I was recently a guest on Rob Tong’s podcast Youth Baseball Edge.
Click on each image below to listen to the show.
Enjoy!
In this 39-minute episode, you’ll learn:
- what a major league tryout is like
- what’s wrong with the term “framing”
- why be a catcher when the position is so physically demanding
- whether catching presents a better opportunity to make it to the big leagues
- what age a kid is recommended to consider specializing at catcher
- how much politics is involved in the minor leagues with an undrafted catcher
- whether to teach catchers to put their arm behind their back when receiving pitches
- how to teach the position to 9-12 year olds
- what the key physical mechanics of catching
- the difference stances involved
- the priority of aspects to teach 9-12 year-old catchers, and what to emphasize in practices
- whether it’s worthwhile to practice throws to second when passed balls & wild pitches are common
- whether it’s a waste to have a strong catcher if wild pitches are common in your league
In this 42-minute episode, you’ll learn:
- whether the catcher or the coach should call the pitches (the answer is not what you’d expect!)
- if 9-12 year-old catchers should bother calling for location
- whether catchers should take a big or small step towards second base when trying to throw out a stealer
- what three things high school catchers need to focus on, and in what order
- the art of calling pitches
- the priority of aspects to teach high school catchers
- a tip to help receive pitches properly, and a drill to teach that
- where to find other helpful catcher drills
- a tip for catchers in bullpen sessions
- how to help catchers improve their ability to throw out runners, including footwork to watch for
- a tip to help catchers improve their consistency in throwing to the ideal spot near the base
- when catchers should have mound meetings with their pitchers, and what they should say
- how to encourage young kids or shy kids to assume more of a leadership role
- two catcher metrics that should be captured, and a recommended pitcher-catcher relationship metric to track
