At the showcases, from I have heard, I believe the players throw in front of scouts from their position and also they are timed in the 60. Do the scouts and coaches care too much about a catcher's speed?

Generally speaking, speed is least important for pitchers, then catchers, followed by corner infielders. Work on pop times, arm strength & accuracy, defensive skills, and footwork.

It is great for a catcher to have speed but if he doesn't it won't kill him so long as he hits and works well behind the plate--speed is a bonus

TRhit

Trhit, I agree that speed is a bonus for catchers. It is mentioned many times on the boards that catchers speeds are not as important. I would have to disagree with that,if it's not important showcases wouldn't take the time to check sixty times on catchers.If I'm the coach looking at catchers and one is definately faster than the other with the same abilities, that tells me this guy is going to get to the foul ball at the dugout or the bunt down the line.Speed for all positions is important,thats why coaches want athletes.

mobunts,

I think you are right on. If one catcher runs a 7.1 and the other an 8.1 and all most everything else is the same, which coach would want the slower athlete. Speed has a correlation to fitness and conditioning.

"They tell us to take a round bat and hit a round ball and hit it square" Willie Stargell

I think what you both are saying is that speed is the least important skill for a catcher.

I'm not out of order! You're out of order! The whole freakin' system is out of order! You want the truth? You want the truth?! You can't HANDLE the truth!

Speed does not necessarily have a correlation to fitness and conditioning. I know well conditioned athletes that work hard on conditioning and have limited success at improving their speed.

Speed is a God given gift-- you are fast or your are not

TRhit

i personally have seen several tenths of a second taken off of a sixty time. with the same speed coach. joe mazzuca,drafted in the 10th round by the marlins ran a 7.2 before working with thurman hendricks of gottleib fitness center in melrose park il. my son is a highly rated junior player that has also shaved .4 off his 60. . no matter how slow or fast you are, you CAN improve your times.

joe mazzuca by the way has run as fast as 6.7

soxnole

Not denying that but you have to have it to begin with--my own son was 6.5/6.6 coming out of HS--in college they got him down to 6.3/6.4

But a players has to have the wheeels to begin with--a trainer cannot work with nothing

TRhit

I Disagree Tom ! Most players with proper training and insruction can cut down their speed times. Some catchers also need to lose weight. Division I prospects who catch genrally need to be below 7.7 unless they can hit the long ball consistently.

GUS

You can disagree

Kids running a 7.7 regardless of who they train with normally won't get below 7.0

You can take a 7.0 kid and get him down to 6.7/6.8

If you don't have speed to begin with you cannot create it

TRhit

TR... I have to admit that I used to be a firm believer that you can't
teach/coach speed. My junior son this summer was 8.0 for the 60(second slowest on the team). A friend kept telling me to get him some speed training at a local sports specific facility--I finally relented and
assumed it would be wasted money but at least it would be a lesson for
my son and this friend. It turned out to be a lesson for me. From November thru January 15th-three days a week, he trained. He is down to
7.2 and is the fourth fastest on the team now and his goal is to break
7.0 by his senior year. I still think it is very difficult to increase
one's speed, but I will never say never anymore.

Moc1

moc

Is it possible that he was not really a 8.0 runner to begin with ?

TRhit

TR, it's also possible that he's not a 7.2 right now. But I think that maybe you just have to trust people. I agree that an 8 will never be a 6, but if someone is out of shape running an 8, then I believe that they can be coached back into shape and into proper running techniques to get down to a 7.2. Just my opinion though.

NJ Pitch

NJ

That is what I meant--when he ran the 8.0 he might well have been really a 7.5 to 7.8 if in shape

TRhit

TR-I checked with my son and he said his best was actually 8.1 last year. I too am amazed at the speed he picked up. As far as being in shape--he ran cross country in the fall and was in better shape than anyone on the team--he just did not have the proper technique
or the "fast-twitch?" muscle strength in his legs. The trainer worked specifically on the lower body . It is true that his leg strength has caught up with his growth(went from 5'10" to 6'2" in about a year and a half). But he has always been one of the slower players on his team. I don't believe he will ever be a "burner"
but I would not put it past him to get below 7 if he stays motivated.

Moc1