.  The pitcher or catcher can call timeout during a game to discuss it if anything changes during the course of the game.

When a relief pitcher comes into the game the catcher should always get them warmed up and then go out to the mound and talk to them to find out how they are feeling and with which pitches they feel most confident.

Receiving the Ball

One of the hardest things to master as a catcher is receiving the ball properly into the glove.  The glove is shaped differently than other gloves and the way you catch the ball with the glove is also different.  I always require any newer catchers to always use their catcher's mitt when warming up.  The more they use it the easier it will be to use.

Thumb Down: The catcher's mitt should be used as much as possible almost like you're wearing a puppet on your hand.  The thumb points down and the other fingers point up.  Whether catching the ball close to the ground our high above the head the mitt stays horizontal with the thumb down and the fingers up.  See the picture of the secondary catcher position below for an example.  The only exceptions to this are when the ball is so far to the glove side or high that you have to full extend to catch the ball.

Frame It: The catcher never pushes the glove toward the ball.  He sets up where he wants the ball and leaves it there until the pitch is thrown.¹ As the ball makes contact with the glove the catcher tries to "absorb" the impact allowing the pressure of contact assist in pulling the ball slightly back toward the middle of the strike zone and toward the catcher's body.  This movement is not a foot or more, it is a few inches.  If the movement is to drastic then the umpire will see the catcher trying to frame it and you likely will not get the call.

If the glove is pushing the ball away from the strike zone on a pitch on the corner then the pitch is more likely to be called a ball.  If the ball is squeezed in the glove and pulled back toward the strike zone then those close calls on the corner will more than likely be called a strike.

Importantly, this is a subtle move and not six or 8 inches.  It should be 2 or 3 inches at the most.  Major league catchers are masters at this subtle movement and can make the pitcher a hero for "hitting the corner" even if that ball is an inch or more out of the strike zone.  This applies not to just inside and outside pitches, but also pitches at the top and bottom of the zone.

Block It, Don't Catch It:  Another thing it is difficult for a catcher to understand is that on low pitches in the dirt, their job is to block the ball and not to catch the ball.  This goes against every instinct of a non-catcher who has been taught his entire life to catch the ball.  Many times a catcher will try to catch a bouncing ball in the pocket of the glove and as a result is gets between the legs or to the side and goes to the backstop allowing runners to advance and even possibly score.  Bounces are unpredictable (especially around the plate) and the average player will miss more of these than they will catch.

When the ball is in the dirt the catcher's mitt becomes a wall to keep the ball from getting "through the wickets".  The knees collapse to the dirt with the glove between the legs and the throwing hand behind the mitt to protect it.  The arms are pulled out to the sides as far as they can be with the mitt still blocking the "five hole" as the catcher "gets big" to try to use every part of his body to block the ball.

While he is in this position he wants to position his body such that when the ball makes contact with his chest protector or glove (hopefully) it bounces back toward home plate.  If the ball is to his left and he moves toward the ball while angled toward third base and the ball makes contact with his gear it will likely bounce down the third base line still allowing enough time for runners to advance.  The same is the case for the first base line.  If, however, the catcher angles his body such that when the ball makes contact it bounces back toward home plate, he has a better chance of throwing the runner out and most runners will not attempt to advance if the ball is in front of the catcher.

The Catcher Positions

There are three basic positions a catcher can assume during the course of a pitch.  The first is the position when giving the sign to the catcher.  We will call this "position one" or the "primary position".

The Primary Position

In position one, the Primary Position, the catcher squats with both knees pointed generally to the middle infield positions.  The left knee points to the shortstop, the right knee points toward the second baseman.  His glove is vertical (with his thumb pointing to the sky) and his glove hand is resting on his left knee (for a right-handed catcher).  The position of the glove helps to protect from the 3rd base coach stealing signs.

While in this position, the catcher surveys the field looking for the position of the runners and deciding how to play the next pitch.

The catcher places his wrist against his cup and prepares to give the pitcher the sign being careful not to allow his fingers to drop below his thigh and expose the sign to the coaches and runners.

Pitcher Pick-Offs

While in the primary position, the catcher observes every runner and looks for the size of the lead and any body language being exhibited.  Many times, if the runner is going to steal, they will get a bigger lead and will sometimes lean toward the base to which they plan to run.  A catcher should get used to watching and remembering a runner's body language so the next time they come up to bat, it is easier to spot a difference when they are planning to steal.  A good catcher will take advantage of a less experienced runner.

Sometimes a coach who doesn't conceal their signs well will also telegraph when they are calling for a steal.  If a catcher can pick up on poorly concealed signs he can know when the steal is called for.

If the runner has a very large lead and looks like they are going to steal, the catcher may give the pitcher the sign for a pick-off attempt.

With more than one runner on base, the catcher will give two signs.  The first sign is to indicate a pick-off and the second sign indicates to which base the pick-off attempt should be thrown. 

Typically, if a pick-off is called for by the catcher, the pitcher does not check the runner (which could cause the runner to reduce the size of their lead).  Instead, the pitcher nods to acknowledge the call and then continues to watch the catcher, waiting for the catcher's signal to go.

When the catcher sees that that runner is well off the base or has leaned toward the next base in an attempt to get a good jump, he will flip his glove showing the pitcher the back side of the glove.  This is the pitcher's signal to attempt the pick-off.

Catcher Pick-Offs

Another thing that a catcher can notice while he is surveying the field before a pitch is a base runner who is lazy getting back to the base after a pitch, or who turns his back on the ball and walks back to the base, or is otherwise not paying attention.

If this happens the catcher can make a snap throw behind the runner to try to pick him off.  This requires that the catcher be watching the runners before every pitch and is looking for opportunities for the pick-off.

It is extremely important that the throw be accurate, especially if trying to pick off a runner at 3rd.  If the ball is not thrown well the runner will advance and a 3rd base runner will score.

Catcher pick-offs also may not be appropriate to a runner at 1st if there is a runner on 2nd and/or 3rd and the first baseman doesn't have the arm to field the ball and then try to throw the another base runner who attempts to steal on the throw.

This requires good judgement on the part of the catcher and all throws must be accurate.

Overly Aggressive (Cocky) Runners

One important thing that we also work on is catching a runner who takes off before the pitcher begins his motion to deliver the ball.  Many times, especially in youth league games, the cocky runner will try to get a bigger jump by taking off before the pitcher goes into his motion, or will get an extremely large lead-off.

With an extremely large lead-off and a fast runner, picking off to 1st base will allow the runner enough time to get to 2nd before the 1st baseman can field the throw and get the ball down to 2nd.

In this case, the catcher needs an additional sign which tells the pitcher to step off the rubber and run at the runner.  This does not need to be a covert sign because the runnier is too far off the base to get back or to the next base.  Our catcher will normally just stand up and point at the runner so the pitcher knows where to run.

The pitcher then just steps off the rubber and runs directly at the runner making him choose which base he wants to attempt to reach.  Once the runner has committed, the pitcher throws the ball to that base for the out.  Cocky runners should be out every time.

Pitch-Outs

The catcher may decide that the runner is going on the pitch, but is not far enough off the base for a pick-off to be effective.  If the pitcher is ahead in the count and the runner is fast enough that the catcher decides he wants to make the exchange as quickly as possible, he may call for a pitch-out.

Normally, the catcher will call for a pitch-out by either putting his hand out in a direction away from the batter or some other sign to indicate he wants a pitch-out - like a thumb or pinky finger pointing to the outside of the batter.

When a pitch-out is called, the pitcher intentionally throws the ball a foot or more out of the strike zone away from the batter.  The catcher is expecting the wide pitch and moves immediately toward the ball as the pitch is throw to field it and make the throw.  In this case, the batter doesn't wait for the ball to come to him from his catcher position, he jumps forward out of his stance and catches the ball at or inside the baseline making the throw down to second or third a lot shorter.

Importantly, the ball must be so far outside that the batter is not tempted to take a swing at it.  If they do then the bat could hit the catcher causing injury or at the very least, giving the batter first base on the catcher's interference.

When the pitch is delivered the catcher is required to be in the catcher's box to avoid the catcher's balk (see Catcher's Balk below).  Once the ball is delivered, however, the catcher can leave the catcher's box to field the ball.

Since he will be fielding the ball at or in front of the plate, he is closer to the target and since his momentum is moving forward can get more power behind the throw providing a higher chance of throwing the runner out.

If a pick-off is not being attempted and the runner is not overly aggressive, the pitcher nods indicating he has received the sign and the catcher switches to the secondary position.

There are two secondary positions depending whether or not there are base runners.

Secondary Position Without Base Runners

If there are no base runners the secondary position is very similar to the primary position with the exception that the glove is positioned to receive the ball rather than being vertical to block the sign.

In this case, there are no runners to throw out and this is the best position to be able to field a pop-up or be able to reach a wild pitch or block a low pitch.

Secondary Position With Base Runners

If there are base runners and the catcher believes that the runner might try to steal, or the catcher believes he can pick off a runner with a large lead, the secondary position changes.

In this case, the catcher pops up out of the primary position, dropping has back foot back a bit to be ready to make a quick throw.  His butt is higher than in the primary position so that once he makes the catch he can push off of back foot and make the quick throw down to the base.

Baseball, like most sports, is a game of inches, and every split second you can take off of the throwing motion gives a better chance of throwing a runner out.

Making the Throw Down

Making the throw down against a stealing runner or in a pick-off attempt, requires different mechanics from the catcher than any other position.

Throws to first and third can be complicated by the presence of a batter in the left or right batter's box and the catcher should be prepared to avoid the batter when making the throw.

Batter's Interference

As a general rule, the batter owns the batter's box and if the batter does not move he cannot be called for interfering with the throw.  For this reason, the catcher should plan to make throws to first or third base by throwing behind any batter in the corresponding batter's box.  If the batter backs up into the throwing motion of the catcher the batter is out and the runner must return to the previous base.

The catcher should be aware of the potential obstruction caused by the batter when they are gauging the runners while in the primary position.  When they move to the secondary position they should position their body to make a good throw behind the batter.

If the batter does back up into the way of the throw, the catcher should still make the attempt to make the throw and not just passively hold the ball.

MLB rule 6.03(a)(3) states: "(A batter is out for illegal action when:) He interferes with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter’s box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher’s play at home base."

The rule does not say the batter must leave the batter's box to interfere, nor does it say that the interference must be intentional, but it must be clear that the catcher must be attempting to make the throw for the interference to be called.

The catcher should not make a wild throw in an attempt to get an interference call.  If the call is not made and the ball is thrown wild, the runner at third will likely score.

If the umpire does not catch the interference and make the call immediately, the catcher can tell him that he was unable to make the throw cleanly due to the actions of the batter, but this only applies if the catcher initially attempts to throw the ball around the batter and the batter moves into the way of the throw (or fielding of the ball).

This also applies to throws down to 2nd base if the batter swings hard and loses his balance falling over the plate and into the path of the throw.

Throwing Mechanics

The mechanics of a throw from catcher are similar, but also a bit different from the normal infielder.  The normal infielder will field the ball while in motion (charging the ball), bring the ball in the glove up to the throwing hand as a part of the fielding action, make the transfer high (around the shoulder), and  then pull the throwing arm all the way back to make the throw.

The catcher is not just still, but squatting when receiving the ball, and is hopefully already in the throwing position when he receives the ball.

When the pitch is delivered and it is seen by the catcher that the runner is in motion, his body starts to move into the throwing position as the ball is in the air so that once he receives it he can bring the glove containing the ball up to about shoulder height, just like a normal infielder, but instead of a full arm throw, will take the ball from the glove, step directly to the base to which they will throw (behind the batter, if necessary), and make a throw, expecting the batter to stay where they are to avoid interference.

The runner stealing a base (or returning to a base if it is a pick-off attempt) must be tagged out - there is no force.  Therefore, the catcher should aim to throw the ball on the runner's side of the base so that the least amount of movement by the base player is necessary to make the tag.  Ideally, the ball should be placed one to two feet to the runner's side of the base about six inches off the ground.

This way the base player can catch the ball and the natural momentum of making the catch carries the ball into the runner's path for the out.

Blocking a Low Pitch 

The responsibility of the catcher on a wild pitch in the dirt is not to try to pick the ball like a 1st baseman would.  The responsibility of the catcher is to block the pitch to keep the ball in front of him and close to home plate.  The ball need not be caught to discourage a stolen base or prevent a score, it just needs to stay near the catcher.

To achieve this goal, for a pitch in the dirt the catcher will "make himself big" while dropping his glove with the fingers pointed down and glove touching the ground between the catchers legs and the knees pulled in to eliminate any hole between the legs (the 5 hole in hockey parlance).  The throwing hand is tucked in behind the glove to protect it with the arms "puffed out" to make himself as big as possible.

If the ball is outside or inside, the catcher will also try to angle his body/chest toward the plate so that when the ball skips off the ground and hits his body (hopefully his chest protector) it will bounce back toward home plate and not down the 1st or 3rd base line.

Remember, it is the catcher's job to block the wild pitch, not to catch it.

For a good example of how to block a low pitch see this video from Ripken Baseball.

Returning the Ball to the Pitcher

If there are no steals or pick-offs to worry about, making a good throw back to the pitcher is extremely important.  Pitchers are most effective when they can establish a rhythm.  Having to chase a ball down or otherwise having to try to catch a bad throw back can get a pitcher out of his rhythm and have a negative impact on the game.

Additionally, if there are runners on base, a bad throw could allow a runner to advance and if that runner is on 3rd base, it could even allow him to score.

Mechanics for the throw back are not complex and should be an action that feels comfortable.  The pitcher should always come down off the mound to the flat area in front of the mound to make the throw shorter and keep the catcher from having to throw it back up the mound.

Normally, the catcher does not stand between each pitch, but can do so to alleviate fatigue to knees or back.  Throw backs can happen from the secondary position, from the knees after rocking forward, or after standing.

When not standing, the catcher should understand that it takes more effort to get the ball back to the pitcher when not in a normal infield throwing motion and put a bit of extra power and loft on the throw to ensure it gets all the way back to the pitcher in the air.

Catcher's Interference

A catcher can be called for interference by interfering with the batter's ability to hit the ball in any way.  This is normally caused by putting the glove too far forward such that it gets hit by the bat during the processes of the swing.

Importantly, the play continues even when the interference happens because the offensive manager may decide he prefers the outcome of the play and declines to accept the interference call.  For this reason, a catcher should continue to make the play even if his glove is hit by the bat.

If the opposing manager chooses to accept the call then the batter is awarded first base and any runners on first are forced to second and so on.

A catcher can also interfere by blocking the plate without the ball on a play at home.  The catcher must provide room for the runner from third to score if they do not have the ball in their possession.

The catcher may move into the path of the runner in an attempt to make a play on the ball in which case the runner must attempt to go around the catcher and avoid contact.

A catcher, just like any other player, must provide room for a runner to reach the base - in this case, home plate.  If the catcher is blocking the plate without the ball and the runner cannot get to the plate around him, then defensive interference is called and the runner is awarded the base.

If the runner makes intentional contact with the catcher (or any defensive player) in an attempt to get to the base, the runner is out and if the action is egregious (normally defined as an attempt to injure the defensive player) the runner can also be ejected.

If fielding the ball caries the defensive player (catcher in this case) into the path of the runner, the defensive player has the right to make a play on the ball and the offensive player must attempt to avoid interfering with the play (see MLB Rule 6.01(i)(2) ).

Catcher's Balk

NOTE: A catcher's balk is really a balk called on the pitcher, but is caused by the catcher, so it is known as the "catcher's balk".  

It is required that the ball be fielded only by the catcher's glove or bare hand.  A catcher cannot field the ball with his helmet, hat, or any other gear than his glove or hand.  If he does so, it is a catcher's balk and the batter is awarded first base.

Additionally, as mentioned above, the catcher must be in the catcher's box when the pitch is delivered.  He may leave the box to field the pitch, but when the pitch is thrown he must be in the box.

Most youth league fields do not have a catcher's box drawn on the field, but even if the lines are not drawn, it is still there.  The catcher's box is the same size as the batter's box and extends from the rear line of each batters box straight backward six feet.  The catchers box extends to the left and right of the midpoint of the plate two feet on either side.  It is a total of four feet wide and six feet deep.

Courtesy of Baseball Rules Academy

Conclusion

Hopefully, this will help the novice catcher understand the responsibilities of the catcher position and what should be going through his mind as he prepares for each pitch, through the pitch, receiving of the pitch, and the throw back or throw down.

In the next post, we will look at pitch selection based on the batter's position, batter history, pitcher strengths and weaknesses, and the count.  We will also look at how to setup within the strike zone to receive a pitch from the pitcher.