OK, this might be a strange question. But when I played baseball from age 5 - 21 the pitcher threw to the "catcher" obviously! Watching baseball all my life and collecting baseball cards, the position has always been "catcher". Now I go to my nephew's games and these soccer-moms and out of shape fathers call the position "back-catcher". What!?!? That is completely incorrect and wrong. The position is catcher, period. By the way I live in Canada. Anyone else in Canada or the US have an opinion?
2007-05-04 15:26:43 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
I think I may have the answer... I played girls softball for over 10 years, and the mom's called the position 'back-catcher' as well... I am also from Canada (perhaps it's a regional thing).
When I was really young (think 5 and 6), the coaches made sure that everyone got a chance to play each inning, as when you are that young 'sitting out' doesn't seem fair... so we would have 2 SS's, 2 2nd basemen, and like 5 people in the field... when the field got really crowded, they made a 'very important' position called 'back-catcher'... this person would stand just behind the backstop fence, and would run and retrieve the ball when the catcher missed the ball... being small girls, the catcher's gear was really really big on us and made it hard to manouver... so the catcher would basically sit on their knees, and anything that they didn't catch would be the responsibility of the back-catcher.
I guess the name stuck, or the concept that the catcher was the real position was too hard to fathom for the mom's, and the name 'back-catcher' stuck. I personally always found it stupid... but it was a way to get everyone playing every inning.
2007-05-05 03:49:37 · answer #1 · answered by Linzar 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry but I have never heard of this term for a catcher but only the word catcher for baseball. There is a back catcher in the sport of hockey
2007-05-05 02:59:41 · answer #2 · answered by Dave aka Spider Monkey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a hockey term that is being used incorrectly. Buck Martinez tells a story about being referred to as a back catcher when he first was traded to Toronto. But that was 1981, and people should know better by now. Correct them, gently.
2007-05-04 18:09:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the U.S.----- Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Roy Campanella, Ivan Rodriquez are referred to as catchers.
2007-05-04 22:45:28 · answer #4 · answered by gman 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well i live in southern california probably the best place for baseball in the world. and i have never heard back catcher for baseball. so its probably a canadian thing.
2007-05-04 15:30:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I live in Southern California so i wouldnt know much about it. That is a strang term to say for baseball.
2007-05-04 17:45:37 · answer #6 · answered by ryan l 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, that's wierd. It's just "catcher". I guess people call things different names in different places.
2007-05-04 15:52:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
its called Cathcer to everyone still today. Maybe these people want their kids to feel special by calling them "back-catcher". I dont know why though, that would annoy me though
2007-05-04 15:36:38 · answer #8 · answered by S 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
come to america to learn baseball it's the american passtime. it is called catcher by the way.
2007-05-05 10:40:41 · answer #9 · answered by Dodgerblue 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
is there a front catcher
2007-05-04 16:15:24 · answer #10 · answered by me man 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋