Job description for the catcher. (Baseball).

MANY BASEBALL gurus believe that defense is the key to winning baseball and that it all starts with the spine up the middle--centerfield, shortstop, second baseman, and catcher.

No one position is more important than the other, but all the excitement starts when the catcher goes into his squat.

It is easy to build a case for calling it the most demanding of positions. Just think of it: Who else has to wear all those "tools of ignorance," grovel in the dirt for all those 55-feet curveballs and wild pitches, call all the pitches, and direct eight other players on the field.

The catcher is the quarterback of the team and its most inspirational player. Talk about durability: Who else has to squat 125 to 175 times a game and bear all that toll on his knees, feet, and leg muscles? And who else has to overlook his sore and bruised hands day in and day out, be able to bounce back after being struck by the bat or ball, bounce off fences, and be battered to the ground while blocking the plate?

The catcher has to be a hustler--that is the staple in his diet. He must bound out after bunts and swinging strikes, cover first or third on various kinds of plays, and occasionally dive at a runner. Plus have the kind of arm that can nail a would-be stealer at second in less than two seconds.

One physical attribute that is great to have, but not really essential, is height. Anyone who wants to catch and is willing to work extremely hard at it can learn the trade and win a chance to prove himself.

Remember, a stopwatch cannot measure an individual's heart unless he is concerned about his resting heart rate.

The catcher's mental attributes are just as important as his physical qualities. He must have the intelligence and guts to control the game from behind the plate and scan the field before every pitch to make sure everyone is set up correctly. He must be a student of the game who can recognize the weaknesses and strengths of every one of his pitchers.

The catcher has to have the kind of leadership ability that will gain the confidence of his pitchers and peers. He must know how each pitcher responds to motivation, who to light a fire under, and who to coddle and wait upon.

He must be able to work the strike zone, move the ball from corner to corner and up and down to confuse the hitter, and he must be unpredictable to disrupt the timing and balance of the hitter.

He must help the pitcher understand that every pitch has a purpose and to throw as few pitches as possible. This will enable the pitcher to pitch deeper into every game.

The catcher should confer with the pitcher before each game to discuss the scouting report, and he should keep a mental diary on every pitch-- store away what kind of pitch gave the hitter trouble and what kind he consistently hit.

The catcher has to be involved in the game at all times. He cannot afford to fall asleep, be timid, and keep his mouth shut. He has to be very vocal and aggressive, letting everyone know who is in charge of the defense.

The smart catcher will establish a good relationship with the home-plate umpire immediately before the game, and learn the umpire's name if he does not already know it. He should address the umpire as Mr. or Sir--never as Mr. Blue or Ump. He should think of himself as an ambassador for his team.

Some catchers and coaches will not agree with me, but a catcher has to be just as concerned with what he does behind the plate as with what he does alongside the plate.

Sure, I want my catchers to hit, but they come to the plate only four times a game while the opponents step up to the plate 21 times a game in a seven-inning contest and 27 times in a nine-inning affair. The catcher has to be zeroed in on all those at-bats as much as he is on his own at-bats.

He has to separate his offense from his defense. We don't want him thinking about his last at-bat once he squats down behind the plate.

As you can see, no other player has the massive kind of job description and involvement than the catcher has. Nobody else is so deeply into the game and takes the kind of physical punishment that he does.

It takes a special kind of individual to do all of these things, and catchers do not grow on trees. You have to seek them out and spend a lot of time on them. If you do, the dividends are huge.