Expert: Tom Schott - 8/30/2011

Question
I heard an interview the other day with a professional catcher.  He was talking about how he signaled for various pitches.

Why is it the catcher's job to signal for pitches?  Shouldn't the pitcher be knowledgeable enough to call his own pitches?  Is this used to keep the pitcher's mind on the his job of pitching rather than planning for the next batter that is up?

Thanks,

Allen

Answer
In the early days of the game it was the pitcher who signaled the pitch. But it eventually became too easy for the hitters to steal the sign and understand what pitch was coming, so by the 1880s the practice of the catcher calling the pitch signals became common, although there were occasional exceptions after this.

Source: Peter Morris, Game of Inches, vol.1

Both the pitcher and the catcher are supposed to know the hitters; it is a partnership out there; they both work the hitters with the knowledge they have as a team. Pitchers are free to shake the catcher's suggestion off if they disagree with the strategy. But not all pitchers are that knowledgeable of the hitters. Think of young pitchers and guys coming over from the other league. It's been in the catcher's job description to call the pitches as well as frame the target during the game because as with most everything in baseball's long history, experience has proven that it works better that way.