Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-08-30
A PROFESSIONAL eAcKSToP.
How "a Baseball Catcher should Train
for His Seasons Work.

The training Of the catcher has in it
les variety, and is in consequence far
more tedious than that of the pitcher.
The work of strengthening the muscles
of the shoulder and arm is the same rs
that described for the pitcher; but in
the throwing practice the catcher
should devote his attention 10 the
shortarm throw. He should begin at
the short distance of perhaps fifty feet,
and increase that distance very gradu-
ally. In fact, lac ought, even when he
can readily throw the full distance
from home to second with comparative
ease, TO do most of his throwing nj two
thirds that distance. After the nine
has begun To work in the field il is not
advisable for the catcher TO throw 10
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. II he be II 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 moment of catch
ing the ball. he should. with a slight
swing at the hips, be able TO send the
ball down. Throwing in cage with
low ceiling is the best thing possible
for him, as il forces him To throw hard
and on a line.
A point 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 handball. if there are any
courts for that excellent game, will all
tend toward this end. He should con-
slider. however, that it is not merely
toughening the skin of the hands that
is desirable, but also hardening the
flesh SO that il is not easily bruised. For
this reason he should pass BALI 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 moderate
tingling of the palms. His hands should
receive their full preparatory hardening
before he goes out into the field, for
ordinary carefulness 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 in this
respect. In his gymnasium practice he
should wear the mask. This seems to
most catchersa 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, II may add no Inconvenience to
his work.
The breastplate 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 catcher may
think that it looks silly TO stand up
with mask and glove 90 to throw
at a mark; but there is every reason
for doing this, and he will himself ap-
preciate the value Of such practice
when he stands accoutered on the field
behind the batsman and with a runner
on first.
As often as il j. convenient the
catcher, particularly il a novice. should
have some one swing the bat before
him while he is passing ball' in the
gymnasium. BY the time he gets out
of doors he should be thoroughly ac.
custoncd to the clo-' proximity Of the
batsInan, Walter CE!rg IN 81, Nicho-
las,