My Office - Behind the Plate
I loved catching - I had the whole game in front of me. I could see
everything. Placing the fielders was my job. Seeing whether long fly balls
were fair or foul. What the pitcher had or lacked, I saw, as well. Did the
pitcher need a break in the action because he was tired? If he did I would pay
a little visit to the mound. The general on the field is what I was. A direct
link to the coach.
My office was behind the plate. Having played all the other positions was
great, but I felt the best place to be, was catching. I could cash in on all
the activity that was in front of me. I had an opportunity to shape the game.
I had power in my office that I did not have anywhere else on the field except
for maybe pitching. I loved that responsibility.
Seeing a batter leaning one way and then calling the pitch that I thought
would get him out was one strategy I successfully used. Striking out a batter
was a joint effort between the pitcher and I. I felt it was my job to study
the batter and then relay any useful information I got, back to the pitcher.
My stock as a catcher increased when the pitcher pitched well. I felt I had to
find the weakness in the batter. That was part of my job. And then calling the
game was the essence of being a catcher.
If there was a background check on all the catchers that ever played, I think
there is one thing that would be common. They all studied the game.
Johnny Bench, Roy Campanella, Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra are a few of my
catching heroes.
Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. His passions have
included; playing, watching, reading, evaluating, and coaching the game he
adores. Check out his baseball ezine. Do you love inspiring quotes, unusual
statistics and most of all, heartwarming baseball stories? If you love
baseball you will love his baseball ezine.
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