Catching and Catchers discussion At 10u, should catcher know when change up is coming??

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Long story short....10U Travel Team of mostly first year travel players. Two of our pitchers like to catch for each other. When they do, catcher calls for change up. We have at least 2 other catchers & when they are catching, these pitchers throw their change up without letting catcher know. How important for catcher to know it's coming? If pitcher wants to decide when to throw it, any ideas on how to let catchers know??

 

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Normally the coach on the bucket would signal pitches into the catcher and she would then relay the signs to the pitcher.

 

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Very Important!

When Louuuuuise was pitching 10U, she would simply nonchalantly scratch her arm to signal the Change. (Not a good idea if she'd recently encountered poison ivy or mosquito bites...)

 

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IMO The coach should be calling pitches at 10u, when we play in our league games I let my pitchers and catchers sit on the bucket and call pitches for each other but in Stingrays and Laser nation I call the pitches and yes most certainly the catcher should know the change up is coming.

 

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Uber be right.

In my case, 10U was still Rec ball - where all pitches look the same, and the catcher's thought-process centered on post-game ice cream more than pitch calling!

 

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If you are not calling the pitches then have the pitcher have signs for the catcher so they know what is coming. Could be a leg slap with the glove, chest tap with hand, roll of glove, etc,

 

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At 10U one of the coaches should be calling the pitches in travel, call inside/outside fastballs and changeups. Not only does this help your pitcher but it also helps develop your catcher. I always tell my catchers to give the pitcher a low target on changeups, even at 10U you don't want a hanging changeup about chest high! Better to miss low with the change than high.

 

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Thanks for the suggestions! I am just a parent whose DD helps with the catching duties. Wanted to make sure she wasn't out of line wanting to know when the change was coming. I'll have her get with the pitchers to work out some signs (only two pitches...fast ball & change up). So far, the coaches haven't mentioned calling the pitches.

 

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uhhhh..... i saw this and was wondering if this was a trick question! lol --- yes, the catcher is VIP and needs to know pitch type and location.

The coach should be calling 2 signs directly to the catcher; type of pitch to throw and the location of the pitch. The catcher will then give the pitcher only one of those signs; type of pitch to throw (usually fastball or change up at 10U) and then the catcher will "set up" in the location called by the coach with her body and glove position. The pitcher throws the pitch called by the coach and then hits the catchers glove at the desired location.....(wish it was always that easy!!! hahaha!) hope that helps.

 

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Ummmm.....I'd say yes, she should know it's coming...but only if you want her to catch it.

 

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At 10U one of the coaches should be calling the pitches in travel, call inside/outside fastballs and changeups. Not only does this help your pitcher but it also helps develop your catcher. I always tell my catchers to give the pitcher a low target on changeups, even at 10U you don't want a hanging changeup about chest high! Better to miss low with the change than high.

well said dawgpound19...... couldn't agree more.

 

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aaaaaand this will setup the defense as well. Location and pitch type is huge at all ages, not just the pitcher and catcher need to know...