Behind the Mask: Leadership Skills of a Catcher

One of my good mentors, was Bill Herkelman, he always said to me, "You don't have a good team unless you have a good catcher." There is a lot of truth to that statement by Coach Herk. The catcher spends a majority of the time with the ball in his hand (besides the pitcher), the catcher is the only guy on the field who can view every position player and the catcher is the guy everyone else can see every pitch. There is a reason nearly 50% of MLB managers are former catchers.

I don't think it's the fact that the catching position is the ultimate sacrifice of a position. It takes a gritty, unselfish, and hardworking kid to be a catcher. But I don't think it's the fact that after a three-hour practice, they go catch another five bullpens or the fact that their job is to literally go "unnoticed," that is technically a good day behind the dish for a catcher. Catchers are taught to sacrifice their body for the betterment of the team-and that they do.

So, what makes catching the ultimate position to lead from? Why are there tons of good leaders today, who were former catchers? I believe there are a variety of reasons that allows catchers to shine. After all, you are only as good as the catcher you have.

Relationships with Umpires:

Yes, umpires. The first thing a catcher does before he squats down into his home is he starts the relationship right there, with that home plate umpire. The catcher greets the umpire by first name and shakes his hand firmly. The start to any relationship is a good first impression and a development of trust.

Throughout the game, this bond can build. You may get a call or two to go your way because of this communication. During my playing days I had some of the strangest conversations with some of the nicest people and every once in a while, you will get the one umpire who doesn't shut up-those ones, well those ones. But, in all seriousness, to this day the majority of umpires in the community know my name and who I am, not because I sacrificed my body to protect them but because of the relationships I started there.

All Eyes on You:

I'm not talking about the coaches or even the cute girls sitting up at the top of the bleachers. I'm talking about your teammates. The catcher is essentially the quarterback of the team. His leadership from behind the dish, speaks volumes about how his team will handle the big moments.

Every single guy can see when you start to get lazy and let a ball slide past you. Every single guy expects you to catch each ball thrown your way, block each ball and occasionally throw the runner out. A catcher must lead by example, if his work ethic does not match his presence behind the dish, what do his teammates think of him?

Protecting the Plate:

That 17-inch square piece of rubber means a lot. The game is built around that plate. We pitch the ball over that plate, we hit from that plate and the team who steps on it the most comes out on top. I wouldn't say that the catching position is about getting in the way of a runner trying to score from third base but rather protecting the guys who wear the same colors as you.

Leaders create an environment where people can feel safe and protected. By this I mean good leaders take the blame and give the credit. By this I mean when the go ahead run is on third base and your heart is pumping, and anxiety is going through the roof, can you handle it? Are you going to block the 1-2 curveball in the dirt? Your teammates expect you to.

Emotional Stability:

Catching most of the time is fun, in my opinion. It starts to suck when you are not swinging it well. Most coaches say, "Catch a good game and hit .250, will be fine." We'll no, no one's up there trying to strike out but it happens. The ability to put my gear back on and go out there like nothing happened, may be the biggest attribute I receive from catching.

Everyone can see, feel, and read your body language. The ability to move onto the next pitch and not have that AB carry over to my defense has taught me wonders. By staying in that present moment and having a short memory it has allowed me to always keep my emotions in check on and off the field.

Communication Skills:

The catcher is in command of the field. At times he is loud in his relay calls from the outfield, at times he communicates with his infield where to play, at times he relays information to his coaches and at times he provides a word of encouragement to his pitcher.

The ultimate communicator of the field. He has to know when to go visit the mound, he has to know what to say to different individuals, some he may joke with or get to laugh, others he may go tell them to grow a pair and throw the ball over the plate. The ability to calm a pitcher's nerves or the pitcher seeing you (the catcher) looking cool, calm, collected and having the situation under control is an emotional boost in itself.

This sort of coaching/mentoring of teammates is the early onset to a major factor of why the catching position is the leadership spot on the field.

Pitch Calling:

I was fortunate enough to have coaches who trusted in my ability to call the game. If you are a catcher who is less fortunate, work hard and work with them to better understand how to sequence and tunnel pitches. Why is this a leadership skill you may ask? Well it is, it takes knowledge, experience, preparation, and feel to be able to understand what hitters are thinking and at the same time understand your pitchers' strengths. Quick decision making, is a vital trait.

This is also a skill in itself because the catcher-pitcher combo can control the tempo and pace of the game. That trust built with the pitcher is another golden rule to being a successful catcher.

Respect is Earned:

The catching position. The most taxing position on the body, right up there with being able to throw a baseball hard. I can remember getting back at 12:30am from a long road trip after catching a four-game series and going and sitting in the ice bath for 20 mins. Just to be able and prepared to catch the mid-week game on Tuesday.

Passion. Hustle. Passion. I once had professor say to the class, "I'd rather hire an athlete who is passionate about their sport and teach them about business, rather than hiring a business person and teach them to be passionate." Respect doesn't favor the unprepared nor the less passionate one, respect is earned every day.

Hustle. A lot of guys hustle. Few are willing to hustle day in and day out, over and over again. Few are willing to take a FB in the dirt to the gut, few are willing to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there, and few are willing to hustle to go unnoticed. Respect is earned.