CATCHERS IN JULY

August 17, 2018, 03:04:45 PM

By KD Coffin
Coffin Corner Editorial

Catchy title, don’t you think? It caught my eye, one could say. Just kinda grabs ya. OK, I’ll stop. Let you catch your breath a bit…

You may have noticed there were quite a few catchers taken in the recent Mutiny Simulation Baseball Minor League Draft that began July 20, 2018. Fourteen in the first 4 rounds, in fact. To put that number into perspective, a quick look at the MSB Minor League Draft archives reveals that the total number of catchers taken in any draft since the league’s inaugural season of 2006 never exceeded double figures. The average number of backstops taken over the past 4 drafts is seven.

One has to wonder: What’s the catch… er, deal? (See what I did there?) Why so many in one draft? It’s not as though the 2018 real life draft class had much to do with it outside first-rounders Joey Bart (#1 overall) and Diego Cartaya (Dodgers international signing). Guys like Sean Murphy, Danny Jansen, Daulton Varsho, Ronaldo Hernandez and Andrew Knizner (all taken by the end of round 3) have been available in the last 2 MSB drafts, some longer than that.

Why are the receivers receiving so much love? A few theories are catching on…

One, according to a blog at baseballamerica.com, MLB teams are converting for more middle infielders into catchers than ever before in the history of baseball. The derogatory “tools of ignorance” label is rarely used anymore, and players seem more willing to try the position due to several intriguing factors.

Two, the heightened discussion on Sports Center and MLB network about the position in general. Let’s face it, professional baseball players don’t mind a little notoriety. New statistical information has helped glamourize the position, such as pitch framing percentages, catcher’s ERA, and let’s not forget that the centerfield camera – especially in light of HDTV – always keeps a team’s catcher front and center. Look mom, no hands!

Three, positional need plays a major role. Russell Martin comes to mind as a catcher who made the transition in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system simply because that was the fastest positional track to the major leagues. If I’m a 6’0” athletic player battling 4 other similarly-built men for the 2B job for the Durham Bulls, but then realize there are two slow and fat catchers sharing time behind the dish and batting .215 in the 8-hole, I doesn’t take me long to start practicing my squats.

Four, the Posey Rule. Aside from the “wussification” of baseball that tends to accompany any discussion regarding the “blocking the plate” rule imposed in 2014, an unintended consequence is that the catching position now requires that much more athleticism. Prior to the Posey Rule’s inception, blocking the plate accounted for most of the physical contact in Major League Baseball. But now a catcher must position himself in front of the plate, wait to receive the throw, then attempt the tag (unless the throw takes him into the path of the baseline). With runners now taking advantage by sliding head first with a left-handed pinky tag on the tip of home plate, it takes quite a bit of quickness and maneuverability to complete the out. It’s not out of the question to suggest that if guys like Mike Scioscia, Rod Barajas, and Benjie Molina were to have begun their professional careers in 2018, they may never had made it to the show.

For these reasons, the days are coming to a close for this particular body type to ever strap on a chest protector again. In the seasons to come, it will be interesting to see how many of these new-look catchers can stick at the position and make an impact in MSB.

And only time will tell if this new philosophy catches on for good.