, 1890-09-13
a PROFESSIONAL eAcKsToP.
How a baseball Catcher Should Train
for His Seasons Work.

VT
How a baseball Catcher Should Train
for His Seasons Work.
The training of the catcher has in it
less variety, and is in consequence far
more tedious than that of the pitcher.
The work Of strengthening the muscles,
Of he shoulder and arm Is the same as
that described for the pitcher; but in
the throwing practice the catcher
should devote his attention to the
shortarm throw. He should begin at
the short distance of perhaps fifty feet,
and increase that distance very gradu-
ally. In fact, he ought, even when he
can readily throw the full distance
from homo to second with comparative
case, to do most of his throwing at two
thirds that distance. After the nine
has begun to work in the field it is not
advisable for the catcher TO throw to
second anything like the number of
times the majority of amateurs attempt
daily. Only after the nine has been
out of doors for two or three weeks is
so much of the full distance throwing
safe for any catcher who wishes to have
his arm in good condition.
The position of the feet in throwing
is all important If he be a strong man
of moderate weight he can and should
throw without changing the position of
the feet. To this object his gymnasium
practice should be devoted. Standing
steadily upon his feet in the exact po-
sition assumed at the of catch
ing the ball, he should. with a slight
swing at the hips, be able to send the
ball down. Throwing in a cage with
a low ceiling is the best thing possible
for him, as it forces him TO throw hard
and on a line.
APPOINT of catcher's practice, which
does not enter into the work of the
pitcher, is that of toughening the
hands. Rowing on the machines, climb
ing the rope, swinging on the flying
rings and hnndball, if there are any
courts for that ercellen: game, will all
tend toward this end. He should con-
slider, however, that it is not merely
t~oughening the skin of the hands that
is desirable, but also hardening tho
flesh 50 that it is not easily bruised. For
this reason he should pass ball" with
out gloves regularly every day.
At the outset he should receive no
swift balls, and should stop at the first
feeling of anything beyond a moderate
tingling Of the palms. His hands should
receive their full preparatory hardening
before he goes out into the field, for
ordinary ~carefuluess demands that he
should do no catching behind the bat
after the season commences except with
hands thoroughly protected by well
padded gloves. What is called a stone
bruise is one of the tenderest and most
lasting mementoes of carelessness i'm this
respect, In his gymnasium practice he
should wear the mask. This seems TO
most catohers a useless bore, but the cap
tain or coach should insist upon it, and
the mask should become almost a part of
the catcher himself. All his throwing
and catching should be performed with
his eyes behind its wires, in order that,
from becoming thoroughly accustomed
to it, it may add no Inconvenience to
his work.
The b~reastplate need not be so rigor-
ously insisted upon, but even this
should be worn frequently. The right
hand glove must always be worn when
%practicing throwing, in order that this
also shall offer no unusual difficulty in
the later work. Many a catcher may
think that it looks silly to stand up
with a mask and glove on to throw
at a mark but there is every reason
for doing this, and he will himself APP
prcciate tho value of such practice
when he stands accoutered c. the held1
behind the batsmsn and with a rJuiner
on first.
As often as It's convenient tho
catcher particularly If n novice, should
have s8me one swing the bat before
while be IS passing balP' in the
mnasium ti@s- he get8--0utI
C6ors he should be thoroughly &C
customed to the close proximity of the
Camp in st. Nicho-