Small Talk with Catchers?

[Radie 88]

Where do you guys stand on small talk with Catchers?

I was a catcher my whole life (and always wanted to be an ump) so I always talked to the plate ump. Nothing too distracting. Just a word or two here or there if something funny happens or something like that. 

Right now, I'm busting my ump cherry on Little League, so I don't really want to say anything to the kids...

However after each game, I do thank the catchers for "protecting" me, even though most do a terrible job of it. But they are kids and they appreciate me saying something nice to them.

[Panther32]

With every new pitcher I like to ask the catcher if the kid throws anything weird I should know about. If I make a stop on a passed ball for a catcher I like to tell him he's lucky I'm such a big target.

[Kevin_K]

I talk throughout the game. I have only had one catcher not reciprocate, and he was pretty much a block head.

Some other guys don't talk.

Do whatever works best for you.

[maineump]

I was also a catcher, and still catch some games each year. I introduce myself (HS & above), some catchers like to chat, some don't. I leave it up to them. We will be hanging out for a few innings, and 'working together', I see no problem. The catcher can be your best friend, when the coach asks "where was that?". I do say something if he hangs me out to dry with a coach. If they don't want to talk, I am good with that too.

If you get a real talker, and you don't feel like talking - just ring him up on strikes, always seems to work for a few innings.

[udbrky]

I joke and ask them questions about stuff. I usually ask them both the same stuff. Lately it's been if they're counting down the days for the end of school. 

 

I thanked both my catchers tonight and told them I forgot my cup. They kept my boys protected well.

[LittleBlue]

I generally talk to them if they're willing to talk to me. I'm a talkative person so I always have something to say. This one JV catcher that I've seen 5-6 times this year has a really good rapport with me and we usually talk about baseball all game long. He's a Mets fan and I'm a Red Sox fan so we talk about our teams and other teams as well. I've had some catchers who just aren't talkative. Everyone is different and so is every game. At the little League level youre probably not going to get many talkative catchers but you may here and there. In the men's league I work I can really shoot the breeze since we're all adults. Sometimes the batter even gets into it. I've had some really good conversations there. In any case the catcher is likely going to be close to you for 7 or 9 innings so you might as well get to know him a bit. 

[umpstu]

3 hours ago, Kevin_K said:

I talk throughout the game. I have only had one catcher not reciprocate, and he was pretty much a block head.

Some other guys don't talk.

Do whatever works best for you.

I too am a yakker.  Only a couple of catchers who have been a holes and we divorced pretty quick.  The other umpires had the same issues with these two.

[noumpere]

The higher you go, the less you chat (or at least the less you initiate the chat) beyond the first inning pleasantries.

[Jimurray]

3 hours ago, Kevin_K said:

I talk throughout the game. I have only had one catcher not reciprocate, and he was pretty much a block head.

Some other guys don't talk.

Do whatever works best for you.

What do you talk about? My experience: catcher, out blue, yes, a little bit. Me, you nailed him but he didn't get the tag down. Catcher, What's the score and what inning is it blue? Me, I dont know, I think your up by 1 in the top 4. 

[Replacematt]

1 hour ago, noumpere said:

The higher you go, the less you chat (or at least the less you initiate the chat) beyond the first inning pleasantries.

The higher you go, the more it becomes a tool.

[udbrky]

2 hours ago, Jimurray said:

What do you talk about? My experience: catcher, out blue, yes, a little bit. Me, you nailed him but he didn't get the tag down. Catcher, What's the score and what inning is it blue? Me, I dont know, I think your up by 1 in the top 4. 

"How you doin?"

"Counting down the days?"

"Have many rain outs?"

- C: I pulled that back in! - facetiously

Me: Yeah, but some balls, you can't pull back in far enough.

Worked solo, bases loaded Me: Always fun trying to guess what base the play is going to. Catcher agreed.

Catcher asked why a kid was safe on a play where runner got in under the tag. I told him. Next inning: Hey, sorry for my reaction, I was out of line. He wasn't. But, it's a local small Christian school.

Me: He gets 8 pitches ... I don't always remember the pitcher from inning to inning, but this guy is so much bigger than the rest of your team

 

That's a sample of my convos tonight. Nothing related to the game, all small talk.

 

I'll send the C out to tell the P not to do something in a Freshman game, especially if they're getting blown out and you can tell he's new to pitching.

Just random small talk/small humor that comes up. Never any strategy/coaching at all.

 

If I have a good rapport with a catcher, I totally own up to missing a pitch. If I think it will cause an issue, I don't. 

[Kevin_K]

6 hours ago, Jimurray said:

What do you talk about? My experience: catcher, out blue, yes, a little bit. Me, you nailed him but he didn't get the tag down. Catcher, What's the score and what inning is it blue? Me, I dont know, I think your up by 1 in the top 4. 

After a punch out on a c*&k shot.... what do you think he was looking for?

How many times is the ball gonna find a hole to get through

Nice work (on a ball in the dirt)

Hey Danny we're at two (outs)

We all ready back here fellas?  OK... Play

I don't think that's how they had that play drawn up on the chalkboard.

On a cIose play on a pickoff.... I think he was leaning....

 

Icould go on and on, but that's a sample 

[Thunderheads]

11 hours ago, Panther32 said:

With every new pitcher I like to ask the catcher if the kid throws anything weird I should know about. If I make a stop on a passed ball for a catcher I like to tell him he's lucky I'm such a big target.

YES! Me too  

[noumpere]

8 hours ago, Matt said:

The higher you go, the more it becomes a tool.

Agreed with that too -- and sometimes you use the tool just to get a message to the coach or to the pitcher.

[catsbackr]

10 hours ago, udbrky said:

I joke and ask them questions about stuff. I usually ask them both the same stuff. Lately it's been if they're counting down the days for the end of school. 

 

I thanked both my catchers tonight and told them I forgot my cup. They kept my boys protected well.

Really?  And you called the game?  Really?  You're braver than I am.

[kstrunk]

I often compliment catchers on their handwork with a pitch, particularly when it doesn't achieve the desired result (strike). "Nice job with that pitch, good hand work, but it's still out". or... 'Thanks for the good look at that one, sometimes it helps.' 

I also compliment them on their skills and effort, particularly warm up throws to 2nd. I find this rapport helps, until... as others have said, I ring up the catcher on strikes -- then it gets cold back there! 

[Thunderheads]

2 minutes ago, kstrunk said:

I often compliment catchers on their handwork with a pitch, particularly when it doesn't achieve the desired result (strike). "Nice job with that pitch, good hand work, but it's still out". or... 'Thanks for the good look at that one, sometimes it helps.' 

I also compliment them on their skills and effort, particularly warm up throws to 2nd. I find this rapport helps, until... as others have said, I ring up the catcher on strikes -- then it gets cold back there! 

^^^^^ this!

Last night, ...Varsity game, .... outside corner shot,..... strike 3 .....afterwards ....."way to stick it Cal, thanks"   Cal: thanks Jeff!

[Storm13]

I personally speak to each catcher before their defensive half of the 1st.  Then i usually am just answering questions they bring up. i have only been doing JV games this season so usually it is something like "was that low" or "was that on the swing or pitch" but i have had one or two that want to chat and I keep it to a minimum just because i want to move the game along.  

I see nothing wrong with having a little chat with the catcher as long as it is not distracting either the player or the ump.

[kylehutson]

I usually don't initiate conversation with the catcher (after the 1st inning pleasantries), but will certainly talk if he does.

I did make an exception last week in a JV game. Batter swung really late at an inside corner pitch for strike 3. He says to himself in frustration "why did I swing at that?" I said to F2 just loud enough that only he could hear me "because it was a strike?"

I had a new one on me last night. I was in A and F3 would talk to me the entire time I was there. Wasn't distracting, just unusual.

[maineump]

I think that as you do higher and older levels, the players seem to be more talkative, as both of you are adults. Many batters step up and ask how it's going and that kind of stuff.

[dookiexman]

As I hand the catcher the ball in the 1st inning, I remind them their number one job is to stop the ball from hitting me.

Some are talkative, others not so much. Been calling games at our local league for about 15 years, so I know most of the kids from doing their games when they were younger. I've even convinced a few of the catchers to join us in blue for the little kids games. Gives them a new perspective and respect for the position.

[zoops]

I usually ask them how it's going as I step in to look at a few pitches during warmups.  Most of the high school or college catchers introduce themselves around that time and I say have fun and good luck.  If they don't I usually introduce myself with a handshake after brushing the plate after warmups are over.  Nothing wrong with modeling mature adult behavior.  

[udbrky]

11 hours ago, catsbackr said:

Really?  And you called the game?  Really?  You're braver than I am.

Solo too. I thought about trying to rig a jockstrap out of this - cause that was what I forgot:

 

 

[catsbackr]

On 5/6/2016 at 2:21 PM, dookiexman said:

As I hand the catcher the ball in the 1st inning, I remind them their number one job is to stop the ball from hitting me.

Some are talkative, others not so much. Been calling games at our local league for about 15 years, so I know most of the kids from doing their games when they were younger. I've even convinced a few of the catchers to join us in blue for the little kids games. Gives them a new perspective and respect for the position.

Truthfully, the catcher's number one job is to keep the ball from going to the backstop.  But, if they do that, then we get protected, so everyone is happy.