Catching. Player Development. Catching 1 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

1) Stance & Positioning a. Signal Stance i. Feet should be 6-8 inches apart and square toe-toe to the pitcher ii. Right knee is pointed at the second baseman iii. Left knee is pointed at the SS iv. Both knees-thighs must be on the same level in crouch position v. The mitt is places with the inside of left wrist flush on outside of left knee, pointing straight ahead to block signs from 3B coach. vi. The right elbow is placed on the right hip with forearm in upper groin area. Signs are given ina relaxed clear movement with fingers and fingertip directly up against crotch/cup. vii. Head is up and relaxed. b. Positioning i. Catcher is positioned underneath, as close to behind the hitter as possible, directly behind the plate. 1. This position will a. Vary according to hitter s stance b. Allow the catcher s to catch more pitches for strike improving his framing technique especially on breaking ball. c. Allow the catcher to catch more foul tips d. Enhance ability to block ball in dirt consistently e. Cause the catcher to be a half strep quicker, closer for all throws and give the umpire a better look at strike zone c. The Stance i. Receiving Stance No one on base, less than two strikes. 1. Feet are spread approximately shoulder width, parallel toe to toe for a square base. 2. Feet toes are ducked out at least 45 degree angle balance, lateral mobility with weight equally distributed on inner balls of feet 3. The feet should be on the ground for solid base Catching 2 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

4. Rear end can be lower than knees for comfort 5. Back should be erect with chest up 6. Knees should be on the same place to keep base square and chest square and chest squared to pitcher. 7. Left arm is just above and outside left knee with elbow flexed in relaxed 90 degree angle 8. Glove target knee high to hitter, left hand and wrist in a relaxed stationary position with fingers up but tilted slightly forward for comfort and softness when receiving. 9. Right hand should be held loosely behind body near back right hand pocket. 10.Position is attained from signal stance by two different methods; a. A hop or pop into position i. By hopping, a small bounce/pop is used to spread base and balance and move the body square to pitcher in location slot/spot he wants to be. This is a subtle, controlled move. b. By sliding into position after sign has been given i. The slide will start with a slight lean to opposite side of decided location, freeing up opposite foot to spread to desired spot of location. Slide is a slow, subtle shift with trail foot following with a slight drag. 11. Important items to note; a. Timing is important to get there early enough for pitcher to have a good look, but not too early to give away location. b. When pitcher lifts his kick leg, is a general rule to start to move. c. Very important for catcher not to move up or back on FB & BB, but stay lateral when setting up. Catching 3 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

d. The Receiving Stance Man on base, two strikes on hitter i. Feet are not spread a little more than shoulder width, ducked out at 45 degree angle for maximum flexibility and mobility ii. Weight is distributed equally over inside balls of feet with heels on ground iii. Rear end is now up elevated to a position parallel to ground and knee high iv. Back I at 45 degree angle with chest and shoulders square to pitcher v. Head is up and alert vi. Right hand is now behind the glove pocket with palm facing chest and thumbnail slightly covered by forefinger in a relaxed position 1. Some catchers feel more comfortable with right hand down against inner thigh. There a lot of distance between glove and throwing hand for exchange, but if he s effective, let it go. Other like to keep their bare hand behind them at all timesfor protection. These two methods are far less effective than the hand behind mitt technique. vii. Important items to note: 1. It s important that with right hand behind glove, there s no contact with the glove as hands should work separately. 2. The man on base, two-strike stance is a constant block and throw receiving position. 3. Stances will vary in appearance due to body size, limb length, flexibility, etc. 4. All consistency of technique start from a soundreceiving stance. e. Receiving-Framing the Pitch i. The framing technique is designed to receive the ball in a manner that will make the pitch in the strike zone, look like a strike. ii. The catcher must center the ball as much as he can down the middle of the body, with a slight shift of his upper body to the ball, keeping shoulders as square as possible. Catching 4 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

The shift will allow catcher to reach more pitches effectively and prevent jabbing at ball to receive it. iii. The catcher will make the outside half of pitches on the inside and outside corner, putting mitt in position to make pitch look good and catch for a strike. The pitch must never take/carry the glove out of the strike zone. Softly catch and hold the pitch for one second for umpire. Stick it for a strike, lock it in. iv. The left wrist and elbow should remain flexed. High pitches, the mitt is positioned to catch the top of the ball- FB out front, BB caught deeper toward body to allow pitch to break. v. Low pitches in zone should be received with palm down and have subtle rise to glove when pitch is caught. All frames are fluid, not jerky, trying to catch all balls in pocket of mitt cleanly. vi. Our catchers must own the corners of the plate and a little off the plate. All close pitches should be framed for strikes. vii. All catchers should strive to catch pitches cleanly. Whether it be in the bullpen, between innings, or during the game, he must take pride in his hands and receiving skills. viii. After a sound target is given, the catcher will have a prehand movement with his glove to help soften his hand to receive the pitch. 1. The Glove Roll-Quarter Turn a. This is done by slowly turning his left thmb to the sky. His left elbow will remain stationary, only rotating his left wrist in a controlled manner. b. The glove must remain open to the pitcher. c. The glove roll/quarter turn technique will help relax the wrist/arm to help in a clean reception of the pitch. d. The timing mechanism for the start of the frame will be the lowering of the pitchers kick left. The catcher must adjust this Catching 5 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

timing to the different pitchers and deliveries. e. The roll will help receive all pitches, especially the right-handed sinker-2 seam FB and the left handed slider or cut FB. f. It also allows catcher to get his glove to ground quicker on balls in dirt. 2) Blocking ball in the dirt a. Block, don t catch the ball in the dirt. i. The catcher must block and absorb, centering the ball on chest-body and direct it straight down and out front of body so he can pounce on it to keep base runner from advancing, or complete a swinging third strike block. ii. It is preferred that our catchers block all balls in the dirtbullpen, warm-ups and game. iii. It is very important that our catchers are mentally geared to block everything, at all times. 1. The ball in front of the plate, after anticipating and recognizing ball out of pitcher s hand, in dirt out front, catcher will explode to his knees coming to the ball to cut down angle of ball. b. Mechanics of blocking pitches in the dirt. i. Knees spread as wide as possible when they hit ground for widest possible base, forcing crotch as close to ground as possible to help use upper body and chest for block. ii. Knees must square up to ball and pitcher. iii. Shoulders roll forward, and remain squared to ball, to help direct ball block down in front of catcher. iv. The glove is placed down to the ground directly in front of crotch. v. The hand is placed behind the glove with palm on back of glove vi. Both hands are placed in a palms up position with thumb tucked of bare hand for protection. vii. The elbow lay on top of hip area against body, with forearms relaxed, not too tight, or too close together. viii. Chin should be tucked to protect next, but having total vision throughout the block. Catching 6 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

ix. The chest, after forming a concave angle, should relax with slight exhale/sigh to help absorb ball and soften impact of chest protector. x. Shoulders will act as a steering device, getting over ball and directing back down in front. xi. The eyes focus on the ball from pitchers hand to dirt to chest and back to dirt area. Constantly watching the ball. c. Blocking Left and Right i. The blocking position used on ball in front is now slid out and up to side of plate where pitch-ball in the dirt, is thrown. 1. Catcher explodes his knees-throws his hips- from receiving stance up and out 45 degree andgle to ball, cutting down angle of ball. 2. He will get a sliding action on shin guards down and out, not out then down, in a fluid glide to block. 3. Glove will travel on direct line to a centering point of ground with ball. 4. Glove leads knees to ground when glove hits ground; knees and crotch slide right in behind in a fluid, aggressive move. 5. Upper body and shoulders angle up to ball-center ball and help steer ball as eyes constantly watching from hand, dirt, chest, dirt. d. Keys to Blocking-Anticipation Key i. By following some basic high probability location rules, the catcher will be able to anticipate where the pitcher will miss with the called pitch. This is especially true with off speed pitches. 1. For the RHP, the catcher with and off-speed pitch called, can shift some of his weight to his left leg, freeing up his right foot slightly as the RHP will generally miss to the catcher s right. This will help speed up his sliding glide to block. 2. For LHP, the opposite is done, as the LHP will generally miss to the catcher s left. Catching 7 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

3. Catcher must be careful not to lean to much or too early and tip pitches. 4. Blocking Fastballs vs. Off Speed Pitches a. It s preferred on all off-speed pitches in dirt our catcher s come forward to the ball to cut down angle and spin of ball. b. On fastballs the reaction time I slower and ball is quicker, as a result on FB s in dirt, catcher may want to use a kickback technique. This allows him to get to the ground quickly by kicking straight back with feet and knees will land where feet were. This is primarily used with FB s over plate of just a little off the plate. e. The Block Pick i. This method is used on balls in the dirt with a runner stealing. 1. As runner goes, catcher places right foot behind pitch, centering the ball when possible. 2. His mitt starts low to ground and goes to ball in soft/slow manner executing the pick or least keeping the ball in front. 3. This is an advanced technique that requires a lot of repetition to have a feel for, and should not be used in a 1 st -3 rd situation. f. Catchers must constantly manicure the dirt area around home plate to smooth out any rough sections that could cause an errant bounce. i. On soft or somewhat wet dirt areas, the catcher must know that the ball will have tendency to stay down and not come up as on normal, dry or hard dirt. g. Catchers should slightly loosen the waist strap of chest protector to produce a softer give area and help better absorb and deaden ball. h. The catcher s who master the art of blocking balls in the dirt, are the ones who anticipate, cheat with weight, aggressively react and explode to ball and batch the ball at all times. Catching 8 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

i. As with framing, our catcher s must work at this at all times, want to do it, and take pride in blocking. 3) Footwork and Throwing a. Mechanical Overview i. Quick feet, quick hands, proper throwing mechanics, will result in throwing out many runners. ii. The feet, after execution of footwork, must be aligned so left toe is in line with right heel. iii. Weight must be on back leg, slightly bent at knee. Rear end staying as low as possible iv. Front hip is aligned toward base-target catcher is throwing. v. Back hip will rotate off the push-off forward. vi. Chest will be upright and finish over front leg. vii. Left shoulder is closed and pointed at base-target on a downward plane. Glove hand loads ball in direct line to throwing area. viii. Right hand/arm works with glove hand/arm to transfer ball from glove to throwing hand, then begin throwing motion. ix. Arm action must be short-compact, high semi-circle, above shoulder. x. Hands stays behind ball, wrist facing base-target, with four seam grip on ball. xi. Head remains still upright, must not tilt or jerk during throw. b. The exchange i. A critical part of the throwing process is the exchange of the ball from glove to hand. ii. After receiving the ball, glove must bring ball on direct line to the right shoulder/ear area. iii. Bare hand will lead into mitt to get ball with four seam grip as glove is coming to throwing area. iv. The hand/ball will come out of glove directly to throwing position. v. On pitches to the catcher s left and down, ball will be raked back to throwing hand to throwing position as footwork is executed. The more the pith can be caught Catching 9 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

with the palm of glove hand up or at least left thumb up, the quicker the exchange/load will be and better the throwing hand can get into glove for a clean exchange. vi. The right throwing hand behind glove from start helps the exchange/release process, since it is closer to glove/ball as it is received. Catching 10 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

c. Timing i. As pitch approaches catcher he must get his feet going in motion as he catches ball. ii. His timing reference point will be the cut of the grass in front of home plate. As the ball passes this line, catcher will begin his footwork with right foot, so ideally when the ball hits the mitt, his right foot hits the ground and is planted and ready to start his drive forward. iii. The quicker the feet are set, the faster the ball will be on its way. d. Throws to 2B General i. The location of the pitch dictates the footwork needed to be most effective-efficient. ii. Proper footwork and exchange directly determines catcher s release time. iii. With proper timing, solid footwork, quick exchange, and a release, a catcher does not have to have an above average arm to throw out basestealers consistently. iv. Ideally all of a catcher s footwork should take place in the throwing box. 1. This boxed area starts on a direct line, toe to toe at receiving base with front line of box parallel to back line, along the back tip of home plate. 2. The throwing box will help discipline the footwork to prevent catchers from stepping on home plate with left foot during throws (especially to 2B). 3. The back line will be reference point for right foot, depending on location of pitch. e. Throws to 2B-Mechanics i. Pick em Up, Put em Down step 1. On pitch down middle, this step is used a. Right foot is picked up-put down directly behind pitch on back line of throwing box in quick manner. b. The head/chin should be placed directly behind the ball as right foot hits ground to help center ball and produce momentum and power on throw. Catching 11 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

ii. Plant and Throw 1. On pitch directly over catchers right knee of outside 4-6-8 inches (depending on catchers reach) a plant and throw approach is used. a. Catcher keeps right foot planted and pivots on it into a strong/power throwing position. (Real effective on low and away slider from RHP and on LHP sinker) b. N pitch further outside, a jag step with right foot is needed, then executed throw. iii. Drop Step 1. On pitch to catcher s left a drop step approach is used: a. As ball passes cut of grass, left foot will be picked up and placed behind ball. b. The ball will be raked to throwing position. c. Catcher must not drift too far to left side. d. Weight should go slightly left then forward to start throw. f. Throws to 1B i. With RHH, catcher will use any one of the three approaches. Pitch location will determine which approach is used. ii. Very important that catcher close his front shoulder to base and get arm up. iii. With LHH, catcher will use drop step on pitch to his left, and pick em up, put em down on pitch up and in. g. Throws to 3B i. With RHH, catcher will ideally go behind hitter with drop step approach. ii. On pitches to his right or outside the plate, the right foot will have to take a jab step forward to clear himself from hitter, then execute throw. iii. With LHH, catcher will use any one of the three approaches, depending on pitch location. iv. All throws to 1 st and 3 rd should be waist high on inside corner of bag. Catching 12 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

h. Pitchouts RHH i. The catcher has two options. 1. First, he must position himself over the outside corner of plate with feet a little closer together in receiving stance. a. As pitcher releases the ball, he will step out and throw up and a 45 degree angle so when right foot hits ground, the ball hits the mitt. b. His throwing position will now be straddling the plate out and in the LH batters box. 2. The second approach involves a short, lateral step with left foot as pitcher releases ball. Right foot will then move to ball as in first approach, and same applies. i. Pitchouts LHH i. The left foot starts this approach from receiving stance on outside corner with a smaller width in base. ii. At release, the left foot will step out and up at 45 degree angle, then execute the drop step with right foot hitting ground as ball is caught. iii. Catcher will end up straddling the plate out and up in the RHH batters box. j. All pitchouts - summary of important points i. Anticipate a bad location of the pitch ii. Stay as low as possible throughout the process iii. Throw in a deliberate, controlled frame of mind iv. Just play catch with the infielder taking throw v. Be careful not to commit too early vi. If runner does not go, a pick-off can be done k. All throws summary of important points i. If you don t have a play, don t make a throw. ii. Be as quick as you can and at the same time under control, not trying to make up for a big jump by base stealer. iii. With throws to 2B, use cut of grass on back of infield directly over the bag as focus area. iv. Constantly study the runners leads, body language, tendencies and along with pitcher control running game, Catching 13 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

know who can, can t run, situation, score and inning of game. l. Throwing checkpoints i. High Throw generally from raising front shoulder also from standing up during footwork. ii. Low Throw short, one hop- weight does not get back to throw, have no power on throw. Also, from muscling upoverthrowing. Lack of follow through or just being too fine-aiming ball at bag. iii. Wide throw to Right-caused from flying open with front side, also caused by low elbow on front side causing a low exchange and low elbow/arm action and tailing of ball. iv. Wide throw to Left- caused by an across body stride, and overthrowing approach. Check feet. v. Skating the plate- Caused by right foot gaining too much ground on initial step so left foot will have to step on plate during footwork and throw. vi. Generally Inaccurate Throws- often caused by the head jerk. Many times caused by rushing footwork/release, getting away from being under control. Also caused by inconsistent exchange and grip on ball. 4) Fielding Position a. Fielding Bunts i. General 1. Get an out on and out play! 2. Fielding bunts is a quick fluid process 3. On all bunt plays the mask is off right away in the opposite direction of the ball/play. 4. First three steps are choppy to get out of block/stance, then normal to ball and will shorten again as catcher gets close to ball, then widen base as he gets on top of bunted ball. 5. Center ball on base so nose is directly over ball, bending at waist, using legs to lower himself/hands to ball. 6. Web of glove will be on ground in front of ball, catcher will rake ball with bare hand. Catching 14 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

7. Ball is then located to throwing position as feet are underneath him for solid throwing base. 8. When possible, throw from high-normal arm angle with 4-seam grip. At times (faster runner, good bunt) the arm angle will ¾ to L ¾, closing off front side and allowing for slight tail of ball. ii. Bunts to 1B side 1. As ball is fielded, catcher will take a shuffle with his back foot going behind him to help him throw to inside of 1B 2. Ball that is near foul line will require catcher to take a pronounced drop step off line to clear himself and throw out runner. The step with right foot is taken back towards infield/mound area, as catcher leads to bunt with left shoulder. If there s a play at 3B on this bunt, his chest will lead to ball allowing for easier footwork to throw to 3B. iii. Bunts to 3B side 1. Bunted ball that must be thrown to 1B can be approached two different ways. 2. If catcher has time on play or ball is close to home plate area, he will take an outside in arc route to ball and shuffle ahead closing front side to 1B. 3. A ball bunted up the line and buntr has speed, the catcher will go with right shoulder on fielding breakdown to ball turning his back to 1B while pivoting on right foot, then squaring up to make throw to 1B. 4. Balls bunted toward 3B and play is at 3B, catcher will approach this play with left shoulder already closed to 3B to field and make throw. 5. On play that is do-or-die, catcher approaches ball like a third baseman fielding a bunt- on run, possibly bare handed and throw slightly across body for sidearm flip type motion. iv. On all bunts, catcher must; 1. Call for ball or call a base in loud, clear manner 2. Know the speed of runners on base and the bunts Catching 15 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

3. Know the athleticism of pitcher, 1 st and 3 rd basemen 4. Know the score, inning and number of outs 5. Know the value of the lead runner and does he have a good shot at him 6. Know the hardness or softness of the bunt 7. Know the distance of bunt from home plate and the fielders involved in the play 8. Know the play that is on and the priority of where out is wanted 9. Know the value of just getting an out at 1B 10.Know the jump of the base runners on the play which will help determine where play should be made 11. Be able to make sound and sometimes gutsy decisions depending on all factors listed above to get a big out, or at least get an out at 1B to stay out of a big inning. b. Fielding Pop-Ups i. A pop-up in play is an out ii. A catcher must always check: sun, wind, lights, warning track, backstop, area around & behind home plate iii. Locations of pitch zone will often determine where foul pop will be heading and which shoulder to turn to find ball 1. RHH-outside FB catcher will turn his right shoulder 2. RHH-inside FB catcher will turn his left shoulder 3. LHH-outside FB catcher will turn his left shoulder 4. LHH-inside FB catcher will turn his right shoulder 5. On breaking balls off speed pitches, similar location rules apply, however length of swing, bat speed, and particular hitter helps determine foul ball location iv. A catcher must listen to sound of foul pop as well 1. Soft contact will not be as high as a loud contact ball 2. A thick sound ball is fouled straight back with no play on ball v. Due to contact underneath ball, foul pop-up will have an arc flight that wills tart toward backstop area then curve Catching 16 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

back toward infield area, making a banana type arc path. Knowing this, catcher must turn his back to pitchers mound/infield. This will help him read the foul pop and flight better and more consistently. Catching 17 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

vi. The catcher must first remove his mask and hold in right hand as he turns and finds foul pop 1. As ball reaches top of flight and is starting down, catcher then throws mask in opposite direction of where ball/play will be so he does not trip/fall over mask. 2. On balls that have low trajectory and/or must be caught on run, they may be a good distance from home plate, the mask will be dropped/thrown right away. vii. If pop has height on it in home plate area 1. Catchers first two steps will be a controlled walk, a soft jog if needed or running lightly on balls of feet to prevent his eyes from bouncing, and effecting the read on the ball. 2. As he approaches ball he should allow for the returning arc spin by keeping ball some 15 feet or so in front of his body, and it will start its path back in his direction. 3. The catcher will center the flight of ball with his eyes on his nose so ball will curve back to his nose as he looks up. Feet will be mobile, knees flexed. viii. Legs will give some with the catch to help soften the force of ball in mitt. (Some catchers prefer to walk into the ball as they catch it). ix. Catcher will try to catch ball above his head and out in front of nose two hands, giving as he catches ball with arms as well s legs. 1. On the low trajectory ball caught on the run, the hands my have to be in a palm up position. 2. On the low trajectory balls at backstop or warning track area he will go into a bent leg slide catching the ball either overhead or out front with two hands. 3. On trajectory balls at backstop area catcher will keep his eyes on ball and feel the track with his feet, then extend his right arm semi-flexed directly out in front of him to feel where he is at on this high foul pop. Catching 18 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

x. As he nears the screen/stands with hand he, may be able to use his hand to help him climb the screen to make the catch. A ball may appear five rows deep in seats, but due to arc it will come back. xi. On balls directly over or out from home plate (this is the tough one) catcher will read its trajectory, know its general area, then turn back to infield, back pedal controlled walk to center ball and make catch. c. Foul Pop Responsibilities i. The catcher is responsible for all foul pops from each corner of home plate on a direct line to front edge of dugouts. ii. He will catch all balls in this area from the lines and behind him. iii. He will only give way to 1 st or 3 rd basemen after he is called off ball. iv. As he approaches side angle foul pops he must strive to keep back to infield rule intact. d. Plays At Plate- Tag Play Blocking Home Plate i. The catcher must carry the attitude that home plate belongs to him. ii. His approach will be to jockey the base runner into making a certain type of slide by showing him the back edge of plate with his set-up, then taking it away in an aggressive manner with proper technique to block runner off plate, apply tag, spin out and look for advancing runner. iii. Setup 1. The starting position should have left foot-toe pointed directly at 3B bag and left heel on front left corner of plate or in front of plate towards 3B bag 6-1 2. With this set-up catcher will have a good idea where runner will slide. 3. Right foot will be pointed in direction of the throw on balls from middle of diamond to his left. Shoulder-chest will face throw from middle to left. Catching 19 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

4. On balls from right side of field foot will open to ball, as will shoulders as far as possible and still be comfortable, leaving left foot/leg in same position. 5. Catcher will be in semi-squat (linebacker) position with rear end down, chest up, feet spread slightly wider than shoulder width. 6. Hands are out front and low with thumbs to sky, always trying to receive throws with two hands and always working from ground up. 7. Must start and stay low as possible to effectively see and field throw and have solid base to block off the plate. The decisions to leave mask on or take off is up to the individual catcher. iv. Making the Tag 1. After catching the ball, catcher will grip in bare hand and have bare hand in glove with back of glove to runner whenever possible. 2. Must let ball come to him and not go out (travel) to catch it unless throw is off line. 3. As ball is caught left foot will now step toward foul corner of plate and into runner to block runner from plate. 4. Catcher has given runner back half of plate to slide then takes it away from him during block. 5. The tag will start at the left foot and placed on and off the runner as quickly as possible whether it s runner feet, hand, elbow, etc. 6. On throw that is in 1B line to foul ground, catcher must leave basic starting point and use 1 of 3 methods. a. After the catch he may take a step and drive with glove arm extended, ball in glove, diving toward 3B side of plate for tag. b. After catch take a slight run toward same side and break down into a two knee slide to make tag. c. After catch, run into a legs extended-bent leg side of plate to meet runner cleat-to-cleat Catching 20 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

7. On the throw that takes catcher up the line on 3B side, the catcher must follow the balls route of up and into the line forcing the runner to take a wider route to the plate, enabling him to sometimes use his left step over line and left shoulder to actually make the tag up line, pending on how far runner is up line and where throw is. 8. On bang-bang plays where runner is close and has started his slide, catcher must step early with left foot to make contact and take plate a he catches throw. 9. On throw slightly to 3B foul side, a switching of the feet is required. After reading throw direction, shuffle feet to left so right heel is now on 3B side of plate with toe pointed at 3B, and left foot is in foul ground. As he catches the ball he now steps with right foot in front of plate steering runner to front half of plate and applies block/tag. 10.On the runner who chooses to bowl the catcher over, trying to jar ball loose, 1 of 3 methods may be used. a. Catcher may get as low as possible, underneath runner, ducking his left shoulder to flip the runner off and back side of home plate, then apply tag. b. Catcher will drive his left elbow into left side of runner in a hard pivot move, driving runner away from himself and plate, then make tag. c. Catcher will, if runner is out by a good distance, straddle and head up the line, staying low, giving runner impression that he wants to take him on. As runner ducks his shoulder catcher simply applies tag to runner as he is spinning, pivoting out away from runner. e. Force Plays i. Position 1. Legs flexed in relaxed, ready position 2. Toes of cleats on front edge of home plate 3. Chest will square up to direction of throw Catching 22 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

4. Hands are out front with thumbs up to adjust to high or low throw ii. Mask is off on force play iii. A loud call for the ball is necessary to start the play iv. As ball is caught by infielder, catcher steps with left foot toward ball with right foot in contact with front of plate. v. Catcher then shuffles feet forward up and out executing drop step as he clears sliding runner and closes off to 1B with good throw on inside of bag, chest high. vi. If throw is a little late, from bobbled ball, catcher now becomes 1 st baseman with a good stretch of left leg always waiting to see direction of throw before he commits his step with left foot to ball. vii. Always read throw and the out at home plate is what we want, the double play is a bonus. f. Fielding Wild Pitches i. The pitcher will help with a yell and a point as to where ball is located. ii. Catcher gets rid of mask and sprints after ball. He will do this so left shoulder will point at home plate so he is ready to make throw. iii. As he approaches ball, he breaks down into two knee shin guard slide to the side of the ball so that his chest will be in front of ball. iv. He will rake ball into glove or bare hand it as he sides in front of it. v. He will sidearm flip ball back to the pitcher as he raises his front left knee to a bent position off the ground. vi. Throw will go back to pitcher on an upward plane, be aimed waist high, with some touch on throw for pitcher to handle. 5) Catchers Responsibility Reminders a. Let pitchers and infielders know how many outs there are an inning. b. Let pitchers and infielders know the importance of the run and out. Catching 23 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

c. Remind pitcher when LHH comes to plate he must get over on ground balls to right side and cover 1B (cover 1B on any GB to right side). d. Remind pitchers to make sure he knows who he has in the middle on a come backer and runner on 1B less than 2 outs. e. Remind pitcher to back up base on extra base hit. f. Remind pitcher who can run in stealing situation and to give him a look. g. Direct all throw directions with three loud voice commands and a point to the base on all bunt plays. h. Give all 1 st and 3 rd defensive situation signs out in front of home plate. i. Line up and make cut-off and relay decisions with corner infielders j. Remind infielders of speed of runners. k. Remind infielders of possible bunt l. Remind corner infielders and pitchers where ball should go in bases loaded situation. m. Remind infielders of dusky-tough seeing conditions, or changing sun or wind as game progresses. n. Give amount of room 1 st and 3 rd basemen have on foul ball near dugout or stands. o. Remind middle infielders of possible delay steal p. Remind infielders to knock down ground balls and save run with runners in scoring position. q. Remind 3B man with man on 3B and tapped ball or bunt he may have a play at plate. r. Remind infielders when we re playing a no doubles situation late in game. s. Remind 1B with runner on 1 st and LHH at plate to yell if runner breaks to steal (with all runners and hitters) t. Let all fielders know in front of plate when an intentional walk is being issued. Right hand/arm, 4 fingers pointing to 1B. 6) Pitcher/Catcher Communication a. The catcher must develop a solid feel for strengths and weaknesses of each pitcher b. Know what kind of command the pitcher has on that given outing and use this feel for quality pitch selection Catching 24 Copyright 2007 by CTAA

c. Know exactly what pitch is being delivered to avoid cross ups, wild pitches, passed balls or injury. d. The catcher must always be positive with his staff to get the best and most out of them. e. The pitcher must know the importance of the 1 st and 3 rd outs of each inning. f. Keep the pitcher in rhythm, with good tempo and pace. g. Communicate with the pitcher between innings, evaluate previous inning, and prepare for upcoming inning. h. Work with pitching coach to pick-up physical adjustment reminders. i. Know the strengths and weaknesses of each hitter. (It is preferred that our catchers keep a book on each club and their hitters and offensive tendencies) j. Pitcher and Catcher must be on the same page thinking together with pitch selection. k. Catchers must be the middle man between pitchers and umpire. l. The pitcher must feel that any pitch he throws will never get by his catcher. m. Keep momentum on our side and on our dugout. After we score a run or runs, go out next half-inning and shut opposition down. 7) Miscellaneous a. Catchers must constantly manicure the dirt area around home plate to smooth out any rough sections that could cause an errant bounce. i. On soft or somewhat wet dirt areas, the catcher must know that the ball will have tendency to stay down and not come up as on normal, dry or hard dirt. b. Catchers should slightly loosen the waist strap of chest protector to produce a softer give area and help better absorb and deaden ball. c. The catcher s who master the art of blocking balls in the dirt, are the ones who anticipate, cheat with weight, aggressively react and explode to ball and batch the ball at all times. d. As with framing, our catcher s must work at this at all times, want to do it, and take pride in blocking. Catching 25 Copyright 2007 by CTAA