Editing Catcher (section)

{{Short description|Defensive position in baseball and softball played behind home plate, facing the field}}
{{Redirect|Catchers|the Irish band|Catchers (band)}}
{{About|the baseball and softball position|the cricket position|Wicket-keeper|other uses}}
[[File:Daniel Murphy and Salvador Pérez on August 2, 2013.jpg|thumb|300x300px|[[Kansas City Royals]] catcher and 5× [[Gold Glove Award|Gold Glove]] winner [[Salvador Pérez]] (in grey) stands behind [[home plate]] during a 2013 game versus the [[New York Mets]].]]
'''Catcher''' is a [[Baseball positions|position]] in [[baseball]] and [[softball]]. When a [[Batter (baseball)|batter]] takes their [[at bat|turn to hit]], the catcher crouches behind [[home plate]], in front of the ([[home plate|home]]) [[Umpire (baseball)|umpire]], and receives the ball from the [[pitcher]]. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the [[wicket-keeper]] in [[cricket]].

Positioned behind home plate and facing toward the outfield, the catcher can see the whole field, and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play. The catcher typically calls for pitches using [[PitchCom]], or hand signals. The calls are based on the pitcher's mechanics and strengths, as well as the [[Batting (baseball)|batter]]'s tendencies and weaknesses. Essentially, the catcher controls what happens during the game when the ball is not "in play". Foul tips, [[bouncing ball]]s in the dirt, and contact with runners during plays at the plate are all events to be handled by the catcher, necessitating the use of protective equipment. This includes a [[mask]], chest and throat protectors, shin guards, and a heavily padded [[Baseball glove#Varieties|catcher's mitt]]. Though rare, some chest protectors may extend lower to provide some shield to the genitalia; wearing a pelvic protector or cup, depending on the case, is preferred and more common.

Because the position requires a comprehensive understanding of the game's strategies, the pool of former catchers yields a disproportionate number of [[Manager (baseball)|managers]] in both [[Major League Baseball]] and [[Minor League Baseball]], including such prominent examples as [[Yogi Berra]], [[Connie Mack]], [[Steve O'Neill]], [[Al López]], [[Mike Scioscia]], [[Joe Girardi]], [[Stephen Vogt]], and [[Joe Torre]].<ref name="Catchers Are Baseball's Least Appreciated Players">{{cite magazine |author=Andriesen |first=David |date=November 2003 |title=Catchers – Baseball's Least Appreciated Players |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_baseball-digest_2003-11_62_11 |url-access=limited |access-date=2025-03-21 |magazine=Baseball Digest |pages=24–31 |volume=62 |issue=11}}</ref> The physical and mental demands of being involved on every defensive play can wear catchers down over a long season, and can have a negative effect on their offensive output. As a result, catcher is the only position (other than pitcher) to not have a member of the [[3,000 hit club]]<ref name="Never Underestimate A Good Defensive Catcher">{{cite magazine |author=Doyle |first=Al |date=June 1997 |title=Never Underestimate A Good Defensive Catcher |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_baseball-digest_1997-06_56_6 |url-access=limited |access-date=2025-03-21 |magazine=Baseball Digest |pages=38–41 |volume=56 |issue=6}}</ref> (not counting [[Craig Biggio]], who only played four seasons as a catcher and was a [[second baseman]] when he reached the milestone); the current hit leader for the position is [[Iván Rodríguez]], with 2,844.<ref>{{cite web |last=Harrigan |first=Thomas |date=2024-09-29 |title=This is each position's all-time hit king |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/all-time-hit-leaders-at-each-position |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

Because of the strategic defensive importance of catching, if a catcher has exceptional defensive skills, teams are often willing to overlook their relative offensive weaknesses.<ref name="Never Underestimate A Good Defensive Catcher" /> A knowledgeable catcher's ability to work with the pitcher, via pitch selection and location, can diminish the effectiveness of the opposing team's offense.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Vass |first=George |date=May 2005 |title=For Catchers, The Name of the Game is Defense |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_baseball-digest_2005-05_64_3 |url-access=limited |access-date=2025-03-21 |magazine=Baseball Digest |pages=26–35 |volume=64 |issue=3}}</ref> Many great defensive catchers toiled in relative anonymity, because they did not produce large offensive numbers. Notable examples of light-[[Batting (baseball)|hitting]], defensive specialists were [[Jerry Grote]], [[Jeff Mathis]], [[Martín Maldonado]], [[Ray Schalk]], [[Jim Hegan]], [[Jim Sundberg]] and [[Brad Ausmus]]. Schalk's career [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] of .253 is the lowest of any position player in the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]].<ref name="howstuffworks.com">{{cite web |title=Ray Schalk |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/ray-schalk-hof.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126082228/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/ray-schalk-hof.htm |archive-date=2013-01-26 |website=How Stuff Works}}</ref> His selection for enshrinement in [[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1955|1955]] was largely a tribute to his outstanding defensive skills.<ref name="howstuffworks.com" />

In the numbering system used to record baseball plays, the catcher is assigned the number '2'. (See ''[[Baseball scorekeeping]]''.)