Catcher and Hitting

[LAball]

Would a person that plays catcher have an advantage over the other players in hitting. It seems logical since the catcher sees a lot more pitches and there location. If it is an advantage, at what ages would you think this advatage is most prominant, and least?

[Go Cardinals]

Would a person that plays catcher have an advantage over the other players in hitting. It seems logical since the catcher sees a lot more pitches and there location. If it is an advantage, at what ages would you think this advatage is most prominant, and least?

Hands... hot gear... sweating... balls off pads... squatting all game... and working your *** off...

I thought this once, but as you get to higher levels, I think its a no.

[Drill]

Hands... hot gear... sweating... balls off pads... squatting all game... and working your *** off...

I thought this once, but as you get to higher levels, I think its a no.

Well the catcher see a lot of pitches coming across the plate. He knows what to look for and when during the pitch count.

Ice packs, frozen towels in plastic bag put in the coolers for those hot summer games and plenty of water to drink.

Being in on every pitch, and the look of reward after catching a good game and being a team leader.

My son shows me his bruises like they are trophy's. I will be so happy if he makes JV this year and he catches. Why you ask? The High School has trainers for all the bumps and scraps. We had to carry a medical kit around in summer tournements, not that its a bad thing but after a while I feel like I am packing for a camping trip when I go to a ball game with all the catching gear cooler chairs etc.


drill

[TG Coach]

There are many catchers in the game who can't hit. They stay in the game as backup catchers because just like lefty relief pitchers, they serve a situational purpose.

Now I believe my son's knowledge of the game may have been enhanced by catching in his preteen years and seeing the game unfold in front of him. And catchers tend to make good coaches and managers. They're leaders and tend to have a better understanding of the game. More importantly, they understand pitchers. Even the lefties.

[SimiBaseball]

More Quality At Bats

I have no objective evidence to back this up, but it seems to me that catchers tend to have a better idea of the strike zone than other position players leading to a higher percentage of walks. As a Dodger fan I think of guys like Joe Ferguson, Mike Scioscia, and Chad Kreuter who didn't light the world on fire with their bats but got on base at a higher than average rate because of their plate discipline. The guys that pop to mind are Jason Varitek and Jorge Posada (although Posada also happens to be a pretty good hitter in general). Kendall, Ausmus, Schneider, Bard, and others seem to fit that mold too. They won't kill you because they'll get on base (IOW "not make outs") every third plate appearance.