Monday, March 30, 2020

Going Mobile

The power for any baseball player comes from the ground. And the ground is where we start our warm-up routine with a series of exercises starting with the ankles and working up through the hips. The first ten exercises are stretches performed before any of our individual defensive workouts. Also included are five extra stretches that we perform during the defensive portion of on-field batting practice. Our catchers will use that time to focus on mobility and flexibility if they are not catching bullpens.

Mobility/Flexibility Routine
1. Wall Ankle Mobilization
2. Rocking Ankle Mobilization
3. High Tension Ankle Mobilization
4. Kneeling Hip Flexor
5. Hip Circles/Fire Hydrants
6. Froggers/Quad Rockers
7. Frogger Squat
8. 90/90 Hip Stretch
9. Figure 4 Stretch
10. Lateral Squat Shuffle with Reverse Skip

Extra Stretches
11. Ankle Inversion/Eversion with Band
12. Lateral Excursion with Band
13. Thoracic Spine Mobility—Double Tennis Ball
14. Thoracic Spine Mobility—Foam Roller Extension
15. Thoracic Spine Mobility—Stability Ball Rollout

ROLLED BALL SERIES
Left-Knee/Right-Knee/Primary/Secondary
1. Rolled Ball Pick-Ups (Left/Right/Center)
2. Rolled Blocks (Left/Right/Center)

Below is video footage of each of our warm-up stretches:


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Sunday, January 19, 2020

If It's Important to You, Chart It

During our practices, we like to chart our players. We will chart everything from pitch selection and execution on the offensive side to fielding and throwing errors on the defensive side. Working with catchers, the main thing I like to chart is blocks (or saveslike a goalie), passed balls, drops, 50/50 balls, and plays made. We will also keep track of stolen base statistics including pop times.

Below is an image of a "Catcher Gameday Chart" created by the great Jerry Weinstein of the Colorado Rockies. I have yet to employ this chart in a game but I am looking forward to using it this season. I will post some more charts as the spring progresses. If you would like an excel file of this chart, please email me.

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Monday, December 16, 2019

Let the Games Begin

Coaches love competition. Players love competition. It is with this in mind, that we started a Catching Olympics during the last day of fall individuals.

The competition featured 10 events that encompassed a lot of what a catcher may face during a game. I tweeted many of the videos after the event, which I've also posted below.

The Events
Throws to 2nd/3rd
Backpicks to 1st
Block & Recover Throws to 2nd/3rd
Rapid Fire Pop-ups
Fielding Bunts < 4.0 seconds
Tags
Goalie Blocking Drill
Gear Down Race

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The Real Deal: Machine Blocking

The final part of this warm-up consisted of blocking mechanics using a machine. Notice Realmuto is blocking with one leg extended instead of a traditional secondary stance. More and more catchers are using this technique but some may be uncomfortable with this technique. I believe a catcher must do what he's comfortable with in the game but while in practice, it is always beneficial for players to get out of their comfort level to make gains as a player.

JT Realmuto Pre-Game Routine, Part IV:
  1. One-Leg Blocking off Machine
Part 1: Weighted Receiving
Part II: Machine Receiving
Part III: Machine Throwing

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Monday, December 9, 2019

The Real Deal: Throwing Footwork

The third part of this warm-up consisted of throwing footwork off the machine. The video just shows footwork towards second base but Realmuto worked footwork to third as well. We like to work in footwork to first base as well, be it from the knees or on our feet.

Obviously, if you don't have a machine, having a coach or partner feed will work just fine. You can always adjust the distance and have the feeder move closer to simulate higher velocity. Either way, the key is getting your feet down quickly and in line with your target.

JT Realmuto Pre-Game Routine, Part III:
  1. Throwing Footwork Drills off Machine
Part 1: Weighted Receiving
Part II: Machine Receiving

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