The ECB Academy Education Series:  10 Questions

Baseball Players Never Ask, but Should!

#7:  Calling Pitches  “Pitch selection is the most important and creative part of catching.  When it’s right, it’s like the batter is a puppet.  I decide what strings to pull and the pitcher pulls them.”  –Carlton Fisk 

While at the ballpark at many youth games, players and parents will notice coaches sitting by the dugout going through some type of touch system that to many may appear as convulsions to the novice fan. To explain further, a coach has his team on defense with all his players on the field and pitcher on the mound.  The coach will look at the catcher to start the sign giving process, (Example- Coach will touch his hat bill, nose the left ear, then nose, then his chin).  This process can be incredibly complex or extremely simple; however, at the end of the process a pitch to be called should be communicated to the catcher so he can then tell the pitcher what to throw.  The question that very few players ever ask their coach is why did you call that pitch?

Understanding that asking a coach why he called “that pitch” can be a delicate item; however, as a player if you want to grow and develop you must know the “why” question.  Many coaches have a set way they like to throw pitches.  For example, many coaches want to throw fastballs in all counts until they give up a hit.  This forces the pitcher to work with his fastball in regard to changing his grip and changing speeds.  Other coaches like to start a game pitching hitter forward  (I.E. Throwing fastballs to hitters until the pitcher get ahead in the count, then he will only throw off speed pitches.) allowing their opponent to hit through their entire line-up pitching all hitters the same way.  When the leadoff hitter comes to the plate for his second appearance then the coach may want to pitch all hitters backward (I.E. Throw off speed pitchers early counts situations (0-0, 1-0) and behind (2-1or 2-0) in the count and fastballs when the pitchers is ahead in the count (0-1 or 0-2). 

Calling a good game has kept many players at the major league level that had been past their prime for quite some time.  A great example of players that made their teams better and pitchers better by calling a good game is Charlie O’Brien.  Charlie caught 11 Cy Young award winners during his tenure at the major league level.  I find it hard to believe that his catching so many Cy Young award winners was just a coincidence.  Charlie was known to be a student of the game always seemed to be a couple hitters ahead of the game in his planning.  So when the time came he was more than prepared. 

All coaches and players call games differently.  The beauty of baseball is that there is no one way to do anything!  As a player you should seek out differing opinion or just as many opinions as possible so that you can learn the different way pitches are called to gain a foundational concept. 

In closing, keep in mind that calling a good game can be as easy as a walk in the park, but you have to know where you have been and where you are going.

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“ East Cobb Baseball is the Best (Baseball) Program in the country.” Peter Gammons and Harold Reynolds -6/7/10 2010 Draft Coverage on MLB network

“What Silicon Valley is to computer chips, East Cobb is to youth baseball: the heart of the sport’s research and development.” TOM VERDUCCI – Sports Illustrated 3-19-10

To read more from the Jason Heyward article in April addition of Sports Illustrated piece click here.

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