I already said in another thread that I missed the last few innings so obviously I missed something with LoDuca that has some people upset.

 

Someone care to explain what happened that led to these anti-LoDuca comments?

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I don't know what the final ruling was, but either a passed ball or wild pitch that scored an extra run. at least, that's what I recall.

Looks like I'm 03's game answer person today.

 

He didn't get down to block a ball, instead trying the new cute way catchers try to field it without the body. His problem is the same that the Molina brothers have, who have cost the Angels many a game on defense despite their "gold glove" status - they don't use their body to block the ball. When you're 6 and playing the position for the first time you are taught to use the chest protector to keep the ball in front of you and then recover with your free hand. If you aren't going to do this, why the hell wear the chest protector in the first place? Go out there wearing a clown suit for all it matters because none of them are using their pads for anything.

 

I miss real defensive catchers.

the fact is that 1 run did not decide the game so its irrelevant. the bullpen let that one get wide open. null point

I don't think the run decided the game at all. But that doesn't change the fact that he, along with the vast majority of the Major Leagues, does not know how to properly field his position.

 

He must have had some s***ty coaching.

Funny they dont know what theyre doing but they get paid millions. How wierd.

 

Of course they know what theyre doing. These men catch 162 games a year. Not one person on this website must know the physical beatdown they get outta this-not one. I dont even care if you played catcher as a kid. These guys get 90 mph balls thrown at them, foul tips going even faster, and are then expected to hit to boot. They do know how to block balls. You dont think Loduca is tired out there? That is body is so aching that he cant even react as well to balls anymore? Hell im glad he doesnt take a ball to the chest everytime. He might be even taught this to conserve himself.

 

Sure, there were better defensive catchers in past decades. But look at the career span they had. Look at the artritis they suffered aferward. Catchers nowadays are taking better care of themselves, and rightfully so. Very few positions in sports are asked to do more than a catcher. Hes on his knees for Christsakes about 110 games a year,catches these fireball pitchers, and leads the team on the field as a captain. While all of you criticize him from your cozy comp desks about him being lazy, hes prob out on the field right now practicing throws to second and balls in the dirt.

 

And please, spare me the bulls*** that "I know cause I once played catcher"-you dont.

 

Catchers deserve all the merit they get. Not to mention Loduca hits .300, is ripping after the ASG, and rakes in clutch situations.

Someone teach this guy!

No, sir, it isn't out of this world or completely unordinary to ask a catcher to do his job and block the ball. Why is that athletes get to be paid millions of dollars, and then they get to scoot away from the main parts of their job just for doing something else right? Safeties that are big hitters but aren't really good at the actual coverage part of the game are put on pedestal because they can put a guy into the floor. Shooting Guards that can't pass or rebound but can dunk like madmen are given millions in shoe endorsements. Scoring defensemen in hockey get more money than the players that actually play their position correctly.

 

In baseball, the hands down most important position defensively on the field is catcher. You have to be a good defensive catcher for your team to be successful. Other positions vary in defensive importance, but by far the most important is catcher. What good is an offensive catcher who can't catch, throw runners out, or call a good game (not saying Lo Duca does all of that because he calls a good game and can throw some runners out when the pitchers aren't kicking three times before delivering)? Premier defensive/game calling catchers win more championships (CJ, Varitek, Pudge, Damian Miller) than All Offense No Defense catchers do (I seem to have misplaced Mike Piazza's World Series ring). If a catcher can't do what he is supposed to with his glove, head, and arm first, the rest won't matter. So don't give me that .300 hitter bulls***, because if the catcher is calling fastballs down the pipe and can't block the plate or keep a breaking ball in the dirt in front of him he better be hitting .300 to make up for it.

 

Do I know what it's like to get paid millions of dollars to catch 120 games a year? No. But I do know what it's like to not get paid a cent to catch 80 a year. And you know what? When I put the mask on and crouch behind home plate, I'm not going to get any leeway with letting balls get behind me. I have to block every bad pitch, frame every close pitch, make every tag, and direct the play in front of me. Shouldn't the person that is getting paid millions of dollars to do this have more responsibility to do the technical aspects of his job than the person who isn't getting paid to do it?

Thank you Juanky. I hoped this would lure you and other former catchers out. As a former middle infielder, I'm clueless of what goes on behind the plate.

 

 

And as I said, Paulie's hitting more than makes up for whatever poor defensive skills.

Thank you Juanky. I hoped this would lure you and other catchers out.

 

 

And as I said, Paulie's hitting more than makes up for whatever poor defensive skills.

Fixed that for you :mischief

 

What can I say, something about the word catcher in the title automatically attracts me to the topic

Ive never heard of a little league in my life that plays 80 games. Thats almost impossible for kids to play in. And ive played in all of them.

 

So what, Lo Duca gave up a run last game. He does do all the things you mentioned a catcher has to do(minus block balls well) and STILL rakes. So why does everybody hate?

 

He gets paid millions for a reason. Not everyone can do it. He takes a beating day in and day out. Hell he must be so mentally and physically drained he cant block correctly. Give him the credit he deserves.

Funny they dont know what theyre doing but they get paid millions. How wierd.

 

Of course they know what theyre doing. These men catch 162 games a year. Not one person on this website must know the physical beatdown they get outta this-not one. I dont even care if you played catcher as a kid. These guys get 90 mph balls thrown at them, foul tips going even faster, and are then expected to hit to boot. They do know how to block balls. You dont think Loduca is tired out there? That is body is so aching that he cant even react as well to balls anymore? Hell im glad he doesnt take a ball to the chest everytime. He might be even taught this to conserve himself.

 

Sure, there were better defensive catchers in past decades. But look at the career span they had. Look at the artritis they suffered aferward. Catchers nowadays are taking better care of themselves, and rightfully so. Very few positions in sports are asked to do more than a catcher. Hes on his knees for Christsakes about 110 games a year,catches these fireball pitchers, and leads the team on the field as a captain. While all of you criticize him from your cozy comp desks about him being lazy, hes prob out on the field right now practicing throws to second and balls in the dirt.

 

And please, spare me the bulls*** that "I know cause I once played catcher"-you dont.

 

Catchers deserve all the merit they get. Not to mention Loduca hits .300, is ripping after the ASG, and rakes in clutch situations.

Someone teach this guy!

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great post! and the people who say "he gets paid to do his job" doesnt make any sense. last time i checked HE IS DOING HIS JOB AND DOING IT QUITE WELL! everyone on here for the most part probably has a job. and im sure we all do it well but noone is perfect. you cannot expect lo duca to put together a perfect season of catching with the type of abuse he takes back there. he is a team leader and has great heart and plays his f***ing heart out and leaves it on teh field every single night. he is a gamer and should be respected as one. whats even funner is he is having one of the better second halfs of his career. the problem on this board are people are way to quick to point fingers at someone when the fish lose. its a team game. lo duca's one misplay did not cost us the whole game. remember we lost by more then 1 run.

Ive never heard of a little league in my life that plays 80 games.

Neither have I :thumbup

 

So what, Lo Duca gave up a run last game. He does do all the things you mentioned a catcher has to do(minus block balls well) and STILL rakes. So why does everybody hate?

 

He gets paid millions for a reason. Not everyone can do it. He takes a beating day in and day out. Hell he must be so mentally and physically drained he cant block correctly. Give him the credit he deserves.

My original post wasn't hate. He does everything else at least above average or better, but can't block balls. Nobody really can anymore, it's a lost art. That was the gidst of my original post. However, just because most can't do it doesn't mean he shouldn't be working on it and trying to do it. If you use your body to block balls, they don't get behind you, runners don't advance, and runs don't score.

 

If it's such a difficult thing to come around with your glove and swipe the ball (which apparently it is for some), then block the ball with the chest protector once it hits the dirt. The ball is significantly slown down and you're wearing the pads for a reason. It's really not that difficult.

 

It won't get you on Web Gems, won't make any Top Ten lists, but it wins ballgames. Simple as that.

I know you werent. But look at the title of the thread. Thats what I was directing it at.

I know you werent. But look at the title of the thread. Thats what I was directing it at.

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Not hate. I may have some opinions of LoDuca, but the resposnsibility falls clearly on someone else's shoulders. He is what he is, and for the most part, that is a good ballplayer.

 

However I noticed a trend. It has cost us runs, and has likely hurt the confidence of our pitchers' when they need to throw a breaking ball or something out of the zone. Asked why it is and how it can be stopped.

If it's such a difficult thing to come around with your glove and swipe the ball (which apparently it is for some), then block the ball with the chest protector once it hits the dirt. The ball is significantly slown down and you're wearing the pads for a reason. It's really not that difficult.

 

honestly bro. i think catching has to be one of the hardest things to do on the ballfield. you make it sound like its riding a bike. duca cannot predict the way a ball is going to take a bad bounce or even a good bounce for that matter.

Premier defensive/game calling catchers win more championships (CJ, Varitek, Pudge, Damian Miller) than All Offense No Defense catchers do (I seem to have misplaced Mike Piazza's World Series ring).

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Just a small nitpick, but I don't think Pudge was regarded as a good game-caller (rather, game-handling as often coaches call the critical pitches) until he won that World Series ring. A great defender who could pick and throw with the best of them definetly though.

can't remember the exactly play... was it low & away & he just reached for it?

Since Rferry wishes to "lure" former catchers out, I feel compelled to chime in. I caught from LL to Pony to American Legion, CYO (token Protestant) highschool and into college until my knees were so shot I moved to 2nd and then having blown out my shoulder playing paddleball (those concrete block wall don't move I found out) to impress a coed I ruined my shoulder and wound up at first where I could barely make a throw to third.

 

We could also talk about two cracked skulls from over eager batters whose roundhouse swings came all the way around and hit you in the back of the head, but that's not for this discussion.

 

Catching was completely different than today. First of all you were taught to use two hands to catch, not this one hand behind your back stuff so prevalent today so you always played with at least one broken finger, usually more. And we were taught to fall to your knees and use your body to block the ball and under almost no circumstances to try and backhand a pitch in the dirt, sacrificing your body, however errant. You used your free hand if you had to. Umpires did not use you for support either as they do today which good because most of the time they were drunk or had the worst breath.

 

I didn't see what happened last night so I can't comment on the event that has unleashed this thread. But catching is the toughest job there is and no one is perfect at it, and remembering back to trying to catch Keith Joselin's curveball, it's a wonder any catcher doesn't end the season with fifty passed balls and be considered good at his job. I don't know if LoDuca was set up on one side of the plate and the ball was thrown to the other, I don't know the pitch sequence or the pitcher, but it isn't like youth ball where fastballs don't have movement, every pitch in the MLs has movement almost beyond description.

 

All I can say is, as one who wore the tools of ignorance, it is a noble profession that doesn't get enough praise, even for the most mediocre catcher, and Paul LoDuca certainly isn't that. Mike Lowell was just lauded as being the best defensive 3rd baseman with more than 650 starts and the next night he makes an error that some would say may have cost the Fish the game. Mistakes are made. Things happen. It doesn't mean Lowell or LoDuca don't know how to field their positions.

In defense of catchers from my own experience and from watching thousands of games, THE PITCHER doesn't always throw the ball were its supposed to go. Usually at least once a game or every few games one will see a catcher crossed up by a pitcher. I'm not saying that was the case last night, but not every catcher can be perfect, unless you want to count CJ during 97.

Thanks for sharing '03. Seems like that since the time of baseball first established itself, only the role and responsibilites of catcher and non-stationary infielders (second and thirdbasemen) have changed.

Well.....as another catcher, but just up to the little league level....I'm surprised this post has gotten as much play as it has. I guess it was created and maintained out of the short-term dissapointment many feel from last night's game.

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I agree mainly with FIU's post. LoDuca's not going to threaten anyone with winning a gold glove in his career, but he's above average both defensively and offensively, and I suspect a plus in other ways. Juanky, I respect you sacrificing your body in 80 games in AAA bal, AA bal, A ball, Beer league ball, or little league ball....but it's not the same as being the starting catcher on a MLB team. In this position, a certain amount of pacing oneself is a smart thing. You can't play catcher all season with the wild abandon that Dontrelle Willis plays the game at. You'll never make it through the season, and it's better to pick your spots rather than being lost to the team for an extended period of time. I suspect that in crucial games in the season, and certainly in the playoffs, LoDuca will throw himself on a grenade to save a wild pitch or passed ball.

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.Let's' get a good start from AJ tonite and a team win and we'll all feel better

Let's' get a good start from AJ tonite and a team win and we'll all feel better

 

:thumbup

Got to give LoDuca his credit for that great defensive play he just made.

 

Too bad the bad plays are remembered here more than the good.

Props to Duca for a good game tonite. And we all feel better with the AJ start and team win.

Yeah, that was a nice play. Though he should have used his body

 

03, I think you get the wrong impression from what I said. I agree wholeheartedly with the "And we were taught to fall to your knees and use your body to block the ball and under almost no circumstances to try and backhand a pitch in the dirt, sacrificing your body, however errant. You used your free hand if you had to." line, because I received the same exact schooling when I was learning to play the position. There's a pretty big age gap between us two (no hating or anything, just stating the obvious) and the current MLB catchers fall in at the middle of this gap. To my knowledge, education didn't change and then revert to the old ways once again. Again, it's not just Lo Duca. It's probably 27 of the starting catchers in the ML.

Juanky, no way was I disrespecting your post, or you. I promise. :thumbup You and I are on the same page most of the time.

 

I don't even see where we disagreed.