baseball player evaluations
baseball player evaluations
Baseball Catchers - You Never Know Who's Watching You
Baseball catchers can make A big impression on other coaches, college scouts and big league scouts without even playing in the game yet. If you have had proper catcher training and have been coached well, you'll get noticed right away...before the game and after the game. Here are a few baseball tips for all catchers to think about, especially catchers playing in High School and the AAU or similar type leagues during the summer.
When our team gets to the field before a game, we are usually there 1 ½ hours before the game. The other team gets there around the same time or just a little bit later.
As I stand there with other coaches we’re just talking about stuff, baseball and non-baseball, and just watching the players from both teams playing catch, soft toss, whatever.
As soon as most of the players from the other team arrive and are out on the field doing their thing, it’s only natural that evaluations start. What I mean is the coaches are looking at and watching players on the opposite team and evaluating them. They are looking at who is big, who is small, who looks fast, who looks slow, who looks smooth, and ultimately they’ll find the guy with the catcher's mitt on. If the catcher is big, like 6’, 6’4”, that always draws attention and you’ll hear, “Catcher is a big kid. Where’s he from?” Stuff like that. And then all of the coaches turn their attention to the catcher and start watching how he throws and how he looks overall. It’s just the way things are, mostly because it’s here where coaches start to think about the game and make decisions, even some unconsciously, about what they think they will do in critical situations.
So, as a catcher, here are some baseball tips that you should really keep in mind and try to make a practice of doing as soon as you get to the field for a game. The point I'll be trying to make is that even though you don’t know it, or don’t think so, somebody’s watching you!
Warming Up, Just Getting To The Field
I already mentioned this, but this is real important. Always look good here. Don’t look lazy, like you don’t want to be there or it’s too hot, too cold, whatever. When you’re warming up the legs stretching and running, do this like there is a purpose for it. When you are warming up the arm, you don’t want to be throwing rockets of course, but look good, look sharp and don’t look lazy. It’s true what they say, the first impression is big.
Infield Practice
You want to look sharp here, more than when you were warming up. Usually the first thing the coach does for infield practice is what? Many times he’ll say, “All right…throw it around! Let's go!” As you’re going “around the horn” a couple of times, look sharp, energetic and ready to go. The worst thing you can do is look lazy and throw the ball away or bounce it in front of fielders numerous times.
When the coach begins infield practice, you probably are already aware that the opposing coaches are watching you…they always check out the other catcher to see what kind of arm he has, right? So answer their question with strong throws.
Beginning Of The Game – Warming Up The Pitcher
So now your team takes the field. You're warming up the pitcher. Again, the opposing coaches are usually focused on the pitcher and you, the catcher. This is where you really want to look like you're ready to go.
- Balls snapped back to the pitcher, no softball arcs.
- Don't look lazy, look like you want to play.
- If a ball is in the dirt, block it. Don't whiff at it and let it go to the backstop. Show the other coaches that you can block too.
Opposing coaches are now making real assessments, both conscious and subconscious, about your ability to gun someone down, block balls in the dirt and generally how good a catcher you are. It determines what a coach decides about:
- Stealing or not in critical situations – your arm and footwork make him think more about this.
- Bunting – again, if it's critical, your arm and hustle makes the decision to bunt a little harder.
- First and third, two out – the other coach is a little bit afraid that you'll get the green light to throw. Sometimes this decision can be based strictly on what that coach saw of you in warm-ups and in infield practice.
Also, runners, because they've watched you too and have been told by the coaches to, "Watch the catcher…he's gotta gun", become hesitant on the bases. Sometimes, you'll block a ball nicely, the runner takes off but sees that you're going to get to it and pauses, hesitates. Here's where sometimes you can get a runner hung up between bases. Do this one time early in a game and there's a chance no one else will run on you the rest of the game. Weird, but true.
Here's another benefit of making coaches aware of you early, right from the start. Show your stuff right away and you might be able to get through a game with a sore arm without having to use it, just because the opposing coach determined before the game that you were going to be tough to run against.
Heck I've seen teams not try to steal against a catcher and I swear it was only because the kid hustled and blocked the ball extremely well and simply snapped the ball back to the pitcher. He just looked like he'd gun a guy down at second if the opposing coach gave the steal sign.
The things that I mentioned above are some baseball tips that you don't get all of the time. Just remember, catchers, try to look sharp and quick, both with the arm and feet at all times, or at least most of the time. If you're a prospect, believe me, it's hard to spot scouts and know that they're out there at any given moment. You just never know…you never know who's watching you!
About the Author
Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years and enjoys working with young catchers.
For excellent baseball catcher training, catcher drills and other valuable baseball tips, consider the following sources:
Catchers Instruction, Training and Tips
http://baseballcatcher.baseballgloverestore.com
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