When you catch a 100-mph fastball, as Charles Johnson did when he was Robb Nen's teammate in Florida, the trick is the same as on a golf swing. Don't tense up, and let the ball do all the work. You can get two different kinds of guys. A Robb Nen, he throws a light pitch.
Some guys throw a heavy baseball, but some guys throw it light.
It has to do with the rotation of the ball. If the catcher isn't loose when a hard-thrower is on the mound, passed balls usually follow. It's exciting when a guy is throwing that hard. If he throws it on the corner, it's exciting. Henry Schulman covers the San Francisco Giants for the San Francisco Chronicle and The Sporting News.