Although Cecil answered the question in general, but there are some nuances that help to clarify why there are no regular left-handed catchers.
Visualize a catcher behind the plate, with a right-handed batter up, and a man on 2nd. The man on 2nd goes to steal 3rd. A right-handed catcher can take a step forward to throw, and his right arm will clear the batter. Even after a left-handed catcher took a step forward to throw, the batter would still be in the way of his throw;
Most importantly (in my book), in order to consistently get off a hard, accurate throw, one needs to use their whole body - arms, legs, and torso. A right-handed catcher can do this on a throw to 2nd, and can also do this when throwing across his body on a throw to 3rd. However, in order to get the throw off quick enough, a left-handed catcher would have to throw “away” from his body, much like catchers do when they try to pick someone off of 1st. It can be done, but with less accuracy and speed, at least not consistently. It’s ok if a catcher has trouble throwing to 1st. But if a catcher has trouble throwing to 3rd, that’s a MAJOR problem.
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, zeker, glad to have you with us.
When you start a new thread, it’s helpful to others if you provide a link to the column you’re discussing. Saves time and helps keep everyone on the same page.
I’d lean toward Bill James’s explanation as to why there are (almost) no lefty catchers:
(cite is from The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, page 41, commenting on Jack Clements, the only lefty catcher with a significant career.)
Or in other words: there would be left-handed catchers, but they all became pitchers instead. Jack Clements was only able to have a career as a lefty catcher because he played in the 19th century. (Strangely, Clements’s teams never had much left-handed pitching, least of all the teams he broke in with. I’m guessing that his managers, for whatever reason, were either unimpressed with his arm or thought that his bat would be of more use.)
So, if left/right handedness was 50/50, we’d expect to see lots of lefthanded catchers. But since, if randomly selected, you’d expect to see about one leftie per nine-man team, if your leftie has a good arm, you groom him to become a pitcher. Am I understanding this correctly?
Both Squires and Long were not originally catchers. They were firstbasemen. And Long, at least, played some outfield. So they can’t really be classified as “catchers” in the sense Johnny Bench or Yogi Berra is a “catcher”. They may have caught a game or two.
Not very many people try to steal first. Which is the primary target of a “left handed catcher”. And the batter can very easily get in the way of a throw to second by a left handed catcher.
Though Bench did used to whip throws behind lefthanded batters down to first to pick off sleeping runners.
As a left handed catcher who stepped forward on my right foot with little concern for the batter and threw to second and third from the ground up with enough accuracy to discourage further attempts, i find this all quite interesting, but then again i never played pro ball.
It may not be the end-all answer to the ‘mystifying’ prejudice keeping left-handed catchers out of the major leagues, but consider the likelihood (akin to the chances of a snowbell in Hell) of a southpaw receiver effectively picking-off a would-be basestealer heading from first to second. The ‘pick-off’ is, of course, a maneuver designed to inhibit the aforementioned thief by not allowing him (maybe ‘or her’, someday) to take a sizeable lead away from the first-base bag. World Series hero Ivan Rodriguez solidified his defensive reputation by frequently gunning down adventurous opposition with ‘snap-throws’ to first. Such an attempt by a leftie, though, would be impeded by either a right- or left-hand batter.
I really don’t like baseball, so what I did know when I was younger, I have completely forgotten. If the catcher is throwing up the baseline, a right-handed batter will be on his left, not in front of him. Anybody got a bird’s-eye view that shows the geometry of this?
The biggest disadvantage is throwing to 3rd. When a right handed catcher stands straight up out of his crouch, his body is already aligned to make the snap throw the 3rd base. A left handed catcher standing up would have to rotate almost a full 180 degrees to get his arm into a throwing position. It is a slight disadvantage on throws to 2nd, as there are more right handed hitters, meaning that the throwing hand is on the same side of the plate as the hitter.( Right handed catchers have this same problem with a left handed hitter though, and I must admit a left handed hitter never bothered me on a throw to second)
Being left handed is also a disadvantage at second base, for the same reason…most of your throws are to your left, which is naturally easier for right handed throwers.
Being left handed is preferred at first base, mostly because it allows you to tag runners on pickoff moves without crossing your body with your glove(quicker tags), and, any throws that you would make from first base(which is rare anyway) are to the right.
A right-handed catcher does not step forward after receiving a pitch when he throws to third; he steps back first.
Further, it really has nothing to do with stolen-base attempts at third, because such attempts are relatively rare. The problem is at second, especially when a right-handed batter swings at the pitch.
I find it hard to believe that catchers step backwards before throwing the ball on a stealing attempt. But, either way, my point was that, if a left-handed batter is in the way when a right-handed catcher wants to throw to first, it’s not a big deal, because no one’s stealing first. However, if a right-handed batter is in the way when a left-handed catcher wants to throw to third on a steal attempt, it’s a very big deal.
I respectfully disagree. I believe that attempts to steal third are rare, in part because right-handed catchers have an advantage over left-handed catchers in that regard. Both because of the batter being in the way, and because, due to the mechanics involved, it’s easier for a right-hander to get a hard, accurate throw to third on a consistent basis than it is for a left-hander. I think if there were left-handed catchers, steal attempts of third base wouldn’t be very rare at all.
In addition, if the problem were only with throws to second base, then, conversely, why isn’t it a problem for right-handed catchers to throw to second base when a left-handed batter is up? Yes, there are less left-handed batters than right-handed, but so much less that it wouldn’t be a major problem.
BTW, thanks for all the responses! This is my first post here, and I never expected such a numerous and spirited discussion!
Steals of third base are rare, but not because of the dynamics of the catcher throwing out the runner.
It’s because managers don’t like runners on second base to get thrown out trying to steal third and ruin a prospective rally. A runner on second base is already in position to score on a base hit, and to get thrown out trying to steal third destroys that option.
Although once the runner is on third, it opens up the possibility of scoring on a passed ball or tagging up on a fly ball to the outfield.
Personally, I think it is easier to steal third than second. (It is easier to get a large leadoff.) If I were a major league manager, I would have my players try it more often.
Besides 1st basemen, have there been any lefty-throwing infielders at all in the majors recently? Even 3rd basemen have turn their bodies in a disadvantageous way throw to 1st.
Well, one difference with regard to 3rd basemen (and shortstops) is that they, just as often, are moving to their left to field a ball anyway, so their shoulders are already rotated into the correct alignment to throw the ball (once they make the backhanded reach for the ball)
You’re talking about two different animals altogether, for a few reasons:
The catcher only throws to first if he feels that he has a good chance to catch the runner napping. On throws to first, he initiates the action when it’s more in his favor. On steals of third, the runner initiates action when it’s more in HIS favor.
They’re also totally different in terms of the action involved. On throws to first, the runner has to change directions (assuming he was leaning towards second). On throws to third, the runners in a dead-sprint, a different action altogether.
May I suggest that arguing why left-handed catchers are “disadvantaged” compared to righties is a bit silly (if not plain stupid) in the absence of true expert opinion?
I’d suggest asking someone with some true knowledge about the issue, like, say, Joe Torre (playing and managing experience), or Bob Brenly (same), or any of a number of other managers or former catchers from professional baseball.
Otherwise, it’s all just uninformed opinion, hardly the stuff of fighting ignorance.
If throwing to second (or third) were such a severe disadvantage for a lefty catcher, we would see managers instructing base runners to take outrageous leads off first with left-handed batters at the plate. A righty throwing to first or second with a lefty at the plate is surely the same as a left-handed catcher throwing the second or third with a right-handed batter, no?
Why not put your base-stealer ahead of a lefty in the lineup to gain this significant advantage? Your speedster could get a great lead at first and the (right-handed) catcher’s throw to second would be slowed as well! Everybody would be doing it, but that’s not the case. So our lack of lefties must be due to something else.
So let’s take a look at our nonexistent lefty catcher. Typically, he’s going to be a stocky guy, good at blocking balls, and a little slower than average. If I see a guy like that (and he’s left-handed), I make him a first baseman.
But our hypothetical lefty catcher has too good of an arm to hide a first base, you say? A left handed ballplayer with a good arm is called a pitcher.
