HA! Yeah, I could on 2 of the 4. I made bad throws on 2, but the other two were first pitch steals from guys we know are going to steal and we never threw over. Reality is, I never have had a great arm. I'm quick, but my arm is mediocre. I made my living by being a human backstop and calling a great game. I've always had great relationships with my pitchers and they trust me, so that helped. I was a defensive catcher who could hit for power, so that got me some looks. But no one ever commented on my arm!
HA! Yeah, I could on 2 of the 4. I made bad throws on 2, but the other two were first pitch steals from guys we know are going to steal and we never threw over. Reality is, I never have had a great arm. I'm quick, but my arm is mediocre. I made my living by being a human backstop and calling a great game. I've always had great relationships with my pitchers and they trust me, so that helped. I was a defensive catcher who could hit for power, so that got me some looks. But no one ever commented on my arm!
I'd take a stellar defensive catcher over a catcher with a great arm any day of the week. Knowing that I can drop a curveball or changeup into the dirt at any given time, no matter who is or isn't on base, is worth way more than a good arm, IMO. A pitcher can make up for a catcher's mediocre arm with good awareness and a good slidestep.
So, so true.
Last night I called for a slider on a 3-2 count and a runner on 3rd. When I first started catching this kid he would have shook me off because as he told me, he never trusted his catchers enough to throw that pitch even with the bases empty. He never hesitated when I called it and dropped a nasty slider that hit 3" of the plate in the dirt. As the batter attempted a weak swing, I went to both knees, rolled my shoulders, tucked chin and dropped it right in front of me. I applied the tag for the 3rd out before the batter could get out of the box. If there was ever anything I could hang my hat on, it was my ability to block balls in the dirt. I actually like getting beat up behind the plate as long as we are winning! If we win and I have stitch marks on my forearms, it was a good day behind the plate!!!
That's what I'm talking about! That's as much your strikeout as it is the pitcher's...
It drives me nuts when pitchers don't do a good job of holding guys on and the catcher has no shot.
It ranks right up there with walking batters and making the first or third out at 3rd base...
You got that right. Unfortuantely, sometimes those outs at third are my fault. Lol
How about walks with nobody on and two outs? It never fails that fuggin run scores.
It's championship Sunday! We worked hard all summer for this opportunity, now its time to capitalize!!! With some luck and good old fashioned hard-nosed baseball, we'll become back-to-back Mid-Ohio Valley Adult Baseball League champions!!! :smiley_clap:
The fall baseball season started last Saturday with a DH in Wellsburg, Wv. Kody and Klay are now on the same team since Klay moves up next year. I picked all kids from the school in which I coach which makes it nice because I am working only with kids that might play for me someday.
Kody has rebounded from his fractured collar bone pretty good. He is still a bit gun shy, but he's swinging the bat better each day. He drove in 2 runs on two groundouts. At least he put it in play.
Klay pitched 3 innings in the second game and had a couple of hits.
We ended up sweeping the DH and play tomorrow morning against a good team from Richmond, Oh.
Kody has rebounded from his fractured collar bone pretty good. He is still a bit gun shy, but he's swinging the bat better each day. He drove in 2 runs on two groundouts. At least he put it in play.
Klay pitched 3 innings in the second game and had a couple of hits.
We ended up sweeping the DH and play tomorrow morning against a good team from Richmond, Oh.
We got swept at Richmond last Saturday blowing a 7-0 lead in the first game and losing by one in the second. It was hot as Hell!!!!
I was pretty proud of Kody though. He caught the last 3 innings in game 1 and the first 5 in game 2. In that heat I was pretty happy with him.
Klay pitched 3 innings and gave up only one run in the second game, but our second pitcher started a walk-a-thon. Oh well, it is purely instructional.
The kids are back at it this Saturday at home, but I'll be out on my quad in a poker run. It'll be the first game I missed of theirs since back in early May when my HS team was still playing. I deserve ONE day, right?
I was pretty proud of Kody though. He caught the last 3 innings in game 1 and the first 5 in game 2. In that heat I was pretty happy with him.
Klay pitched 3 innings and gave up only one run in the second game, but our second pitcher started a walk-a-thon. Oh well, it is purely instructional.
The kids are back at it this Saturday at home, but I'll be out on my quad in a poker run. It'll be the first game I missed of theirs since back in early May when my HS team was still playing. I deserve ONE day, right?
One of my old players is now the head coach at Cal Tech in Pasadena! Very proud of him.
http://www.heraldstaronline.com/page/content.detail/id/577641/Indian-Creek-graduate-Matt-Mark-named-9th-baseball-coach-at-Caltech.html?nav=5012
http://www.heraldstaronline.com/page/content.detail/id/577641/Indian-Creek-graduate-Matt-Mark-named-9th-baseball-coach-at-Caltech.html?nav=5012