Does anyone know how many catchers there are in Division 1 softball ?
Not as many now as there will be in the future as more youth/school/TB coaches come to the realization that a LH catcher has an inherent advantage over their RH counterpart!
Now I could be thinking baseball reasons too much here (and maybe there's something different about softball I'm not considering), but this strikes me as wrong.
1) Stealing third base is a lot easier, especially with a right-handed hitter.
2) Making tag plays at home plate requires either a difficult backhand play or diving across the path of the runner after receiving the ball.
A lefty catcher would have a very slight advantage fielding a bunt, but I can't really think of any other advantage. It doesn't mean no lefties should ever try it, but it's certainly an uphill battle.
The throw to 3B isn't any harder for a LH catcher than the throw to 1B is for a RH catcher. Lots of RH catchers manage to back-pick runners at 1B. Good mechanics gets the job done.
Now I could be thinking baseball reasons too much here (and maybe there's something different about softball I'm not considering), but this strikes me as wrong.
1) Stealing third base is a lot easier, especially with a right-handed hitter.
2) Making tag plays at home plate requires either a difficult backhand play or diving across the path of the runner after receiving the ball.
A lefty catcher would have a very slight advantage fielding a bunt, but I can't really think of any other advantage. It doesn't mean no lefties should ever try it, but it's certainly an uphill battle.
I'm not sure anybody's ever tested this, but I'd bet my life RH catchers are significantly quicker throwing to third than to first. Sure, you can throw to 1B as a righty (and 3B as a lefty), but it's going to be slower. It's absolutely a disadvantage, and everything else being equal the RH catcher would be preferred (since being able to throw out a runner trying to steal third is more important than picking off a funner at first).
I'm not saying a lefty shouldn't be given the opportunity, nor am I saying a lefty can't be a good catcher. But it's a disadvantage, just as it's a disadvantage to be a lefty at 2B/SS/3B. Of course, I wouldn't tell a girl she can't be a catcher if she's lefty. I wouldn't put a lefty at one of those other positions except in some kind of emergency.
I'm not sure anybody's ever tested this, but I'd bet my life RH catchers are significantly quicker throwing to third than to first. Sure, you can throw to 1B as a righty (and 3B as a lefty), but it's going to be slower. It's absolutely a disadvantage, and everything else being equal the RH catcher would be preferred (since being able to throw out a runner trying to steal third is more important than picking off a funner at first).
I'm not saying a lefty shouldn't be given the opportunity, nor am I saying a lefty can't be a good catcher. But it's a disadvantage, just as it's a disadvantage to be a lefty at 2B/SS/3B. Of course, I wouldn't tell a girl she can't be a catcher if she's lefty. I wouldn't put a lefty at one of those other positions except in some kind of emergency.