Catcher Tony Sanchez taking the signal from the Boston College bench
I have noticed a trend of coaches relaying pitch signals to catchers. I’ve seen it at many high school games. And, I’ve seen it at almost all college games I’ve attended. While watching a Boston College game this season, I noticed BC catcher Tony Sanchez wearing something on his forearm resembling a quarterback wrist coach. Sanchez receives the sign from the bench, consults the paper taped to his arm, and then relays the sign to the pitcher. The system works for being competitive in a given game, but I wonder what sort of an effect this has on the catcher over the long term.
One of the major responsibilities of the catcher is to call the game. Know the pitcher’s strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. Know the scouting report on the opposing hitters. Take that knowledge and orchestrate a perfect combination of pitches and locations over the course of the game that will keep the hitters off balance. This is no easy task, and one of the reasons why the catching position is the 2nd toughest on the diamond. I can see how college coaches would want to take control of this responsibility. Winning is king and their livelihood might be on the line. But…high school? Are we taking too much away from these kids?
Allowing high school catchers to call the games could accomplish three things:
1. Keep them in the game. When you’re calling a game, you constantly have to be thinking and on your toes. When you are relaying signs, you could fall into a less focused mode.
2. Teach them to think for themselves. Do we want to be sending these kids out into the real world with this notion of taking orders and being fed all the answers? I know…it’s deep. Think about it.
3. Prepare them for the next level. Maybe if catchers were allowed to call the game at the high school level they would be better catchers at the college and professional levels.
What do you think about this trend? Is it good for baseball? Is it good for the kids? Does it have anything to do with the shortage of good catchers in major league baseball? I would love to hear from some current or former high school/college catchers on this.
Great post, Andy, as I have thought alot about this over the years as well!
First of all though, after being a catcher for 22 years, I respectfully disagree that the catcher is the 2nd toughest on the diamond!
As a catcher, I love studying hitters and calling pitches. I take great pride in it and feel terrible when a pitch I call gets hit hard. I played Division III college baseball and my pitching coach called the majority of the pitches. He had charts and scouting reports next to him, so in that sense, it is easier for the coach to study those during the game and then relay signs into the catcher. I know this is the norm at the college level, and probably at a large majority of competitive high school baseball programs as well.
As a coach now of a very competitive, 13 U AAU baseball program, we let our catcher this past season call a majority of pitches, but we relayed signs into him when we wanted a certain pitch at a certain time. At that age, most pitchers cannot spot their pitches where they want to, but if a righty batter just smashed a hard foul down the left field line, we wanted to make sure the next pitch was something off-speed to disrupt his timing. A 13 year old catcher is just learning the game on the big diamond, and asking him to call every pitch for a pitcher that can throw 3 pitches for strikes fairly consistently is a lot to ask.
To answer your question about if calling pitches at lower levels is the reason for a shortage of quality catchers at the Major League level, I don’t know what that correlation is, but I believe it could be connected. The position of catcher is just so physically demanding and taxing on the body, and most catchers cannot last that long to make it through unscathed with injuries through college and the minors.
Coaches calling pitches is definitely the trend in competitive baseball on the big diamond. Catching is demanding, and it does relieve the catcher of some of that responsibility of studying hitters and calling their own game. It is ultimately up to the pitcher of what pitch he wants to throw however, so the coach and catcher just make educated suggestions. In general, pitchers are a crazy bunch, so having them think as little as possible is a good thing, regardless of who is making the calls!
Dan makes some really good points, but I’d like to add a few as a pitcher.
I agree that a coach has a better view of the scouting report during the game, but it is ultimately the catcher’s responsibility to study the scouting report before the game.
I know at the high school level, this can be difficult because coaches went to watch other games while the catcher was still at school studying (sure…) or still on their way home on the bus.
However, a catcher can pick up on small things about a hitter in the box that a coach may not be able to see from the sideline (i.e. up in the box, moved in the box from pitch to pitch, back in the box, etc.). This should be able to let a catcher know what pitch to call vs. having a coach give signals.
In most high school situations however, catchers are really thinking on the fly about the pitcher’s ability to throw x pitch for a strike on any given day, which sometimes changes. I still think having a catcher call pitches works best because of these minute details that he can pick up on vs. relying on a coach on the bench to be paying attention at all times. Coaches make mistakes, too! Mostly because there’s so much to worry about for a coach at the high school level (third base in, back, outfield alignment, calling situational plays) that calling pitches will lead to more mistakes.
However, having a catcher call every pitch relays confidence to the pitcher AND the catcher is mentally all there vs. worrying about what coaches worry about.
The catcher I had in college called just about 99% of the pitches which showed me he knew my game, rather than relying on the coach. This in turn gave my pitching coach more time to watch my motion, consider bullpen options for later in the game, etc. etc. This allowed my pitching coach to focus on the big picture rather than every pitch. And ultimately the catcher was more focused and I was more confident.
And I agree that having a pitcher think as little as possible is a good thing! I usually correlate pitching to golf. It’s easy to repeat a motion when you are not thinking about it, but as soon as you overthink a situation your motion gets out of control and you lose rhythm.
Catchers have the #1 toughest job in baseball because no one ever credits a catcher for a pitcher throwing a perfect game…..Then again, no one ever blames the catcher for a poor pitching performance. It’s a thankless job, but hey, somebody has to be the bulldog.
Andy that is a great observation and Jalby makes some very good points as well. As Jalby states, I think the reality lies somewhere in the middle. While coaches get to hold that scouting report in their hand during an at bat, and it can be very helpful, no one can see the subtle reactions of a batter at the plate quite like a catcher can. Just because someone hits .400 off a curveball, doesn’t mean they can hit .400 of my pitcher’s curveball when I call for it low and away. I think it is more important for the coach, catcher and pitcher to sit down and discuss how they want to approach that line up together. When you are 17-21 years old, a player must be trusted for their input by a coach in order to be successful.
Another point not yet discussed is the how this could help on offense. While I would not call myself a great hitter, I attribute a lot of success I have had at the plate to the fact that I caught for so long. If I hadn’t been allowed to call pitches at all levels, except College, I would be just as useless as a Right Fielder in Little League. Thinking the game at any level allows one to become more knowlegable at it. Being able to step out of the batter’s box on a 3-2 count and say “What would I call in this situation” definitely helps more than it can hurt.
At worst, if a coach is going to demand they call the pitchers, at any lower level, they sure as heck better sit with the catcher and explain why he called such pitch on certain count. As Yogi once said “Baseball is 90% mental” and it is up to coaches at a young age to help players grow, especially behind the dish.
I don’t like the trend. Up until pro baseball, I believe catchers should call the game. Does that mean they have to call every pitch all season? no. I don’t mind if coaches start the season calling pitches and gradually let catchers take over the responsibility or if a coach feels like a certain pitch needs to be called in a certain key situation then they send that pitch into the catcher – in other words it can be a collaborative effort – but ultimately the coach’s goal should be to teach catchers how to call the game. If coach’s have a “book” on the opposing hitters he should share that with the catcher before the game and can remind them of certain hitters in between innings. Once again – collaborative effort – catcher has control but coach is still involved. Reviewing and analyzing catcher’s game calling can be done after game by coaches. Catcher learns, coach instructs – the way it should work.
Great stuff, guys. You brought up some points that might not always be top-of-mind with this topic.
A quick summary thus far…
PROS for catchers calling their own game
-they can see the batters reactions/movements in the batters box
-relays confidence to the pitcher
-helps you on offense (great point, Chris Caprio)
-prepares you for higher levels
CONS
-catching is demanding enough without calling the game
-catchers don’t have advanced scouting report in front of them
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-It should be a collaborative effort no matter who is calling the pitches.
-Coaches could step in when necessary without taking over the entire task.
I posted this entry to the Checkswing blog and wanted to share some of the feedback ringing in on that site:
Joey Wetherell:
“Good topic, Andy. What you witness drives me crazy.
I’m a pitcher and have never caught, but I’ve coached at the 12-15 yr. range and never fed the signs to the catcher. I don’t believe it helps the catcher, or the pitcher in the long run. Does this mean the pitcher can’t shake off the catcher? A great working relationship between the “battery” needs to be established. You know it when your catcher flashes a pitch that you wanted, and this happens more often than not. I see it at the HS and even at the college level. As far as I can tell, all catchers in our league run the signs.”
Montre Everest:
“I’m a varsity high school coach. For the past 3 years, I’ve had 3 different starting catchers each season. Before coming to me, each player had never called pitches. I let them know for the first few weeks of the season, I would call the pitches from the dugout. Once I taught them how to study opposing hitters and our pitchers strengths and weaknesses…the responsibility was theirs for the rest of the season. It’s necessary for catchers to call the game starting in high school. Otherwise, they will not be prepared when forced to do it at the college or pro level.”
Bill Stanton:
“Montre’s approach is spot on. I’ve done the same thing. In a tight spot, you can always get the catcher’s attention and relay a sign.. or just make a visit to the mound.
In many cases, it’s over coaching. Coaches should relax, let kids learn and you’ll win more games and have more fun. “
I agree a lot with what’s already been posted, so I really don’t have a lot of new insight to offer. I think that the game plan for opposing hitters should be developed in a collaborative effort between the coaches, catchers, and pitchers before the game. However, once the the game starts, I think that the pitch calling duties should go to the catcher, especially at the high school level where advance scouting reports don’t really exist for a lot of the players. At that age, kids need to learn how to think like a ballplayer, be able to make adjustments on the fly and be in tune with the game for every pitch. This is especially true for the guys who want to continue catching. Simply relaying signs from behind the plate would probably hinder the development of a player’s baseball IQ I would imagine.
I also think that when the catcher calls the game, it helps build trust between the catcher and the pitcher which is extremely important. If a pitcher has confidence in his catcher, he’ll have confidence in what he’s doing. Just ask Derek Lowe about Tek.
Calling pitches also helped me at the plate. I found that calling games when I was 14, 15, or 16 years old helped be become a better hitter. While in the batter’s box, I would often ask myself which pitch I would call in the current situation had I been behind the dish, and often times I was correct. The fact that I probably K’d anyway is beside the point.
-PA
As others have said, I’ve always emphasized the importance of mutual confidence between the pitcher and catcher. In my experience, a pitcher getting a sign from the coach is like a kid in a D.A.R.E video afraid to SAY NO to the bottle of rubber cement in the cool kid’s hand. Only a pitcher knows what kind of juice or snap he’s got left in his arm, and he needs to be able to shake-off a sign if he feels uncomfortable throwing a particular pitch. A catcher will pick up immediately when a pitcher isn’t feeling a certain pitch. Depending on the coach, a pitcher’s disagreement with a coach’s selection could pose a serious problem with team chemistry.
While a pitcher can physically feel what he’s got left in the tank, the catcher can tell better than anyone else when one pitch is working better than another. A minuscule change in the rotation of a curve ball can be the difference between an off-balance swing and an opposite field shot down the line… can the coach perceive that change? My guess is, in most cases, no. But what it all boils down to is (in the case of the coach calling the pitches) good communicatoin between coach, pitcher, and catcher. Brief, positive meetings between the triumvirate can make all the difference.
In my opinion, coaches should stick to what they do best… sitting in the dugout. Sure, go ahead and shift the infield/outfield, put on the hit and run, make a pitching change, but don’t try to do to much from a position where you clearly have a lousy point of view. If you want to make a suggestion, save it for after the third out.
One last thing.. the pressure of having the game in my hands makes me more focused and more hungry to get out of each inning. Stripping the catcher of his most significant duty on the ball field simply takes away from the classic spirit of 9 guys on the diamond, 2 ends of the battery.
Great discussion topic Andy
I have to agree with Jalby !! The catchers position is the “toughest” position on the field period. The catcher is the entire field general being the ONLY player to have the entire field in his sights. Catching pitches,reading batters habits, knowing when to cut 4 or cut any base to the cutoff man and after that..he’s expected to be ready on the offensive side of the game. I too “call” the pitches and locations for my catchers (send them to my catchers) within AAU, Cal Ripken, Babe Ruth and believe it or not sometimes I have to help out a guy in the Yawkey League as one of their coaches. Not that they don’t know what they’re doing but sometimes I can see things they don’t at that time plus with 37 years of pitching under my belt, I love playing the chess game of pitcher vs batter. Nothing like setting up a batter and have it work to your advantage. Of course we don’t win every battle. A good catcher will recognize when a pitcher has his best stuff or when he’s tiring etc and that’s when a good catcher can sense that some off speed stuff may be even better if that pitchers arm is a little tired. Example would be, better drop to a change up,etc…Love the article and the comments. See you all on the field.
Whoa, boy, a topic close to home. I get the scouting report argument, but what I have seen is high-school pitching coaches who call the game without having any real scouting information, sometimes even without a clear idea of what pitches are working best for his pitcher that day – just calling the game because they like to control anything they can. Same reason they only teach the pitches they know best, rather than let the pitcher discover his own talents.
On those occasions when I have served as substitute pitching coach on a team that usually has one of those control-freak coaches, I absolutely never call the game. and the first noticeable difference is the smile on the catcher’s face. Many catcher’s (most? all?) love to call their own game, and whether they always get it right or not, well, that’s how you learn – not by being an automaton.
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Just to comment on the 13-14 year olds. I have seen this age group have to make the biggest baseball learning curve jump. The 1st couple years on a big diamond can be a challange for some kids, especially P and C. I don’t believe in calling entire games from the bench, but giving the kids some direction for certain things like paying some attention to a baserunner/pitchouts and the highly occasional pitch call, can help with building confidence and understanding of the game. But I would consider it robbery to take away the unique responsibility of calling a game. We had our chance when we PLAYED the game, now its their turn, let them experience the whole thing!
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