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Coach Joe
16 Posts |
 Posted - 03/11/2013 : 22:37:00
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| I realize there is a lot of talk and rules put in place to protect pitchers and their arms (and I agree with all of them!). Are there any recommendations on how many innings a team should utilize one catcher. When teams are playing 6 - 7 games in two days, it seems like a lot of squats and throwing when you consider how agressive base stealing can be. What are your thoughts on catcher limits if any? Mainly with the younger boys (9u/10u). |
Edited by - Coach Joe on 03/11/2013 22:37:53 |
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DecaturDad
619 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2013 : 10:49:25
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My son was the starting catcher for his team from 9 through 12. Some weekends he caught three or four games. Heat was the biggest concern. We always brough a gallon of gatoraid and cold clothes in ice. He never had any over-use issues. At 14U, he still catches, just not as often.
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Hurricane
351 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2013 : 13:10:11
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| If it was me I would alternate every inning between my two catchers. |
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zwndad
170 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2013 : 16:50:36
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My personal preference is to have 1 catcher catch a whole game, or at the very least catch all the innings of an individual pitcher. If a pitcher goes 4 innings, but has 2 different catchers, you might lose some of the rhythm between P & C. We used to have a team with 2 catchers (plus 1 emergency). Those two catchers would alternate whole games, and that seemed to work pretty well. Of course, neither of those guys pitched.
On our current team, our coach will rest the catcher for an inning in the middle of the game, but I think that can stiffen up a catcher. He'd be better off staying there the whole game.
Just my 2 cents. |
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GeneralsCoach
49 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2013 : 16:55:00
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| Catchers are not maxing out their throw every toss to the pitcher like the pitcher does to them. They might have 2-3 throws an inning, not much different than any other position. Heat and fatigue are main factors. At 9/10 I think we tried to swap every 2 innings. 1 or 2 of our guys could go 3-4 depending on the length of the inning... Then they would have the next game off. |
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BaseballMom6
233 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2013 : 18:41:08
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| my son is a 13U catcher. His current coach does a great job of alternating games/innings when needed of our catchers. I would not think alternating innings would be good, because you lose the rhythm of the game. However, that would depend on how long the innings are. My son caught 2 full games in a day, but the vast majority of the innings were only 4-5 batters long, so short defensive innings, and their offensive innings were much longer so plenty of recovery time. |
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zwndad
170 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2013 : 10:13:23
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| On that note GeneralsCoach, I have seen some youth catchers throwing the ball back to the pitcher as hard as they can. I can't imagine the wear & tear on a catcher's arm after doing that over 100 times per game for an extended period of time. We always tell our catchers to throw the ball back easy unless there is a game situation (e.g., overly aggressive runners trying to delay steal) that prevents it. |
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HITANDRUN
436 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2013 : 15:17:31
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| I have seen a lot of catchers at the 13 and 14 age group throwing the ball back to the pitchers from their knees is that something they do now as long as they don't have trouble getting it there or make bad throws? |
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zwndad
170 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2013 : 09:58:27
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| My son throws back from his knees a lot, as long as nobody is on base. He says it saves his legs. Don't know if it's right or wrong. He's small for 14U, but doesn't have a problem getting the throw there from his knees. |
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BaseballMom6
233 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2013 : 10:44:44
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| My son throws back from his knees because he thinks it helps with the pace of the game. He is not small for 13U, and has no trouble making the throw. He believes as long as the throw is accurate, it is fine. He would not do this with men on base. |
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Arm/leg rest for catchers?
