Playing Catcher

[Direckshun]

This is a bit of a weird thread idea, but I had a huge conversation with a big baseball guy today about catchers.

I guess I never spent time thinking about it, because I don't really follow baseball. But catcher is a really weird position in sports, is it not?

Anybody on this board play catcher? And I don't mean in your beer league softball team. I mean seriously.

Wear a shit ton of padding. Spend 85% of the game squatting, invariably leading to shit knees later in life. Constantly making calls and having the world's most passive aggressive arguments totally by finger with your pitcher. Have to have a rocket arm and amazing reflexes. And have this weird sibling-like relationship with pitchers.

It's just a weird kinda position, and it usually brings with it some pretty great stories.

Have any catcher stories, stories that are either just amusing or reveal a little bit about the nature of the position?

Like I said, random topic, but I'm pretty interested in it tonight.

[notorious]

LMAO

Thread title...........

[Direckshun]

LMAO

Thread title...........

God I hate you.

So......

......much.

It burns.

[Dante84]

Wow.

This one could be for the record books.

[Dante84]

This is a bit of a weird thread idea, but I had a huge conversation with a big baseball guy today about catchers.

I guess I never spent time thinking about it, because I don't really follow baseball. But catcher is a really weird position in sports, is it not?

Anybody on this board play catcher? And I don't mean in your beer league softball team. I mean seriously.

Wear a shit ton of padding. Spend 85% of the game squatting, invariably leading to shit knees later in life. Constantly making calls and having the world's most passive aggressive arguments totally by finger with your pitcher. Have to have a rocket arm and amazing reflexes. And have this weird sibling-like relationship with pitchers.

It's just a weird kinda position, and it usually brings with it some pretty great stories.

Have any catcher stories, stories that are either just amusing or reveal a little bit about the nature of the position?

Like I said, random topic, but I'm pretty interested in it tonight.

I bolded the parts that sound gay

[Direckshun]

LMAO

[tooge]

I coach youth baseball and catcher is the one position that is very skill specific. Guys can play every position on the field, but catcher is a different gig

[Direckshun]

I coach youth baseball and catcher is the one position that is very skill specific. Guys can play every position on the field, but catcher is a different gig

Hm.

Go on.

[tooge]

Well, I coach 11 U kids. Most if them can play just about anywhere on the field, but the catchers really just play catcher and maybe back up outfield

[CrazyPhuD]

:shrug: catcher isn't a position you choose, it's something you're born doing.

[tooge]

:shrug: catcher isn't a position you choose, it's something you're born doing.

Sort of. Catchers ate a different breed. We treat them like goalies in hockey. Very important, very specific

[CrazyPhuD]

Sort of. Catchers ate a different breed. We treat them like goalies in hockey. Very important, very specific

True normal people aren't just going to sit back and let balls come flying at their heads night after night, no matter what sort of protection they may be using.

[pr_capone]

I used played as a goalie for years back when I still played hockey. I see a kinship to the two positions.

I remember the first time I had a sprawling save that would have made Hasek proud. It definitely is a different mentality from most other positions in sports because we both elect to stand in front of projectiles hurtling towards us at 90-100 mph.

/edit - my knees are not in great shape

[Ebolapox]

Well, I coach 11 U kids. Most if them can play just about anywhere on the field, but the catchers really just play catcher and maybe back up outfield

see, that's weird. in little league I played catcher, third base and right field. I had a good arm as a kid and loved the position (loved third base too). as for my knees, yeah--kinda fucked up now, but not horribly so. if I'd continued the position in high school and college, it would be way worse.

[Ebolapox]

I used played as a goalie for years back when I still played hockey. I see a kinship to the two positions.

I remember the first time I had a sprawling save that would have made Hasek proud. It definitely is a different mentality from most other positions in sports because we both elect to stand in front of projectiles hurtling towards us at 90-100 mph.

I played goalie in soccer a lot in gym class--you really have to have your head in the game as a goalie, it's sort of a cerebral position (just like catching sorta is). you're like the field general, in that you have a view of the field that nobody else does--from the batter's position. you have to make sure everybody's in the right position and call the plays as it were.

[Hammock Parties]

I can show you how.

[CrazyPhuD]

I can show you how.

Listen to this guy, we know he can catch, we just don't know if he can pitch yet.

[Jewish Rabbi]

FAGGOT

[Hammock Parties]

Listen to this guy, we know he can catch, we just don't know if he can pitch yet.

You jerk. To show someone how to catch you have to pitch.

[pr_capone]

You jerk. To show someone how to catch you have to pitch.

No. He could be in the room with you while you catch and he takes notes on what strategies you use to ease discomfort yet still grip enough to get your man off.

[CrazyPhuD]

You jerk. To show someone how to catch you have to pitch.

:hmmm: Well we do know you have plenty of practice pitching, but has the manager put you in the lineup yet? Or is your arm too sore from warming up in the bullpen?

[Hammock Parties]

i've made a huge mistake

[J Diddy]

God I hate you.

So......

......much.

It burns.

Are you sure the hatred is causing the burn.


I sense a potential infection.

[Hammock Parties]

i can point you in the right...direckshun

[Direckshun]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Vu5qkv73Lvw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[wutamess]

High School summer team. I'm playing catcher and this mexican kid swings and misses at the plate. He swings and follow's through TOO much and whips the bat far enough around to hit me on the back with it. He apologizes, "I'm sorry man".

Me in a passive aggressive voice: "Sorry, my ass! You do that again, I'm going to beat your ass".

He responds with, "What'd you say!?!"

"You heard me! Do it again and I'm going to beat your ass".

Umpire intervened and said, "Come on guys. Play ball" or something of the sort.
Needless to say on his following swings the bat didn't touch me at all.

I think about it from time to time til this day and figure it was something he'd be like, "Watch what I do to the catcher when I get up there".

Good times indeed.

[Chief_For_Life58]

I jumped over a catcher trying to tag me out in 7th grade ball at home and the ump called me out cus it wasent allowed.

thats all ive got

[wutamess]

Another time catching in college. I'd have hidden signals to my fielders for pickoff attempts from catcher position.. I'd act like I was talking to the pitcher and say something like, "Come on Johnny give me a good one".

"Johnny" was actually the first baseman.

The throw before it, the runner was getting too far of a lead off.
"Come on Johnny, give me a shot"

Here comes the pitch! I quickly launch a straight B U L L E T to the first baseman who had no idea I called the play. The runner froze and had that, "OH SHIT" look on his face as he realized the first baseman wasn't expecting it either.

So as the ball is mowing down air headed straight at the baserunner, This ****er decides to jump out of the trajectory of the ball as a last ditch effort. Ball hit him in the inside of his shin and he landed in anguish. They had to carry his ass off the field.

Coach was mad the first baseman missed the call and yanked him because his head wasn't in the game. The replacement 1st baseman came on the field, nothing but teeth from smiling at his rare chance to play.

The umpire noticed and had immediate jokes like, "Damn his ass is happy as hell to be in the game". "Look at his teeth", etc.

Good times indeed.

[Dante84]

Here come the pitch!


You tell stories so good!

I felt like I was there!

[rico]

I have a lot of respect for catchers. I played literally every position in baseball from little league up through high school, with an exception of catcher. I tried it one practice. Without a batter, I was fine...pretty good at it. However, when a batter came up and would swing, it would totally throw me off and I would get hit in the nuts, chest, mask, etc. It scared the shit out of me. I think I hesitated/flinched too much when the batter would swing. It got to the point where I said, "**** this, I'm done doing this shit" halfway through practice and went back to playing 3rd/pitcher.

[Chest Rockwell]

I loved it. Played from the time I was 12 to 21 (eventually got moved to the outfield in college & after as I don't have a prototypical catchers build). It's really basically being quarterback of a baseball team. Sure the pitchers get all the glory, but the catcher is the guy calling the game, helping set up the defense, helping with situational calls and calling cuts. None of that standing around picking your ass like a right fielder. :evil: You're involved in everything, and it helps a lot if you understand the game. It's why you see so many former catchers do well as managers.

I think the biggest thing is getting used to people taking cuts right in front of you. You get clipped every once in a while, but the foul tips are what really gets you. For me the ones that were off the inner thighs or reaching for a ball that's up away to a righty that gets fouled off and hits you in the ribs (before the chest protectors wrapped so much) was pretty brutal.

It's also a pretty technical position if you want to play it well. Learning the proper foot and body work to block pitches, knowing how a pitch in the dirt is going to come up based on what was thrown (spin), catching a high foul that basically goes straight up isn't nearly as easy as it looks. That shit does NOT come down straight, even if there's no wind. And the footwork/throwing mechanics for throwing out runners is actually quite a bit different than for other positions.

Tons of stories, but one the most entertaining (it's a love/hate story, I've found there isn't much middle ground with the way people receive it) was my senior year of high school, district championships. It was an unseasonably cold day, one of those where if you don't catch the ball right, or square it up on the bat right it hurts.

We're three or four innings in, and I feel like the ump is squeezing my pitcher. I was always the type of catcher who had conversations with the umps and would ask for clarifications on marginal calls. If I didn't know whether a ball was called low or away or both, I'd ask so I could adjust my targets. It was never confrontational at all, that never helps anyone, I just wanted the information. I could tell from the beginning this guy wasn't going to be a friendly type, so I didn't even bother for the first couple innings.

Finally, there was a pitch that I was shocked he called a ball, so I just said "out or down?" To which the reply was "you better just shut the **** up and do your gawddamn job!"

All right Chet, game on.

I call time and go out to the mound, tell our pitcher what happened and what I'm gonna do. Guy just grins and shakes his head. What you need to know about this guy is he was a major talent. Threw 96 in high school and was drafted after our senior year, didn't sign, and was drafted again after his junior year of college. Was on an Olympic team, then kicked around in the upper level of the minors for about 8 years (was unlucky enough to be in an organization who had a TREMENDOUS staff at the major league level at the time). So he was pretty legit.

I trot back to the plate, assume the position, drop a single finger and set up away (to a righty). This ump also had the really annoying habit of getting right up on your back and moving you so he could get in position, which I hated, so I knew exactly where he was and how he was set up. Wind-up, delivery, and I drop my glove and re-set inside quickly at the last minute. A split-second later there's the hiss of the ball going by me, then the deeply satisfying, unmistakable sound of hard cowhide hitting flesh, followed immediately by a yelp and some groaning. I turn around and the umps hand is about 3 times the size it should be. He's laying on his side holding it and obviously not very happy. My intention was for him to get clipped pretty good, not get cracked in the hand. But I can't say I felt too bad about that.

"Sorry. He crossed me up."

"**** you! You went to the mound right before that."

"Yeah, we clearly need to work on our communication skills."

The dude who came in to replace him had a much more reasonable strike zone. I don't think it had anything to do with the situation, just saying it worked out for everybody.

Except for the guy with the broken hand, I guess.

[Dayze]

this can either be very informative; ....or go very bad during the day crew. lol

[rockymtnchief]

I loved it. Played from the time I was 12 to 21 (eventually got moved to the outfield in college & after as I don't have a prototypical catchers build).

I played catcher from 9 to 23 in baseball and then 5 more years in fast pitch softball. I was actually going to be assigned to a AA team somewhere in New York when it was decided I wasn't big enough to catch at that level. Coaches tried to convert me into a an outfielder. I was aweful. I could chase down pop flies, but line drives directly at me, froze me in my tracks.

There's a lot more to playing the position than just catching the ball. Blocking drills, throwing drills and footwork drills make or break the good ones. I could be a chiseled sumbitch if I got off the atv/couch/bar stool and started doing them again.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qS30lvZ6hSU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/I7KXt9Vve3U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Brando]

Claytex was half chubbed as soon as he saw the thread title.

[BigMeatballDave]

Claytex was half chubbed as soon as he saw the thread title.

LMAO

[CoMoChief]

I played it.

Very demanding position, hard on the knees and back if you're tall, which I am, which is why I stopped. which kinda sucks because I was good at the position and not many people could run on me because of my ridiculous hand cannon of an arm.

[Sofa King]

Yup. Fun position. Involved in every play. First time being the full time catcher in quite awhile. Was out in left.

[Archie Bunker]

I moved from 3B to catcher in Jr Babe and stayed there throughout high school. Loved everything about the position and looking back I wouldn't have wanted to play anywhere else on the diamond.

I always had a powerful arm but whether it was a result of small town 1A type coaching or a a case of the yips no matter how hard I tried or how many coaches attempted I could never harness any control as a pitcher so I mainly played 3B, SS, and a little CF but a couple weeks into our season our catcher broke his arm and the last 6 years of my playing days were spent behind the plate.

Loved the camaraderie with my staff, being a coach on the field, talking to the opponents and joking with the ump. Hell I loved the gear and coming to the plate covered in dirt at the age you just feel cool playing the part.

From the playing prospective I did see my hitting dip a little but finally my arm became a weapon instead of a bit out of control. Not sure if it was being less on display or if because of the nature of the position I didn't have time to think but throwing out runners or picking off a distacted runner a 1st got me a couple all conference teams and 3 district teams. It was just a position that suited me perfectly much like TE/OLB fit me in football.

Only downsides were a healthy obsession with Crash Davis that got my thrown out of a game and it didn't help my already shitty knees much but honestly if stumbled across a genie one of my wishes would be to be MLB catcher over any other sport or position. Just a unique position in sports and if you're good everyone from the umps to the opponents to your teammates respect you and will follow your lead. You're pretty much the equivalent to a QB and thats a powerful feeling and a bit of an ego trip.

[rageeumr]

I was chubby in elementary school, so I got typecast as a catcher. I actually got to be halfway decent, even though I never really had much of an arm. The things I remember are the constant bruises that I had all over my arms and how miserably hot it can get in that gear. Standing out in the sun waiting on some asshole 5th grader to throw strikes is enough of a pain in the ass without wearing 10 pounds of poorly breathing body armor.

I thinned out a ton in junior high, but still played a lot of catcher in the summers. Never played it in high school, though. The aforementioned ninny arm got me relegated to second base for my entire high school career.

My knees pop and crack like crazy, especially in the mornings, but who knows how much of that can be attributed to 6 or 7 summers' worth of squatting behind a plate. I don't seem to have any structural issues, though, so that's good.

[Chest Rockwell]

I played catcher from 9 to 23 in baseball and then 5 more years in fast pitch softball. I was actually going to be assigned to a AA team somewhere in New York when it was decided I wasn't big enough to catch at that level. Coaches tried to convert me into a an outfielder. I was aweful. I could chase down pop flies, but line drives directly at me, froze me in my tracks.


That's pretty much my career path as well, but I was probably actually a better outfielder than a catcher. I ended up playing everything from jr high legion ball to college. I liked catching and outfield the most, so it sorta worked out for me. Line drives can be hard to judge. I was sort of lucky that tracking balls just came naturally to me. I don't know what it is, but I always had the ability to get a good jump on the ball. It's like I could just tell where it was going pretty much as soon as it came off the bat. Which was a blessing, because I'm slow as ****.

I have no idea how they actually let me catch my first couple of years of college. When I graduated high school I weight about a buck thirty-five. And I'm 6' tall. I'm a definite ectomorph. I still go between 155-165 depending on how much training I'm doing (I finally figured out I was made for endurance sports about 5 years ago). They put me on about a 10,000 calorie a day diet (I have no idea what the actual specs were, I just remember eating a sht ton and drinking protein shakes every 2 hours) and got me up to around 2 bills. Then promptly moved me to the outfield. LMAO.

No worries though, it probably extended my career (I feel like I could have caught on as a catcher as well, but being able to play any outfield position, despite my lack of speed, definitely meant there were more roster spots available to me. I also think the ability to be an "emergency" catcher if needed helped.) and definitely saved me knee issues.

[BigMeatballDave]

I played it.

Very demanding position, hard on the kneesSo, biting the pillow isn't helpful?

[loochy]

:shrug: catcher isn't a position you choose, it's something you're born doing.

WRONG

People choose to be catchers and they choose to face the consequences that being a catcher brings.

Show me some evidence that people are born catchers. You are going to claim some kind of "catcher gene" exists. Well guess what? The "catcher gene" theory has been debunked over and over in peer reviewed studies.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

I caught for 9 years in summer softball, and it definitely leads to knee problems.

[loochy]

I played it.

Very demanding position, hard on the knees and

tee hee hee you said hard on

[BigMeatballDave]

WRONG

People choose to be catchers and they choose to face the consequences that being a catcher brings.

Show me some evidence that people are born catchers. You are going to claim some kind of "catcher gene" exists. Well guess what? The "catcher gene" theory has been debunked over and over in peer reviewed studies.

LMAO

[BigMeatballDave]

I caught for 9 years in summer softball, and it definitely leads to knee problems.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGDr7iHSb0EvfdSauUfOW0IDb_EIvTnAthQtxgFXd_x6NIm3zhag

[DMAC]

I bolded the parts that sound gay

ROFL

[OnTheWarpath15]

Caught from Age 8 through high school, including some traveling teams that played ungodly numbers of games per summer. My knees are complete ass.

Two stories, both from HS:

My sophomore year I split time between catcher and 3B - usually only caught to give the starter, who was a senior a day off. Started the last 10 games of the season after he took a foul ball to the no-no-zone, which shattered - yes shattered - his protective cup. Doctors spent a few hours picking shards of hard plastic from his groin.

Then my junior year, I was the full-time starter, and coach had a "strict" no dip/chew rule. Everyone pretty much did it anyway, and was smart enough not to load up and make it obvious. I threw a wad of Red Man in my mouth and went out for the first inning.

FIRST FUCKING PITCH: Fouled back, hits me in the chest, right under the throat protector. Swallow the chew. Spend every half-inning we're batting behind the dugout puking. Coach gives me the "Hardhat Award" for going 4-5 with the GWRBI playing while sick. Dude thought I had a stomach bug or something.

[Demonpenz]

I have to give credit to major league catchers. They throw a good ball back to the pitcher 150 times a game. I was always due to short hop the pitcher on the throw back once in a while leading to people yell at me.

[loochy]

rule: you must be stumpy to play catcher

[seaofred]

I played catcher from the time I was 9 until my sophmore year of HS. I only quit, because it became pretty obvious I was going to play football in college and it was starting to hurt my knees already. So I moved to LF and would come in and play 1st base when our 1st basemen pitched.

When I was catching, I would just randomly flip off the pitcher, but that told him to bean the hitter. The coaches never knew I would call it, but I would just randomly do it.

My senior year, our catcher shaved his head, well one day I talked him into using Nair instead of shaving. It gave him a major chemical burn on his head. Later that day, we had our district championship game and everytime he took off his helmet it was like scrapping his head with sandpaper. It was funny as hell.

[wutamess]

My intention was for him to get clipped pretty good, not get cracked in the hand. But I can't say I felt too bad about that.

"Sorry. He crossed me up."

"**** you! You went to the mound right before that."

"Yeah, we clearly need to work on our communication skills."

The dude who came in to replace him had a much more reasonable strike zone. I don't think it had anything to do with the situation, just saying it worked out for everybody.

Except for the guy with the broken hand, I guess.

My pitcher was too scared to do it.
I'd call timeout and say. Not this pitch (so it wouldn't be obvious) but the next pitch afterwards I want you to fire one right at his face.

Fuggin pussy!

[Chest Rockwell]

Reviving this thread because this is what it's like to catcher:

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18x4fsonzgesggif/ku-medium.gif

[Baby Lee]

LMAO

Thread title...........

God I hate you.

So......

......much.

It burns.

http://generatormeme.com/media/created/rdsywp.jpg

[Baby Lee]

Oh, and if you're getting shit knees, something if amiss.

[Baby Lee]

Baseball wasn't in the cards for me. I had a dog attack me and chomp off the tip of my ear 4th of July when I was nine. Surgery took me out of the season that transitioned from teeball to baseball, and by that fall I was WAAAY into soccer.

[Frazod]

Played catcher on my command softball team back in my Navy days. Obviously not as involved or hazardous as doing it in baseball, but it was fun. Didn't do it long enough to hurt my knees. I liked being involved in every play - I remember one inning where I made all three outs - caught two pop-ups and tagged out a runner at home. Nothing better than tagging somebody out when they're trying to score on you. I always tried nail them in the head, too. Accidently, of course. :)

I wish now that I'd stuck with it. Oh well.

[seclark]

always played catcher. older brother pitched, and i caught him all the time, so i just kinda grew into it. broken nose 3 times catching, along w/a thumb and 2 fingers. got to my junior year in hs and started bitching about always having to catch, so they'd put me at either short or 2b, but not very much.

it was a pretty cool place to be when talking to the batters on the other team. ump told me one time i could talk to them, but i couldn't bring their mothers up in the conversation.

sec

[Lex Luthor]

I started in Left Field for my High School team, but I was also the emergency (3rd string) catcher. What sucked about that was that I had to do all of the extra conditioning (mostly running) required for pitchers and catchers while my outfield buddies got to skip it.

Playing catcher requires so much more work than playing in the outfield that it's like two completely different sports. I strongly preferred jogging out to my position in Left Field and then catching the occasional fly ball while thinking about my next at-bat.

[patteeu]

always played catcher. older brother pitched, and i caught him all the time, so i just kinda grew into it. broken nose 3 times catching, along w/a thumb and 2 fingers. got to my junior year in hs and started bitching about always having to catch, so they'd put me at either short or 2b, but not very much.

it was a pretty cool place to be when talking to the batters on the other team. ump told me one time i could talk to them, but i couldn't bring their mothers up in the conversation.

sec

Check this out!

http://greekinter.net/drink%20ouzo/www.harbormoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/catchers_mask.jpg

[seclark]

Check this out!

http://greekinter.net/drink%20ouzo/www.harbormoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/catchers_mask.jpg

yeah, i got that advice. twice broken in collisions. the one time i was hit w/the ball was warming up a relief pitcher. woke up w/the ump patting me on the side of the face. still better than taking a shot to the nuts, and yes, i wore a cup, too.
sec

[patteeu]

yeah, i got that advice. twice broken in collisions. the one time i was hit w/the ball was warming up a relief pitcher. woke up w/the ump patting me on the side of the face. still better than taking a shot to the nuts, and yes, i wore a cup, too.
sec

I always thought catchers were brave just to sit behind a guy swinging a bat. Did you ever get hit by the bat?

[seclark]

I always thought catchers were brave just to sit behind a guy swinging a bat. Did you ever get hit by the bat?

fuck, i got hit w/everything back there.
sec

[allen_kcCard]

the one time i was hit w/the ball was warming up a relief pitcher
sec

Check out this!

http://nmarti28.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/catchersmitt.jpg

Not the mask that was advised before, this black thingy held in front of it.

[seclark]

Check out this!

http://nmarti28.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/catchersmitt.jpg

Not the mask that was advised before, this black thingy held in front of it.

ya, screw you guys...i'm going home.
sec

[Baby Lee]

Check out this!

http://nmarti28.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/catchersmitt.jpg

Not the mask that was advised before, this black thingy held in front of it.

Reminds me of those nerd spiderman costumes at ComicCon.

[Predarat]

Jack 'don't stand on the tracks when the train's coming through' Parkman

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/Predarat5/JackParkanjpg_zps3ca8fe37.jpg

[tyton75]

This is a bit of a weird thread idea, but I had a huge conversation with a big baseball guy today about catchers.

I guess I never spent time thinking about it, because I don't really follow baseball. But catcher is a really weird position in sports, is it not?

Anybody on this board play catcher? And I don't mean in your beer league softball team. I mean seriously.

Wear a shit ton of padding. Spend 85% of the game squatting, invariably leading to shit knees later in life. Constantly making calls and having the world's most passive aggressive arguments totally by finger with your pitcher. Have to have a rocket arm and amazing reflexes. And have this weird sibling-like relationship with pitchers.

It's just a weird kinda position, and it usually brings with it some pretty great stories.

Have any catcher stories, stories that are either just amusing or reveal a little bit about the nature of the position?

Like I said, random topic, but I'm pretty interested in it tonight.


I was a catcher from the time that I started playing baseball, up thru highschool and got a try out with MU.

I freaking loved playing Catcher because you are involved in every play and you could talk to the batters and the Ump.. etc.

I loved the gamesmenship of the position. Telling the hitters what pitches were/weren't coming.. (Bull Durham and The Sandlot were favorites).

One funny story I can tell from High School that I felt bad for later. We were in a pretty tight game with some team and there was this lady in their stands who was screaming her head off the whole game. One of their better hitters came up with 2 runners on and 2 outs and I figured I would just start yapping at him, so I started asking him who that loudmouth lady was in the stands, "man, she is annoying; does she yell all the time, is she at all of your games, how do you stand it.".. and on and on..

He struck out, we go on to win the game, and after the game my coach came up and asked me what I was saying to him... found out that his Mother had died when he was younger and the loud lady was his grandmother who raised him.

Felt like a shitheel.

[Pepe Silvia]

I knew he would get buried for that title. ROFL

[listopencil]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NJ0VSmkebwk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[rockymtnchief]

I was a catcher from the time that I started playing baseball, up thru highschool and got a try out with MU.

I freaking loved playing Catcher because you are involved in every play and you could talk to the batters and the Ump.. etc.

I loved the gamesmenship of the position. Telling the hitters what pitches were/weren't coming.. (Bull Durham and The Sandlot were favorites).

One funny story I can tell from High School that I felt bad for later. We were in a pretty tight game with some team and there was this lady in their stands who was screaming her head off the whole game. One of their better hitters came up with 2 runners on and 2 outs and I figured I would just start yapping at him, so I started asking him who that loudmouth lady was in the stands, "man, she is annoying; does she yell all the time, is she at all of your games, how do you stand it.".. and on and on..

He struck out, we go on to win the game, and after the game my coach came up and asked me what I was saying to him... found out that his Mother had died when he was younger and the loud lady was his grandmother who raised him.

Felt like a shitheel.

Before a game, I saw one of the opposing players talking to some young gal sporting a hair-do that was in style in the 1950's or 60's.

http://sun.menloschool.org/~nfortman/8th/decadesweb.2003/sofiav/flip.jpg

Every time he came to bat, I'd make a smart remark about his girlfriends nasty hair. I could tell it really pissed him off and he never came close to getting on base.

After the game, I found out she lost all her hair because of cancer therapy and that was the only wig they could find in their small town.

I tried finding him and her after the game to say I'm sorry, but they left right away. It ate at me for weeks.

[patteeu]

Wow, who knew catchers were such mean people?

[NJChiefsFan]

I always thought catchers were brave just to sit behind a guy swinging a bat. Did you ever get hit by the bat?

The guys with the bad(long) swings will get you every now and then. The two things I enjoyed the least that people don't notice are when catchers get drilled when the hitter does. The pitch clips the batter and then deflects of and nails you in the ribs where there is no protection. It was also fun when the batter swings his bat along the ground to get in his stance and kicks a bunch of dirt into your eye. It's the little things that make catching so fun...

Still, you learn a lot being a catcher. There is a real reason why managers are so often catchers. It really is an entirely different view on the game. Both who to play defense, how to pitch, and also how to hit.

[mdchiefsfan]

I played it.

Very demanding position, hard on the knees and back if you're tall, which I am, which is why I stopped. which kinda sucks because I was good at the position and not many people could run on me because of my ridiculous hand cannon of an arm.

Can you play QB?

[Rausch]

Fuck!

I clicked on this thinking it was a gay thread and it ended up being about baseball...

[mdchiefsfan]

****!

I clicked on this thinking it was a gay thread and it ended up being about baseball...

LMAO Banned for misleading thread title?

[Chest Rockwell]

****!

I clicked on this thinking it was a gay thread and it ended up being about baseball...

Here you go. (http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/search.php?searchid=956842)

All the gheyness you could ever possibly desire.

:evil:

[Strongside]

This is a bit of a weird thread idea, but I had a huge conversation with a big baseball guy today about catchers.

I guess I never spent time thinking about it, because I don't really follow baseball. But catcher is a really weird position in sports, is it not?

Anybody on this board play catcher? And I don't mean in your beer league softball team. I mean seriously.

Wear a shit ton of padding. Spend 85% of the game squatting, invariably leading to shit knees later in life. Constantly making calls and having the world's most passive aggressive arguments totally by finger with your pitcher. Have to have a rocket arm and amazing reflexes. And have this weird sibling-like relationship with pitchers.

It's just a weird kinda position, and it usually brings with it some pretty great stories.

Have any catcher stories, stories that are either just amusing or reveal a little bit about the nature of the position?

Like I said, random topic, but I'm pretty interested in it tonight.

I played for 15 years and my knees are shot, that's for damn sure.

[NJChiefsFan]

I played for 15 years and my knees are shot, that's for damn sure.

I used to be one of the quicker guys on the team. Now that I spent some years just as our backup catcher(and one as the full time), my knees are a little messed up. Just feel like I can't get to 100% speed anymore.