WebBall.com - Traffic Director

Traffic Director

Ryan Sienko Ryan founded Catch and Throw, a catching instruction, information, and conditioning company, in late 2005 and started conducting comprehensive catching camps in the summer of 2006. He works catching camps for USC baseball, Las Vegas Baseball Academy, and is the catching consultant for many travel teams across the country. He also speaks nationally about all aspects of catching, blocking, throwing, conditioning, and strategy. An associate scout for the Baltimore Orioles, Ryan is also co-founder of Prepared Coach, a company that trains coaches of all levels. He was Dir. of Operations for the National Pitching Association from 2002-2007, in charge of the NPA Performance Center and Motion Lab. Each year Ryan works with over 1,000 pitchers, coaches, and parents at pitching camps and clinics. He has personally worked with 14 players who were drafted in the 2008 MLB Draft and works with several professional players every off-season. Before joining the NPA, he was a catcher at the University of Iowa then played professionally for 8 seasons with the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and as an all-star in independent baseball. He also has taught for a number of Baseball Academies and is a consultant for Bedinger’s Bullpen, a baseball academy, in Joliet, IL and now coaches a highly competitive travel baseball team out of Rancho Santa Fe, CA that prides itself in the health and performance of all of its players. (Click to close.)

by Ryan Sienko - Catch and Throw Founder

Part of the field management portion of being a catcher is to make sure that you know where everyone should be on the field at all times. It is part of the job and is definitely much easier said than done.

When the ball goes up, where do your eyes go?

That is the question that I ask every catcher. The catcher has the unique advantage over all other people on the field because he is facing the whole fair territory. Because of this, there are many responsibilities that the catcher needs to perform especially when there is a ball that goes up in the air. As long as you know that you are not involved immediately in the play, your eyes should go to the field and see if...

There is going to be a potential play at home plate...
- Clearing away bat
- Checking runner
- Getting cut-off man in position
- Getting into position to receive the ball
You can help an infielder determine if the ball is in play or out of play
There is going to be a potential play with an advancing runner
Any runners are in motion (potential double play)
Any bases not covered by fielder
The pitcher is backing up the proper base

The natural reaction for a catcher not involved in the play is to watch the ball and see who is going to catch it or not catch it. Being the traffic director entails much more work than that. You have to be the eyes for the collective defensive group.

Call it out

Your mouth can be a vital part of traffic direction. You'll be the first to see or hear if the batter hit the ball well, poorly, deep, or shallow. You need to communicate both verbally and physically to the other fielders on the status of the ball.

For example: Many fields have bad shadows or poor lighting. Sometime around dusk, it is very hard for the infield and outfielders to see a ball that is either hit to the outfield or hit above the lights. If you have a good judgment on what the ball is going to do, you need to communicate and point out where the ball is. Many outfielders will have trouble finding the ball off of the bat and can use the direction from you or any other player.

In other instances, you are responsible to be the director on a ball in the gap - whether it is a hit or an out - especially when the outfielders have to turn their backs to the infield. The half second that it may save when you help them set up where they are going to throw the ball may be the difference between an out or safe call at a base.

Be prepared...

Below are things that every catcher should be prepared to do and tell the other fielders on the field:

Number of Outs
Bunt Coverages
1^st and 3^rd Coverages
Where to throw on Bunts
Where to throw on Cut Offs/Relays
Where to back up (Pitchers)
If there is room in Foul Territory on Pop Ups
Positioning for Certain Hitters
Throwing to First Base on a Ground Ball with a 3-2 2 Out Count
Telling the Pitcher to “Get Over” or cover first base on a ground ball to the right side when a left handed hitter comes to the plate.
To go to an uncovered base if needed (One base further than the runner)
Work the Umpire
Speed Up or Slow Down the Tempo of the Game
Protect the Pitcher

All of these things require a knowledge base from the catcher of basic game activities along with playing out all possible situations before the play. The other 8 fielders are looking right at the catcher and if the catcher looks lost, the rest of the team will break down as well. The most prepared fielder has to be the catcher. That's why we say “The Tools of Intelligence” instead of “The Tools of Ignorance”.

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