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Baseball: The Catcher

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Catcher Position
Source: Ducksters


The catcher is a position in baseball that plays behind home plate. The catcher has many responsibilities and is part of the "battery" with the pitcher. The main job of the catcher is to catch pitches and to help call the game. The catcher is one of the most important players on defense as they are involved in every play.

Catching a Pitch

As the name of the position implies, the main job of the catcher is to catch the pitch. Many catchers are experts at catching the pitch so that it is more likely to be called for a strike. Here are some catching tips:

Catcher's Stance
Author: Brandonrush, CC0
Catcher's Stance

The catcher's stance is crouched down with your feet about shoulder width. Your throwing arm should be behind your back so it doesn't get hit by the ball. If there are no players on base and less than two strikes, you can use a relaxed stance. When there are players on base, you need to be in a ready stance. In the ready stance you should be balanced on the balls of your feet, prepared to make a play or throw at any moment.

Blocking Pitches

Having a good catcher that can block wild pitches is one of the most important jobs of the catcher in youth leagues. In the case of a pitch in the dirt, the most important thing is to stop the ball from getting past you, not catching the ball. The following steps are how you can prevent the ball from getting past you: Calling the Game

This may not be as important in youth baseball as in the major leagues, but catchers signal to the pitcher what type of pitch to make. In the end, the pitcher makes the final decision, but a good catcher can help to make suggestions based on the current batter.

Throwing

Catchers must have a strong throwing arm. They need to be able to catch a pitch, rise quickly, and make a strong throw to second base or third. This is to keep base runners from stealing a base.

Famous Catchers

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