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Jughead
left-handed catchers
June 07, 2010 at 03:48AM View formatted
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I am watching the Cleveland Show, and Cleveland Jr. is playing baseball, and the catcher is left-handed.
FuriousGiorge
June 07, 2010 at 02:34PM View BBCode
Leaving that aside, I don't think there's any really compelling reason to not be a left-handed catcher (unlike lefty middle infielders), people just don't seem to do it just because.
tm4559
(he brought his own mitt, of course. this is part of the reason left handers don't usually take up catching. the team doesn't have a mitt.)
June 07, 2010 at 03:19PM View BBCode
i played with one in an adult league.(he brought his own mitt, of course. this is part of the reason left handers don't usually take up catching. the team doesn't have a mitt.)
Tyles
[Edited on 6-7-2010 by Tyles]
June 07, 2010 at 03:23PM View BBCode
Bill James theorized about lefty catchers in the Abstract, and chalked it up to natural selection, to wit: Little-league coaches turn all the hard-throwing lefties into pitchers.[Edited on 6-7-2010 by Tyles]
happy
Also, less so true in today's world, but lefty catchers cant throw as easily when right handed hitters are in the box, and hitters are primarily right handed. These days with switch hitters and such, id guess its pretty close to even on that front.
Also the throw to third is more difficult. meh
June 07, 2010 at 05:53PM View BBCode
Yeah, i heard the thing about lefty pitchers, although I dont really understand it. I mean, in the little league, hard throwing lefties would not be that valuable, as there isnt any great need for left handed specialists in the little league. In fact, most pitchers pitch the 3 innings and are then switched with the other pitcher for the second 3 innings, so really if anything, a lefty pitcher is less valuable than a righty pitcher. (I know some guys will groom players for the majors, but really anyone who is a possible future major leaguer will be pitching in little league. I couldnt imagine that much of anyone who was any good hasnt pitched for at least a few seasons)Also, less so true in today's world, but lefty catchers cant throw as easily when right handed hitters are in the box, and hitters are primarily right handed. These days with switch hitters and such, id guess its pretty close to even on that front.
Also the throw to third is more difficult. meh
(Eric)
Anyway. Something.
[Edited on 6-7-2010 by (Eric)]
June 07, 2010 at 05:57PM View BBCode
That first paragraph is hilarious if you think of some middle aged accountant diligently considering the possible consequences of letting some left handed kid pitch on his ten year old's team.Anyway. Something.
[Edited on 6-7-2010 by (Eric)]
tm4559
(seriously, most hitters still bat right handed. exclusively. for the same reason most first baseman throw with their right hand. there aren't enough folks out there turning right handed batting kids into switch or left handed hitters to overcome the overwhelming number of right handed peoples.)
June 07, 2010 at 06:01PM View BBCode
i wasn't even aware switch hitting was more prevelant now than it ever was.(seriously, most hitters still bat right handed. exclusively. for the same reason most first baseman throw with their right hand. there aren't enough folks out there turning right handed batting kids into switch or left handed hitters to overcome the overwhelming number of right handed peoples.)
happy
June 07, 2010 at 09:07PM View BBCode
eric, i dont mean to say that they do think about it, but im just saying that if they DO think about it, they will end up being more likely to start a righty, and if they DONT think about it, handedness wont affect their decision to pitch a player.
Lou.
June 09, 2010 at 08:15AM View BBCode
I've always wondered what it would have been like had I opted to see things from the backstop perspective more often. I always asked myself why there weren't more lefty catchers... I could've been the next Joe Mauer, 'sept like a lefty sort.
tworoosters
LL coaches have never seen one so there can't be one, if one gets through LL then his high school coach will change him because he's never seen one .
If one somehow makes it through HS then his college coach will change him so the odds of ever making it to the pros are monumental .
Toss in the fact that only around 10% of the population throw left handed, 9% of major leaguers according to Hardball Times, and there are no left handed major league catchers.
The "can't throw to 3rd base thing" should easily be negated by the "easier to throw to 1st base thing" and the "easier to field bunts/balls hit in front of the plate and throw to 1st thing".
June 09, 2010 at 04:18PM View BBCode
It's a self fulfilling prophesy, there are no left handed catchers because there are no left handed catchers.LL coaches have never seen one so there can't be one, if one gets through LL then his high school coach will change him because he's never seen one .
If one somehow makes it through HS then his college coach will change him so the odds of ever making it to the pros are monumental .
Toss in the fact that only around 10% of the population throw left handed, 9% of major leaguers according to Hardball Times, and there are no left handed major league catchers.
The "can't throw to 3rd base thing" should easily be negated by the "easier to throw to 1st base thing" and the "easier to field bunts/balls hit in front of the plate and throw to 1st thing".
tm4559
only 10% of the people are left handed.
only 10% of the little leaguers, by extension, are lefthanded (it could be more or less).
the job in little league usually falls to someone not good enough to play anywhere else (can't catch a fly or grounder, can't move, whatever), and also, that person is too stupid to either turn the job down or quit playing baseball altogether (i was a catcher, you can tell, right?).
now, if the one in ten little leaguer, the left handed one, somehow fulfills all that, and decides he really wants to be a catcher, and nobody else is better at it than him (and don't forget, the glove in the bag fits all those other guys) then we have a left handed catcher. then he goes home and tells his dad he has to buy him a left handed catcher's mitt, and maybe his dad buys it.
then you just kind of extrapolate from there.
June 09, 2010 at 05:44PM View BBCode
yeah. it is like thisonly 10% of the people are left handed.
only 10% of the little leaguers, by extension, are lefthanded (it could be more or less).
the job in little league usually falls to someone not good enough to play anywhere else (can't catch a fly or grounder, can't move, whatever), and also, that person is too stupid to either turn the job down or quit playing baseball altogether (i was a catcher, you can tell, right?).
now, if the one in ten little leaguer, the left handed one, somehow fulfills all that, and decides he really wants to be a catcher, and nobody else is better at it than him (and don't forget, the glove in the bag fits all those other guys) then we have a left handed catcher. then he goes home and tells his dad he has to buy him a left handed catcher's mitt, and maybe his dad buys it.
then you just kind of extrapolate from there.
Lou.
June 09, 2010 at 10:31PM View BBCode
That you were a catcher infers that you are no longer a catcher, but I thought...
cubfan531
June 09, 2010 at 11:15PM View BBCode
The reason there's no lefty catchers is because of the majority of hitters being right handed. Throwing left handed would put the catcher at a disadvantage more of the times than a right handed throwing catcher is.
shep1582
so, they continue to catch until they reach the point where, in HS, they run into a better catcher, and are moved to 3rd or RF (where guys with good arms, but not great athletic skill are put). lefties who can throw, pitch. catchers can throw, from an early age their coaches know that about the kid. if you can train him to throw strikes, he's more valuable the older he gets, on the mound. you can always find a slow guy who can throw to the bases, but a guy who can throw strikes... the prejudices about lefty pitchers, and non lefty catchers, work to eliminate them altogether. the older the kid gets, the less likely a coach is to expose him to injury by having him put on the gear and catch foul tips, wild pitches and collisions at the plate, especially if he can throw strikes. oh, and it's real hard on the knees.
June 10, 2010 at 05:18AM View BBCode
I find that the catchers in little league are usually the kids with the best arms, and usually are pitchers, too. putting some kind of stop to passed balls and stolen bases in LL is a huge deal. they're not always the best athlete on the team, but they are agile and can throw.so, they continue to catch until they reach the point where, in HS, they run into a better catcher, and are moved to 3rd or RF (where guys with good arms, but not great athletic skill are put). lefties who can throw, pitch. catchers can throw, from an early age their coaches know that about the kid. if you can train him to throw strikes, he's more valuable the older he gets, on the mound. you can always find a slow guy who can throw to the bases, but a guy who can throw strikes... the prejudices about lefty pitchers, and non lefty catchers, work to eliminate them altogether. the older the kid gets, the less likely a coach is to expose him to injury by having him put on the gear and catch foul tips, wild pitches and collisions at the plate, especially if he can throw strikes. oh, and it's real hard on the knees.
dirtdevil
that's the myth, yes.
June 10, 2010 at 01:23PM View BBCode
Originally posted by cubfan531
The reason there's no lefty catchers is because of the majority of hitters being right handed. Throwing left handed would put the catcher at a disadvantage more of the times than a right handed throwing catcher is.
that's the myth, yes.
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