Pitcher and Catcher: Working Together

By: Derek Johnson

Excerpt from The Complete Guide to Pitching - Provided by Human Kinetics

A certain beautiful type of rhythm happens when a pitcher and catcher work in harmony together. I have found that this rhythm occurs more often when the pitcher and catcher are allowed to call the game with limited interference from the coach. The battery of the pitcher and catcher see and feel things that the coach cannot, such as the movement and exact location of the pitch. With proper training, the pitcher and catcher will be able to make intelligent assessments and decide what pitch to throw next. Because we live in a "transfer of blame" society more than ever before, accountability and conviction are the main reasons that the pitcher and catcher should call the game. I want our batteries to be intelligent and responsible. Again, this is where bullpens and chalk talks between pitcher, coach, and catcher will pay off. As the pitcher and catcher become more competent in understanding what to throw and when, their effort takes on a natural rhythm. It is like a pendulum on a clock: consistent, smooth, and on time. The pace of the game increases, enhancing the alertness of the defense, as well as the trust that the pitcher puts behind each pitch. This is winning baseball.

Not only is a good catcher critical to the success of a pitcher, he also serves a vital role in communicating with the coaching staff. Among other things, the catcher has a distinct advantage over the coach in that he receives the ball thrown by the pitcher so he sees it, feels it, and understands certain details that a coach cannot. Therefore, he becomes the eyes and ears of the coach, which makes him a very valuable tool.

If a team puts a high value on the catcher's role, input from the catcher becomes critical in decisions that the coach makes regarding pitching plans, mechanical or pitch adjustments, and tactical strategies. Another advantage that a catcher has over the coach is that he has most likely faced his pitchers as a hitter in batting practice or practice scrimmages, giving him yet another angle from which to help the coaches in making decisions. The coach can only speculate on what it's like for the hitters facing the pitcher; the catcher's information is based on actual experience.

During competition, the catcher is the closest person to the hitter yet another advantage. As he is receiving pitches, the catcher is privy to certain changes in the batter's demeanor (e.g., confused or angry looks), or he may hear the hitter mumbling under his breath. Again, these subtleties are all things that the pitcher and coach might not be able to see and hear. This information can be quite useful in calling the next pitch, or it could even help expose a weakness that was not previously known.

To pick up this information, the only talent that the catcher needs is the ability to keenly observe the body language of the hitter. He should also learn to "think with" the hitter based on what he sees and hears.

The catcher should apply the same awareness when dealing with the pitcher. He faces the pitcher the entire game and has the opportunity to see certain things that a coach might not be able to see. Again, the only skill needed is for the catcher to stay alert and observe his pitcher's nuances. In many instances, my catcher has come in after an inning and told me that the pitcher is giving off bad body language after poorly executed pitches. This is something that I couldn't see from the dugout. For our machine to work properly, I must trust in what my catcher sees in order to educate the pitcher on how to cope with the game better. After all, if the catcher saw the negative body language, there is a good chance the hitter did too, and this might cause a pitcher to lose his edge against that particular hitter or in that particular inning. This problem must be resolved quickly if the pitcher is to return; if not, a pitching change may be in order.

You might wonder how a catcher can be trained to see and hear all of this action that is essentially going on at the same time. How can he see the reactions of the pitcher as well as the hitter? The coach must first educate the catcher about what to look and listen for. The catcher should then practice these skills in the bullpen and in practice scrimmages. The catcher practices the art of being alert. After receiving the ball, the catcher then throws it back while at the same time listening to the hitter and observing the pitcher. Next, he should quickly turn his attention to remembering the hitter's reaction to the pitch and scan for clues. If any are found, he then bases his next pitch call on what was previously thrown and the hitter's reaction to it. This is the "cat and mouse" game played by pitcher, catcher, and hitter. This is the game within the game!

As mentioned, one of the most useful tools for the catcher is to catch his pitchers in the bullpen. Besides the obvious advantage of getting to know his pitcher, the catcher is able to help the coach better understand if the adjustments that are being made are yielding results. During these moments, I find myself first asking the pitcher "How does that feel?" followed by asking the catcher "How does that look?" After all, if he truly knows his pitcher, the catcher will know that the throw looks, feels, or reacts either better or worse than previous throws. In the end, making adjustments becomes a three pronged attack the feel of the pitcher, the look of the pitch coming into the hitting area, and the coach's judgment of whether there is improvement or not. Two heads are better than one, as the old saying goes, so surely three heads are better than two.

After each outing, our pitchers are asked to evaluate their performance. Among other things, I want to know what they thought went well and what they think needs to improve in both the short term and the long term. True evaluation is a powerful tool for preparing for the pitcher's next outing we will base his work week on what needs to be improved. Here, the catcher's perspective is vitally important and highly sought after. I want to know what he saw and what he thinks. For me, his thoughts serve as an outside perspective; he is not a pitcher or a coach, and his thoughts often come from a much different place than the thoughts of a pitcher. It's like when a lawn mower is broken and won't start. The coaches check the plugs and points, and they perhaps narrow it down to the crank shaft or the carburetor. The catcher walks up, checks the gas tank, and states that the mower is just out of gas. He keeps it simple. He "gets" it.

Lastly, because the catcher catches in the bullpen and during the game, he is a central component to the training versus trusting mode a pitcher finds himself in at any given time. You might remember that training versus trusting is one of the seven foundational elements to pitching that were discussed in chapter 1 and it serves the pitcher by separating the different thought processes he travels through between practices and games. In other words, it helps the pitcher "separate." The catcher sees and hears it all from the training foundation that the pitcher has worked on in practice to what "shows up" during games. He is a constant, and because of this, he will likely have a good understanding of when the pitcher is crossing the line, either by thinking too much or thinking of the wrong thing.

The catcher is an extension of the pitcher and also serves as a coach on the field. He supports the pitcher with his physical skills (catching, blocking) and also helps keep the pitcher on target mentally. The actions and body language of the catcher can help give the pitcher confidence. In addition, the catcher, pitcher, and coach must work together each bringing a different perspective to plan and adjust the pitching strategy before and throughout the game. A good catcher can go a long way toward helping a pitcher achieve success.