Setting up for a high pitch

[mad hornet]

How do some of you teach your catchers to set up when a high pitch is called?

I had an umpire (who let me know he also umpires D-1 games ) tell me that my catcher was setting up too high at times and blocking his view. He told me when she does that it would be an automatic BALL called.

On occasion we've had an umpire complain but most make an adjustment and still make the right call. This was the first time in hundreds of games that I've been told it would be an automatic ball. Is she supposed to go in a normal crouch and then hold the glove over her head as a target?

 

[kama]

Had a similiar problem this summer wish a High School/D3 umpire. He informed my catcher that since she was moving after calling the pitch, she was causing him not to call inside or outside corners since he had set up on her as she called the pitch. His argument was it was not his responsibility to adjust to her new position, thus she was possibly costing her pitcher strikes. Also copped a very defensive attitude when I asked for an explaination. Our catcher is a very experienced 17 yr. old who has never had any problems with before. Maybe he is set in his ways and its is his way or the highway.

 

[kama]

Duh, with not wish.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I don't think that a catcher is required to squat.

 

[rachelsdad]

Some of the older umpires I work with have that attitude and have tried to instill it into us younger guys. I just usually adjust unless the catcher is just ridiculous.

 

[MsDinosaur]

He informed my catcher that since she was moving after calling the pitch, she was causing him not to call inside or outside corners since he had set up on her as she called the pitch.

But she's not supposed to shift into her receiving position until after the batter is set and she's given the sign. What the heck is that ump thinking? Why bother giving signs? Just set up outside or inside as the batter's stepping into the box and let the batter, pitcher and umpire see which corner they should be watching. ;-)

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

The last part is that the target is typically where the spin begins and not where it ends, so they really don't need to exaggerate the receiving position so much. Some pitchers like the catcher off the plate, so I still see it more than I like.

Interesting. I was always under the impression that as a catcher you do not want to move the glove too much once you set up the target and the pitch is on its way, since the umpire will think the pitch traveled out of the strike zone (pitcher didn't hit her target), whether or not it really did? The New England Catching Camp dvd talks extensively about the importance of "selling" the pitch to expand the strike zone.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

I do it from the pitcher's preference, as the pitcher gets to decide that. Some if not many prefer the catcher to move out or in alot. Some pitchers don't care at all, so those catchers are free to do what they want. Many catchers in college don't even give a target or just flash the glove and relax it.

I would love opinions on this, but moving bothered me as a pitcher and I wanted the catcher to be my eye for the arm travel not the finger travel.

I would think the catcher bringing the ball in with an arm rather than sitting obviously out or in would sell the pitch more.

Thanks for your perspective. NECC instructs catchers not to "frame the pitch" by dragging it into the strike zone which they argue does not "sell" the pitch to the umpire because they can clearly see you trying to pull it back into the zone; but instead they instruct to align the body and rotate the glove so it appears to be in the strike zone even when its a little outside of the zone.

I am not an umpire or a catcher but I know when I am catching my players, I always have my glove as the target where I want the ball to end up and will set my body up to the inside and outside depending on pitch location. However, you made me think about whether or not this is the best way?

 

[MsDinosaur]

Interesting. I was always under the impression that as a catcher you do not want to move the glove too much once you set up the target and the pitch is on its way, since the umpire will think the pitch traveled out of the strike zone (pitcher didn't hit her target), whether or not it really did? The New England Catching Camp dvd talks extensively about the importance of "selling" the pitch to expand the strike zone.

Yep, my DD was taught to receive by an instructor who follows the NECC. She will quietly shift inside or outside after giving the sign, so that (hopefully) her shoulders will stay square as the pitch arrives and when her glove closes on the ball, her arm and glove will stay within the strike zone. I guess we've been lucky; all the umps so far have seemed to like the way she catches.

 

[MsDinosaur]

I do it from the pitcher's preference, as the pitcher gets to decide that. ..snipped some...I would think the catcher bringing the ball in with an arm rather than sitting obviously out or in would sell the pitch more.

True, you do need to make the pitcher comfortable. We have one who calls her own game and doesn't get signs. Since DD doesn't know what's coming, she just stays behind the center of the plate and does her best. (I could be wrong, but even though that girl is a good pitcher, I think she ends up with more close pitches called balls than the other girls.)

I believe the idea is not to set up clearly outside of strike territory, but rather so that the inside/outside pitch should arrive somewhere in front of your body rather than to the side. Game this fall, I saw DDr shift out and then catch a low and outside pitch with Coach Weaver's C position. Blue had shifted slightly with her, stood right there and watched it come in (it was dang close). He looked down at her arm and hand, paused and said, "Strike." I really believe that knowing the pitcher put that pitch exactly where she intended sold him on that one.

I was also at a game one day when a catcher was staying right behind the plate, letting her arm go wherever to snag pitches and then bringing them back into her body. Blue was mad as heck, muttering all kinds of stuff and calling just about everything a ball. That's rare though, the umps usually have more patience than that.