How many of you were catchers when you played?

[Majordave]

Stan W. made a comment in the Face Mask vs. HSM thread that he was a catcher when he played.

I caught for two years. I warmed up many of my pitchers in the bullpen when I coached. I like the perspective of the field from behind the plate. I Always have.

I was just wondering if that is a factor in why some guys choose to umpire baseball after they quit playing.

[Umpire in Chief]

If you use the term catcher very loosely, I was a catcher until I was 12. Otherwise I was the guy between the batter and umpire who was supposed to catch the ball, but my success ratio in actually putting leather on the ball was quite low. I typically played the league minimum 2 defensive innings at catcher (primarily), right field, and 1st. Boy was I a bad player. Luckily I was a decent hitter and by league rule all players batted so I batted somewhere in the 6-9 slot a few times I'd bat #2.

[Stan W.]

Like posted, that was me back there in the "tools of ignorance".......I've always been a catcher......LL- colt league-corporate league.....back in my day, they put the short, fat, slow kids behind the dish........(guilty on all counts)

I do think it was a partial reason I took to umpiring....I did like being involved on every play......however I credit most of my desire to be an official on my Baseball coach and football coaches....both were highly respected HS and collegiate officials........

Edited January 5, 2009 by Stan W.

[mstaylor]

I would be the exception to the rule. I was a straight up center fielder, good wheels, good glove but unfortunately I couldn't hit a lick. Because I played outfield I really struggled to learn about balks. I have since become quite a balk expert.

My son on the other hand is a catcher. He just finished Pony and will be playing HS this year. I hope to turn him into an umpire eventually, if he's interested.

[Umpire in Chief]

Like posted, that was me back there in the "tools of ignorance".......I've always been a catcher......LL- colt league-corporate league.....back in my day, they put the short, fat, slow kids behind the dish........(guilty on all counts)

So that's why I was there....

[LMSANS]

Yes I was a catcher from LL through HS. I loved catching because I was expected to know everybody's job in any given situation. I was the short, slow, fat kid, but I could hit. Unfortunatley, my triples were doubles and my doubles were singles.

But that is not what got me into umpiring...

My grandfather umpired in the 1940's and 50's. He also founded the local LL and Babe Ruth League that I eventually played in. My uncle started umpiring in the 50's and my father did a little also. My father didn't stay with it because he was still playing. In the 60's my older cousin and brother were tutored at the age of 13 to umpire LL. They stuck with it into the 90's doing LL, HS and JC. I tried it when in HS (70's) for the $$. But work and career got in the way.

I reached the point a few years ago where I was looking to get back into baseball and found the local association and the rest as they say is history. My first equipment was all hand-me-downs from my brother and cousin.

I'm going to probably be the last in a long line to umpire from my family. Our only hope is my cousins daughter, but right now she is being recruited to coach softball by a couple of the local HS (oh yeah, she was a catcher too).

[catoblue]

Catcher?

Guilty!

I think that it did two things for me, made me more comfortable behind the plate, which in turn got me to consider umpiring.

[jim knight]

Yep... I was a catcher.

[Jeff C.]

Coach tried me behind the plate in practice. BAD IDEA. I kept trying to catch the wide right pitches with my bare hand! I did some pitching, first base and the outfield. Good field, no hit.

[blue32]

I was a catcher also, from the time I was about 9 years old all the way through high school. I had a few years where I would occasionally play other positions, when we had an adequate catcher, but a huge hole somewhere else. But I always migrated back behind the plate. I loved being the "quarterback" and involved in every phase of the game.

[AllanA]

I was a catcher/pitcher 9yrs old to 21 yrs old. When I was 14 to 16 all the outfielders were talking to the girls at the outfield fence. Man I wanted to play outfield so bad. But I was stuck in the battery. O well. Man my shoulder hurts more and more!

Allan

[BT_Blue]

:banghead:Just like a true catcher this is all I did. LOL I jumped around from position to position for a while but the last 5 years I played I was a catcher. I became one because I couldnt bring myself to pay attention to what was going on when I was a kid if I wasnt a catcher. Great move, taught me a bunch about the game and seeing the ball come in.

Nice to know Im still doing pretty much the same thing... but different:smachhead:

[BrianC14]

I was a pitcher.

[JohnT]

I was a catcher, and I wasn't too bad either... I was the starting catcher and batted clean up on the JH team. I didnt try out in high school because I wanted to get more involved with the local league and umpire. Oh well.

[okump96]

i was a catcher from my first year of kid pitch till my junior year of high school. i worked three loooong dh in a row and could not move the fourth morning, told my coach i was done catching and he moved me to 1b.

[Bigdog]

Hey all,

Only 1 game as catcher for me. I was an outfielder with a great glove:), big arm:clap:, and no bat:shrug: . I ended up playing 1st base on a regular basis because of the glove and, being 6'4", the stretch ability. It was after I started to play softball that I learned proper hitting techniques, and by then, too late.

Bigdog:cool:

[Majordave]

Do these two guys (Big Dog and OKUmp96) look like brothers?

Just wondering?

[LMSANS]

Do these two guys (Big Dog and OKUmp96) look like brothers?

Just wondering?

Have you ever seen them in the same room at the same time?

[Dragon29]

I always played up the middle, but never as F1 or F2; was F4/F6 until I got tall, then was sent to F8 'cause I was fast & had a good arm. Never a great hitter though.

[mstaylor]

Hey all,

Only 1 game as catcher for me. I was an outfielder with a great glove:), big arm:clap:, and no bat:shrug: .

Bigdog:cool:

I was the same guy, great glove, good wheels and arm, no bat. The difference was I never went behind the plate at all. I had a manager ask me to try third. I declined.

[Majordave]

Have you ever seen them in the same room at the same time?

Their pictures. Check them out post to post. I couldn't figure out how to post their avatar photos in a post so I just said it. They look pretty similar based upon their avatars.

OK. I'm a little bored. First game is 2/21, weather permitting.

[mstaylor]

I am trying to put both images here.

And yes they do look a lot alike.

Edited February 3, 2009 by mstaylor

[Bigdog]

Have you ever seen them in the same room at the same time?

Hey all,

Nope, never have....but now that you mention it, he is a kinda good lookin' guy!

Bigdog:cool:

[okump96]

Hey all,

Nope, never have....but now that you mention it, he is a kinda good lookin' guy!

Bigdog:cool:

i was thinking the same thing about the bigdog:hi5: