What's up in this video? We're going to.
Talk about how catchers Can handle their Pitchers better.
And what. Their role is. In the.
Pitcher catcher.
Relationship in baseball.
All right.
If you're new here, I'm Coach Dan, I'm a former pro pitcher.
Be sure to check. Out the description below.
You'll find my new book, Clean Your Cleats.
Which talks a ton about this baseball strategy.
And. Career strategy stuff.
There's free chapters, so. Definitely check them out.
Listen to because it's really important. Advice that I want to share.
From my baseball journey to yours.
So in today's. Video, let's talk about the catcher.
And pitcher relationship.
Specifically the catcher's role.
In handling pitchers.
So number one, your. First task. On this.
TIPS list today is figure.
Out their mechanics and how you can help them
and how you can understand when they're running rough and when what they.
What they.
Do when they're pitching well and they're kind of in the zone.
So lots of good catchers that I've. Seen.
That I've worked with, whatever they're good.
At understanding hey, when this pitcher flies open,
that's when he starts leaving the ball. Up.
So if my pitcher.
Leaves a bunch of fastballs up or his curve balls.
Kind of hanging in the zone a lot and I see a pattern,
I'm going to go out on and tell him, hey.
Your front shoulders pulling out,
try to stay a little bit close, a little bit longer, whatever it is.
Or you can see tempo.
Tempo is another really easy thing for even young catchers to see.
Hey, my pitcher usually goes at this sort of pace.
And right now it seems like he's rushing, he's taking
or he's not taking enough time.
Or. He's not loading.
His backside up or he's just physically sped up or he's.
Just like going everything faster. Because he's.
You know, we're in a jam or he's.
Nervous or whatever.
So basic. Mechanical knowledge.
Is really really important. And the more. You catch a pitcher.
So this is why you. Should be catching tons and tons of bullpens.
The more you see a pitcher.
The more you'll start.
To see.
Patterns and correlations when the ball goes up my I see my pitcher.
Do this.
When the ball is down, I see him do this.
So you can sort of.
Piece these together. And say. OK.
I can. Correlate.
This mechanical thing that happens.
With this. Outcome.
So if we're getting a lot of this outcome, I can go out,
have a quick chat and say, Hey.
This is what we. Need to work on.
Let's try to get. You back on track.
So being an amateur pitching coach is a.
Really helpful. Thing.
And especially when you have built.
This trust, which we'll talk about and a good rapport with your pitchers.
Then you can really start to use that and help them to stay on track.
Walk fewer hitters.
And just have.
A quicker. Rebound when they start to get in trouble.
All right.
Number two, good catchers in baseball understand
the unique demeanor and personality.
Of each. Pitcher and when they're at. Their best.
So for me personally, I was at my.
Best when I was like.
Pitching kind of angry and kind of mean
I was at my best when I was real calm and loose.
I was the.
Best when I was like kind of in a fighting mood, but also not too wound up.
Or too. Angry. So everyone has like this range.
Like I was best in like the pretty angry range, but.
Not like Furious.
Dan. Furious Dan wasn't good and too calm.
Like, Mellow Dan wasn't as good slightly angry Dan was best.
So a. Catcher who can see that where it's like, oh man, Dan's getting.
Really frustrated. He's really pissed. Off.
I'm going to go
try to calm him down just a little bit to kind of get him back in that zone.
That's a good thing for them to do.
Or if they're. Like, Hey, man.
You got to step it up.
Like, let's go, like, compete.
Sometimes I would
bring me from the too mellow zone back into my little good red zone
where I'm like, All right.
A little bit. Fighting, a little bit angry.
That's where I pitched best.
And so as a catcher.
The more you can, you can get to know your. Players.
And see them in the bullpen, see them in games and.
Just observe. And say.
Where does it look like this players best?
Because everyone's different.
There are guys that listen to.
Reggae music to mellow out before games and are guys who listen to heavy metal
to get all amped up and angry before games.
Which which kind of. Pitcher are they?
That's not a good.
Observation for in the dugout or in the clubhouse.
Or just chatting with guys like, Hey, when I.
See you go off and listen to your headphones
in pregame, what are you listening to?
Is it is it heavy metal?
Is it really angry rap or is it something.
Like really mellow where they're trying to calm?
That will give you clues.
Into what they're trying to foster, what kind of mindset that they want.
So when you see. Your pitcher get away.
From that.
Positive.
Little band, in his, you know, if you imagine like a red line on a.
Car, like they're best in a. Little bit of a band.
Like here again, I was like pretty angry, but not psycho angry.
So when you can figure out what they need, then you can start to go.
Out there and have productive talks.
When you see them get too far from there
and get them back on track, maybe it's encouragement,
maybe you get a little bit you're kind of like prod them and fight them
a little bit and try to get that fighting spirit out in them.
Or maybe just. Go out there, Hey, relax.
Calm down, take a breath and try to smell them back.
Out but all.
That's really important to understand your pitcher's demeanor and.
Where they're best.
And how you can then help them get back on track when they're lost.
Number three, know their.
Ability.
To make pitches and how good their command is.
So you can't ask a pitcher to throw a 32.
Slider on the outer. Third if he can't.
Make that.
Pitcher lively, if that's a.
Pitch that they make one out of four or five times,
if they're going to make that pitch. Two out of.
Three times, then sure, you can call that slider on the outside.
Third with a 32 count whatever.
But you have to know. What are the capabilities.
Of my.
Pitcher as far as.
Execution go and command go.
Because those are very, very important. Lots of pitchers.
Especially younger levels don't have great command. So as a catcher.
You should know if we're going fastball.
Away, does fastball away.
Mean out or. Half out or third.
Or on the black, you know, if.
It's Mark Burley or.
Greg Maddox out or, you know.
Away.
Probably means on the black because they have amazing command and.
They could do that.
If it's a 13. Year old.
Who walks five batters. A game on average. But has pretty. Good stuff.
So we can kind of get. Away with it.
Away probably means outer.
Half because if you go to the black with that kid.
Doesn't have great command, you're going to.
Cause that pitcher to walk more hitters because his.
Target is going to move too.
Far to the edge. Of the plate and he's just going to be wild.
To be wild out. So that's.
Why the zone more often because. That's where his target is.
So understanding what. Pitcher what pitches a pitcher.
Can execute and his command is important.
Back to the execution part of that.
Every pitcher is.
Better at one half of the plate than the other.
Even if it's just very slightly but.
So for me, I was better on my arm side than my glove side.
So if you ask me to get a fastball.
In on the black. To a lefty. It was a much. Harder pitch.
For me to make than inside on the black.
To a righty.
I can make the pitch inside to a.
Righty all day, like four out of five.
Times I get the ball in there.
To a lefty. It was like. One out of. Three.
So it was a big pitch.
And he wanted to go into a lefty.
He's got my catcher's got to ask himself, can Dan actually make this.
Pitch or two out of.
Three times?
He's going to leave this ball in the inner
half of the plate and the guy is going to put in the gap
that was more often what was going to happen.
So when you make when there's these pitch calling decisions that have to be made,
a good catcher is going to not just.
Say, OK, this is the right pitch.
Because it's not the. Right pitch.
If the pitcher. Can't make that.
Pitch reliably, they can't execute. So understand.
How good the pitcher is at executing.
Certain pitches and how good their command is.
As a. Whole.
Next thing for catchers understand mound visits.
Does your pitcher hate them? Does your. Pitcher. Like them?
Have you earned the right to go out and have mound visits?
So I didn't like mound visits very much.
I didn't want to chat with my pitcher, especially if things were.
Going right or my catcher.
I didn't really want them to come out and have a chat with me.
They would still.
Do it from time to time, and sometimes I'd be.
Like, Get back there. I don't want to talk.
Other times I would listen.
Probably not.
Say a whole lot, but. Again, there's something for a catcher to know, even if.
You have good stuff to just share.
If your pitcher.
Hates talking to you during a game, you might you might as.
Well just stay back there. So it just depends.
Every pitcher. Is different.
Their level of receptivity to it is different.
It also. Depends how long you've known that pitcher and your level.
Of rapport. With them.
So if you build a lot of trust and a lot of rapport.
Then you're probably more likely. To go out. There
and they're going to listen to you even if they're in a bad mood.
Even if they're really pretty pissed off.
So you have to know if you're going to do more harm than good
when you have a mound visit.
The next thing is, and this is what I meant by.
Whether you've. Earned a mound visit, if you're not doing well.
Behind the plate today.
Like you're letting a lot of.
Balls go to the backstop that probably should be blocked.
Or maybe if a bunch of. Pass balls.
Don't go out for a mound visit.
Because your pitcher's probably like.
Don't come talk to me when you can't do your own job.
As a pitcher.
I know which.
Curveballs that I throw on
the dirt should be blocked and which ones are pretty tough.
Like, I'm not going to penalize my my catcher, you know, mentally.
When I throw a pretty dirty curveball that, like, bounces before the plate
and you can't block. It. Like, I know that's a.
Tough, tough chance, but there's also a lot of curveballs.
That's his job to block if.
It's beyond beyond the point, the.
Plate and to pretty standard.
Breaking ball in the dirt and it bounces away and he can't.
Block it.
Or if it goes.
Between his. Legs
or if it hits off his glove for a pass ball, that's stuff that that's that's.
Him not doing his job.
I'm doing my job the best I can.
If I walk five batters, I'm not doing my job.
But if he's letting balls hit him in the mitt or balls that need to be blocked.
Go to the backstop.
Catcher's not doing his job.
So don't come out and tell me what my job is to do or give me advice or get on me.
If you're not doing so. Just tread lightly.
Obviously, if you got. Something important to.
Really do a pitch to your pitcher, go relay it.
But at. The same time, make.
Sure you're.
Checking all.
The boxes first before you start to give other people advice.
My next tip. For catchers.
Is understanding. How your pitchers get outs.
This is different for everyone.
So if you're catching me.
I get out on high fastballs or.
Curve balls in the dirt.
Other pitchers, they get outs by.
Throwing their sinker in the strike zone and getting ground.
Balls. Other guys get outs by throwing their slider.
You know, breaking from the outer half into the dirt and the other batter's box.
How do guys get out? It's not only.
How do they strike guys out or strike guys out.
Or how do they finish in at bat.
But also how do they get through the bat?
Does a guy throw a lot of first pitch.
Fastballs and he needs. To do that to be successful?
Or can a. Guy throw a lot of first pitch.
Changeups and curveballs. To be successful?
How does a. Pitcher tend to get. Hitters out?
That's a really important question to. Ask yourself.
And know that when you're in a jam and you've got second
and third, no one out or bases loaded and no one out, you can say.
OK, this is sort of the. Game plan for this guy.
We're going to go get ahead with a sinker.
And then once we can do that, we'll go in. Then we'll go.
Slider slider away because that's his best pitch.
That's how we can bail ourselves out. So understand.
How your pitcher.
Gets outs and what's best for them.
That's how you're.
Going to be in a call, the right. Pitches and be on. Track.
One year.
I had to really good. Catchers on the same team.
One was a better hitter.
The other one was a better like.
Fielding catcher. Like. Receiving catcher.
Both of them had had.
Hoses.
For arms, but when I pitched to the one catcher.
He. Didn't understand how. I got outs.
He was always calling fastballs away.
He was calling.
Stuff that I. Just didn't do that wasn't good for me.
The other catcher. Understood that I. Pitched.
Inside that I was pretty aggressive.
Up in the zone, so we we were on the same page.
This other guy, Catcher B, and when I pitched to him, I felt very comfortable.
When I pitched to the other catcher who. Wanted me to.
Pitch outside a lot to righties or away to lefties, I was like, Hey.
This isn't me.
And now I'm shaking you off every pitch and this feels weird.
And you don't know what I.
You don't know what I do. Well, it was just hard because I.
Was having to think too much instead. Of just like.
OK, yup, we're on the same page. We're in a. Go.
So work really. Hard to understand what your pitcher does.
And if you don't understand, have.
A conversation. With them on the bench.
Catcher A The guy who.
Didn't really get me, we. Never talked about it.
And sure.
I could have. Talked to him and maybe we did. I don't know.
But we didn't have in-depth conversations where the other guy.
Would took a lot of extra. I remember him taking extra.
Effort to say, Hey, what do you do? Well, what do you like to throw?
What should I. Be calling in certain situations?
And then we just. Start to.
Go with it and we meshed. Really well together.
So be a.
Good communicator if you don't know and.
Just talk, figure it out.
And watch and observe and see how.
Pitchers get outs.
My next tip got two to go.
This is about game control.
So again, sometimes pitchers get going too fast.
They get mentally sped up and they're just starting to return like they're nervous.
That's a good time.
Just have a mound. Visit or to do.
Something to slow things down.
Even if you don't go out there for managers,
you don't really say anything of purpose.
You just go out there and. Say, Hey, like, how you feeling?
Let's just like shoot the breeze.
That can just like give a chance, the pitcher a chance to have a breather.
And just slow things down a little bit.
Gain control is important.
Say a pitcher is not doing a good job paying attention to runners.
You can give him the pick sign, right?
This is like the pick a first or pick, you know, picked a second.
That's like the way catchers give that sign.
If you feel like a pitcher.
Is not controlling the running game very well, help him a little bit.
Give him a clue. Hey, I think you. Should pick over this time.
Little things like that can be really important.
So remember, as a.
Catcher, you are that sort of the general of the field.
And if you feel like, you know, there's a big rally.
Is another. Good example. So they've got like walks.
Singles, single double go out there and slow the game down.
Break up the other. Team's momentum.
If they're having a hit. Parade.
Go up. And break up that hit parade just by.
Having a visit, make the umpire come out and.
Get you whatever it is.
So be sure.
To remember.
That you're.
In control the tempo along. With the pitcher.
But when the. Pitchers feel like his life is.
On the line and things are kind of out of control.
That's when it's your job to go out there and help regain.
Control and. Disrupt the.
Other team's rhythm a little bit.
My last.
Tip for. Catchers and building a good.
Rapport with your pitchers is to be.
A good listener and ask questions.
And we alluded.
To this a little bit about understanding what a pitcher throws and what he's good.
At, what he's not good. At, but just be a good. Listener first.
And here's the thing to remember.
Yes, you might call pitches and I know your coach.
Is probably calling pitches for you, which is terrible.
So if you're a coach out there, stop calling pitches for your kids.
You're probably not better at it than they are.
And they're not going to learn nearly.
As well as if they.
Called themselves teach them how to call the game.
Give them general general strategy.
Here's what you're generally going to call for.
You know. Even counts when you're ahead, when you're behind all.
That stuff. It's very. Simple.
And then let the kids do it themselves.
But for catchers yourself.
When you're calling the game, remember even if you are insistent that.
This is the pitch that should be. Called, I'm you know, I'm putting them down.
This is what you should call it's the pitcher's era. It's his career.
You're not going to get a loss as a catcher.
The pitcher is. He's the one who's going to get embarrassed when he gets.
Rocked. Right.
So remember, even though that. Sure, the catcher.
Puts the sign down and in pro ball.
It's the catcher.
Calling the game and the. Pitcher calling it right back.
He can shake off anything he wants, but it's still.
They work together.
But just remember, it's not your era. It's the pitchers.
All right? That's his.
That's how he.
Lives and breathes at the end.
Of the day, he gets to shake you off because it's.
Him. It's he knows what. He's comfortable with.
You can't read. His mind even if you have. A lot of great.
Information behind the. Plate, which you will catchers.
Call an amazing game and.
Pro ball, just the same as pitchers do.
They're working. Together.
But it's not your era. It's not your. Career.
You don't get released if you give up seven. Runs.
Today as a as the pitcher will. Right.
You just back there catching.
So understand that the metrics are different.
And so what this. Goes back to.
Is being a good listener, being a good friend, have some emotional intelligence.
Talk with your guys, build this level of trust.
And when you. Do that.
And you make sure pitchers understand that it's not all about you,
that it's about them, that you're trying to help.
Both of you call. The best game possible.
Get the best.
Outcome possible, and you're just trying to understand what they do
so that you can do. A better job for. Them.
They're going to give you the credit.
I had. Some amazing catchers.
That absolutely. Got me out of jams.
They called great. Pitchers when I was unsure.
They made me better. My best.
Catchers. Always made me better.
And I.
Was I was so happy that I had catchers like that who.
Helped push me. Higher as a pitcher.
But there's also catchers who feel like it's about.
Them, who are. Like, hey.
I'm like, I put the pitch down.
Like sometimes they'll put two down, I'll shake and they'll put it down again.
It's like, no, this is my game, not yours.
I get that.
You think that's the right pitch,
but I'm going to go with my gut because it's my head on the line.
If we lose this game, I get rocked and my era goes up.
So just remember, build.
Rapport, build trust, ask.
Questions, be a good listener first and be a good friend
and build this relationship.
And pitchers will trust you and they will. Go to your pitch.
Call when they're unsure, they'll they'll nod their.
Head for you.
And they'll go. To bat for you to have you.
Catch them, which is important because at the end of the day, everyone's.
Vouching for each other.
And when you've got the pitchers on your side,
they're going to want to have you in the lineup, and that's important.
All right. So thanks for watching.
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