Catcher Quotations

It's nice to have a catcher who knows my mechanics, too. That way if I get into trouble he can stop it before I get out of control.

Occasionally, a young catcher is born with a backup's soul. Bob Montgomery was on the Red Sox opening day roster for the entire 1970s, yet he never had more than 254 at-bats in a season.

No one intuitively understands quantum mechanics because all of our experience involves a world of classical phenomena where, for example, a baseball thrown from pitcher to catcher seems to take just one path, the one described by Newton's laws of motion. Yet at a microscopic level, the universe behaves quite differently.

'The Catcher in the Rye.' When I was a teenager, that was my book; yes, somebody gets it, somebody gets adolescence.

Of course, I believe that Mike Piazza is probably the greatest offensive catcher in the history of baseball, only got over 50%. Johnny Bench is the best catcher in the history of baseball, but Piazza has all the record for catchers as far as offensively.

We're talking about a guy who's going into the Hall of Fame. He's got great presence, and what he's accomplished in the game is pretty remarkable, especially being a catcher. It's amazing, everybody knows about his power but this guy is a lifetime .300 hitter. He's a smart hitter, and what you appreciate when you watch Mike, even though he's a catcher and can't run like (Mike) Cameron, he's full-bore all the time. I mean, he gives you everything on the field.

With the offensive lineup that we have, you can afford that, to squeeze something like that in, ... If you can get a fly-ball catcher to hold the fort and support the pitching staff, you won?t be doing yourself an injustice.

When things are working, it's the greatest thing. When I'm out there pitching and I have a catcher putting down the finger for the pitch I want to throw and I've already got that gripped, that's a great rapport.

The pitcher threw it home and (the runner) plowed the catcher too.

She was supposed to be our catcher on Tuesday, but we needed her in center field so she played there. She plays everywhere.

Olivo is a big-time player. The last two days were tough on everyone. For a catcher working both games, I can't imagine. These conditions were tougher than in New York earlier this summer.

Oh yeah, to have your Gold Glove catcher get the out for you, why not?

Oh yeah. I knew. I got a little careless in the sixth with the catcher there, throwing him a bunch of breaking balls in a row. That's why it's so hard to do it. I wasn't concerned about it. I wanted to win the game, and we did.

Modern design becomes the eye catcher because it's out of context, it is something newborn and fresh, something people have never seen before. I mean, that in itself is the way we should sort of stimulate the senses of society, this urban condition.

My team is the Red Sox. At center field there?s Coco Crisp, at right field is Manny Ramirez, at third is Mike Lowell, and at catcher there?s J.M.

I had Vance for three years in the Minor Leagues, and I thought he was going to be an All-Star catcher one day. But he got in a collision at home plate and cracked a bone in his wrist -- so he was done for the year,

I don't want to be a guy who plays for a lot of teams at the end of his career. Every year, I try to do the best that I can. If things don't work out, I will also practice catching and be ready. Somebody can always use a catcher who can hit.

I expect so much out of her. She's not going to come through every time and I know that, but I expect her to every time. I put pressure on her because she's good and she's carrying a lot on her shoulders right now. Catcher is a pretty demanding position in my mind and I stay on her pretty hard, and putting her in the three hole, when we have runners in scoring position I expect her to drive them in every time.

He was a teammate. It would be like the catcher on the baseball team talking about what a jerk the pitcher was. It's just an unwritten rule that you don't do that.

He's become a good catcher for us. He takes a lot of pride in it, and he's improved in every phase.

He has all the physical tools to be a really good catcher at this level -- a big body and a strong arm. He needs to be more disciplined. Sometimes, he's a little bit too aggressive. But he definitely has a chance to hit for power from both sides of the plate.

He is as good as any catcher I played with or had on my team. He has top-shelf skills defensively.

He does a nice job, sets up well. He's fun to work with because he wants to make adjustments for the pitchers, do what you'd like to do and make adjustments for you. It's nice having a catcher like that who receives the ball well so it's going to be fun.

He makes me feel more comfortable on the mound than any other catcher ever has. For a guy who hasn't been in the majors very long, he's very knowledgeable. There was a game late last year when I was struggling. He told me in the dugout, 'Just forget about the mechanics, just go out there and compete.' Now, I'm a guy who's always thinking about mechanics, but that rang true for me that day. He knows how to handle pitchers.

What makes you a better hitter is getting a pitcher's tendency, or you see the infield moving early or maybe even the catcher tells you what's coming, because it would be very difficult to look for a light and then also on the release point. It's a lot easier as a runner at second base to relay signs or locations, but you can't even see the signs sometimes from second base. And lights from center field? That's not the case here.

He's a great catcher from what I hear. With Gregg Zaun, we have two of the best catchers in the league.

He's a classy guy. I'm guessing (he retired) because from a pitcher standpoint, the backup catcher has got to catch Timmy and that represents a whole new set of challenges.

He's a guy I admire, and I guess he did a tremendous job with the Padres last year. As you know, the Padres haven't been in the playoffs for so many years. He came up and brought them (there), and that says a lot about what kind of catcher he is.

God's not making many guys like him - a switch-hitting catcher with power from both sides and the ability to make contact.

He's been the best catcher we've had in the 15 years I've been here. He brings that smartness to the game as well. He really calls the whole game and he handles our pitching staff well.

He was rushing off the mound. He was beating the ball to the plate. ... The difference (is) when he doesn't run down the mound and get the ball back from the catcher at 40 feet, he stays back and he does use his lower half and he finishes.

He was a catcher who couldn't hit. He was best known for his arm.

He could have been an engineer and he would have been a great one, but he decided to be a catcher and he was a good one. Then he decided to be a bench coach and he was a good one. Now he is going to be a manager and he is going to be a good one.

Guys, you know the situation right there. Why rush and try to throw the guy out? Maybe it's raining, I throw the ball over the catcher or whatever. It's not necessary.

I think it's important that the catcher realize that even if you think something is going well and it really isn't but you're convinced it is, that he still try to get you through the game when things aren't going well.

It didn't make any sense to push it. A catcher goes through a lot of wear and tear. He needs to be 100 percent.

I was about half in love with her by the time we sat down. There's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if they're not much to look at, or even if they're sort of stupid, you fall in love with them and then you never know where the hell you are. - The Catcher in the Rye

Larry Taylor is an aggressive catcher and a very special talent, maybe one of the best in Division I. If you don't keep the ball away from him, then you will see the result.

Landon knows his role and knows he is our catcher of the future. He is a confident kid. He has done a very good job as a freshman.

Our catcher (Jonathon Basinger) said that pitch was 6 or 8 inches off the plate, but he still hit it. Put that one on me. You're not supposed to let the other team's best guy beat you.

Over the last four games, I've let him call our pitches. He's done a good job of calling the games. You have to be able to understand the game to call pitches. I've always liked to have the catcher calling the pitches because a coach can only see so much.

Our goal is to have every catcher relate to every pitcher. I don't think there is anything getting in our way of using any catcher at any time.

Our biggest question is how do we replace the consistency at shortstop that we had the last four years with Jennifer Johnson . We also need to establish our pitching depth and the catcher position. Like last year, I feel very good about our offense, which is why our defense will be so important.

Playing catcher wore me out last year. I wouldn't mind still playing, but as long as I'm in the lineup and helping the team.

People have to realize that. He won seven gold gloves. It's not like we have to clean him up. The biggest thing right now is learning our pitchers and how they throw. Any catcher that comes over here would have to go through that process.

I think I made most of my strides as a catcher working under him. He is the one guy I really felt I had to have.

I thought I was safe. As I came in, I saw a small piece of the plate and I slid to it. If a catcher has the plate blocked off, I'm either going to slide around him or run him over. But I saw a small piece of the late and slid to it and beat it by two steps.

The arm, I don't think it's the most important part of a catcher when it comes to the Gold Glove. It's definitely a factor, but it's calling a game, receiving, blocking balls.

That's the toughest thing for a young catcher is to take charge of a situation.

That's two pitchers and a catcher (missing time). That's a whole battery right there.

I was on the phone with him for three hours last night. I tried to talk him out of it. We all did -- his dad (former big league catcher and manager Bob Boone) and his brother Aaron (the third baseman in Cleveland). We sort of ganged up on him, but he said his heart wasn't in it.

I was battling absolutely as hard as I could. A pitcher would rather have a rocket hit off him than have someone stand up there and keep fouling off pitches. That's frustrating for a pitcher. He thinks this is the pitch and you foul it off. I know as a catcher I got frustrated. ... I think it was a great opportunity for a hit, a walk, anything. Once I was three, four minutes into the at bat, I'm thinking 'I have to get on base some way.

I was missing with location in the first with my fastball. After that, I concentrated more on throwing where the catcher was setting up.

I was arguing the fact that the catcher had to go so high to get the ball and bring it down to tag our guy on the head. It was unfortunate the way things ended, but we shouldn't be caught in those situations. I probably should have pinch run for Mike in that situation, but I was thinking how tough it would have been had we gone extra innings without his bat in the lineup. It was a decision that didn't work out for us.

Whether you're the dog catcher or the governor, you're elected for something to do work for the citizens of the district. And the day that you want to work for yourself or your family is the day you ought to go in the private sector.

(Utley) still had enough to take the catcher out. That was the best part of it. He'll get down and dirty.

We're really pleased. He's been very vocal to our staff, that he's here to serve them. He puts the lion's share of his focus on defensive play. He's a real pro. Pitchers sometimes shake to the wrong pitch. The sign of a real good catcher is that he runs out there and doesn't let the pitcher make that mistake. He's shown a propensity to do that. I'm really impressed.

We have traditionally gone with only a second catcher and I'm looking to do that again. The guy becomes important because he's the only guy you have besides Brad. He's also a guy who's going to have to sit around a lot because Brad is going to play a lot. He's got to work with the pitchers and we'd like to get some offense out of him as well, but that's difficult to do because he doesn't play much.

The problem was that their catcher made no attempt to tag Mandy after she got the ball. She was looking for her pitcher to cover the plate and to toss her the ball.

We discussed whether Roger or I should throw it in. The catcher voted for me.

We don't have a No. 1 catcher here. We felt like we wanted to see what Ojeda could do. I think this makes sense. We feel we need to look at this kid.

We are grateful that Johnny Bench is the namesake for our award because he is, without a doubt, the greatest catcher to ever play the game. We are very excited to have someone of his caliber support our efforts in honoring the accomplishments of these college players.

We had a bee swarm come through. Flew over the dugout, right over home plate. Saw the catcher run from the Dodgers. Oh my goodness, I was gone.

To be able to go nine innings was completely amazing. That was definitely a little different, going straight over to the catcher and going back to the mound to shake hands.

When you do it every day, when you go out and throw to a lot of catchers, you don't even think about it. You just assume that a catcher will set up inside or outside, whatever. (This) opens up communications. You can tell them how you want them to set up. It's common sense, but you don't think about.

We will look to expose the weaknesses of other clubs, ... I love putting pressure on the defense, because I remember as a catcher what it was like and what pitchers go through to try to stop the running game.

We wanted to get someone else some work at the catcher spot, just in case one girl happens to be struggling. These girls are so new, I'm still finding out what positions they can play.

When Mike goes up now, the scouting report is he's a good defensive catcher and you don't run on him. My opinion is there's a future for him. When you go to the big leagues and perform, you're back on the map.

You can't elect a Democratic dog catcher without a majority of women. There's not a Democratic winner out there that can say he won without the majority of the woman vote.

We already have a good relationship. I know he's going to help me a lot. He's a great catcher and a smart guy.

This way you won't go out there and second-guess yourself afterwards, because you already talk about everything. You know what's going on. If you don't execute, you don't execute. But you can't say, 'Oh well, I didn't like the way you were setting up.' The lines of communication are open. It's your fault if you don't tell the catcher you want them.

The pitcher has to get the catcher the ball quickly. I don't know what the time (to the plate) was, but it was quick.

Do they want an extra infielder/backup catcher who has never played in the big leagues? For them to choose me, it's a bold decision. So for me to win a job, I've got to do more than open eyes. It's got to be a no-doubter.

And they're speeding up more to home plate to give the catcher an opportunity. It's almost impossible if you don't get a good jump. If you have a catcher who can throw the ball well, it's almost impossible to steal.

Dustin is a strong, physical catcher who will battle for the starting catching position.

Eric will be our starting catcher and he is a solid defensive catcher. He is making progress at the plate.

There's no better feeling than finishing and the catcher walking out to you at the end of the game and shaking your hand. That's it for me right there, cause you know you did your job, you came in made some pitches when you needed to make them.

The winning run was thrown out at the plate, but our catcher was called for obstruction.

The risk of a catcher getting beat up in the World games is pretty high, and I'm happy to have my young catcher here.

I've only been catching the past two weeks. It's difficult. I never saw myself as a catcher before. I'm all bruised up from foul tips, but it's fun. It gives you a different perspective on the game.

The taste of it is already in our mouth and we are very capable of making it. We lost a pitcher, catcher and shortstop and that's the big three you don't want to lose. But we have six of them that tasted it last year.

Teams have asked him, in general, about the outfield, first base, second base. He's pretty open to any position other than catcher and pitcher.

People see me as a position player who can catch, when I'm a catcher that can play other positions. That's a huge difference, and what I've been trying to get people to see since I was 23 years old. I think I'm getting to catch because I've been hitting pretty well and they want to see if I can handle it. There are plenty of first/third baseman to go around. If I don't at least show the catching, there's no place for me.

The older I get the more I am leaning to first base than catching. I can just play catcher to a certain point because of my knees.

Any time a pitching staff does well, I think the first thing you've got to look at is the defense and right along with that you've got to look at the catching. The catcher holds the brain. He's the guy that everybody is looking at to be the leader and take control of the game and keep that pace going. With A.J. and Widger, I haven't felt as comfortable with two catchers in the four years I've been here as I do with these guys. They remember the game plan and they carry it out. That's one of the reasons why we've had the kind of pitching staff we've had this year.

As far as Brad knowing the game and his receiving skills, he would rank right there with Charlie O'Brien. If you are a catcher in Little League, high school, college or in the Minor Leagues, if you don't want to ask any questions and you want to learn by watching, I would get a video tape of either one of those guys.

As a catcher I believe you manage every day you're on the field.

That was a big play for us. We had a big hole to fill at catcher and it looks like she may be capable of doing it.

That's not all together accurate. When his catcher sets up on the outside corner, he might get an extra 2 inches, because you know he's going to hit the glove." ()

That's just the way it falls. I told you earlier I wasn't going to get into that personal catcher thing.

You want a guy like that on your staff, a guy who's unselfish. He roots for his pitchers to get the job done. He wants them to do well when he catches. That's what a good catcher does. The offense is just a bonus. His value to a team is his ability to catch and call a game.

You're missing someone who should be high on the list. Al Lopez knew pitching. He knew when a guy was losing it. He didn't take the pitcher out after he lost the lead; he took him out before he lost it. He was a catcher and knew the game. He's first on my list.

They put the ball in play. Their catcher (Howell when he's not pitching) is supposed to be real good. They make the plays they're supposed to make. They play small ball very well.

You don't want to be a deadbeat back there. But any backup catcher is a deadbeat.

There's a big difference between a dog catcher 20 years ago and an animal control officer today.

At first, I'll try to be the Mariners' starting catcher for opening day. I'm sure this year will go by quickly.

A bad catcher can make a great staff average. And a good catcher can make an average staff great.

A catcher and a left-handed pitcher, ... Those are the no-brainers. The rest of it, we'll figure out.

It was a swing, our catcher caught it, Doug Hennings called him out. Somewhere a long the line because the guy ran to first base he altered the call.

It was a swing. Our catcher caught it. Doug Eddings called him out and somewhere along the line, because the guy ran to first base, (Eddings) altered the call, ... When an umpire calls a guy out and you're the catcher, and I've caught my share of them, he's out. He didn't call swing, he rang him up with his fist and said 'You're out.'