Article: VIDEO: How Difficult Is It To Frame A 100-Miles-Per-Hour Pitch?

[Parker Hageman]

Catcher Framing has been the statistic that has been all the rage -- it is the sooper popular thing right now among stat nerds.

 

Catchers who previously were undervalued, like Rene Rivera or Jose Molina, are suddenly highly sought after when studies showed that some catchers could coax extra strikes from out of the zone. Meanwhile, backstops like Ryan Doumit have become dinosaurs.

 

How difficult is it to corral a 100 mile per hour pitch?It is possible that velocity plays a difference in how a catcher receives the ball or how an umpire gauges it. According to ESPN, since 2009, 9% of balls taken out of the zone that were 99 MPH or below were called strikes. In that same time, 7% of all pitches thrown 100 MPH or above and taken out of the zone were called strikes. Is it more difficult to frame pitches at that velocity or does the speed play a bigger factor? With average fastball velocity from major league pitcher’s climbing each year, this could play a factor in the coming years.

 

Thanks to former Twins minor leaguer Jamie Odgen and Line Drive Sports in Lino Lakes, the No Juice Podcast’s Dan Anderson’s shows just how difficult it is to catch and frame 100 mile per hour heat.

 

[NOTE: Some adult language]

 

For more on this subject and others, be sure to listen to this week’s No Juice Podcast.

 

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[Seth Stohs]

First, this is awesome... 

 

Second, Jamie Ogden is such a great dude! I haven't been to Line Drive Sports, but I would encourage people to go there if you have a chance. I like the 100 mph challenge concept. I remember when I was good at baseball, like 20 years ago, hitting 87-89 wasn't so bad, but then I saw a guy throwing 92-93 and it was incredible the difference. I can't even imagine hitting 98-100.

 

And, I have caught guys that throw 90, and it isn't so bad. Framing is not too difficult... but I imagine 100 is unreal because it's on you so quickly. Consider that someone as tall as Alex Meyer is throwing 97-99 from closer than someone who might be 6-2 also.

 

This is fun to watch and see Dan's reaction... and Jamie's!

 

As for pitch framing. I like it as a stat, but I've always said it's flawed. I think that there are just so many variables that go into it. Framing is without question a skill. The trick is whether you can do it in such a way to trick the umpire and get him to call it. 

[Linus]

Very funny.  I can't believe anybody can catch or hit it at 100.  Here is what I don't understand about pitch framing: umpires are supposed to judge the location of the pitch where it crosses the plate.  If they, in fact, are doing that, then framing has nothing to do with stirke calls.  If they are influenced by the position of the glove, that's a problem considering the not unsubstantial distance from the plate to the glove.

[Thegrin]

I understand pitch framing and I understand the importance of the skill, but I hate that is in this age, it is still necessary.  Technology should be calling balls and strikes, not umpires.

[Brandon]

I am surprised there is not more focus on base running stats myself.  There is the stolen base and caught stealing and being picked off, but what about the 1rst to third % rate on a single? I'm sure there's others but good base running affects the game more than good pitch framing IMO.

[John Bonnes]

Fantastic. I can't believe Dan stayed in there for the second pitch. 

[Badsmerf]

I am surprised there is not more focus on base running stats myself.  There is the stolen base and caught stealing and being picked off, but what about the 1rst to third % rate on a single? I'm sure there's others but good base running affects the game more than good pitch framing IMO.

A single where a baserunner goes from 1st to 3rd happens a few times a game.... maybe. And, how often is a certain player even in that type of position? The statistic would be worthless based on lack of data alone. On the other hand, you can assume that a catcher might receive something like 150 pitches per game. There is hardly any defensive statistic that will impact a game more than pitch framing. 

 

Right now, Suzuki is costing the Twins pitchers 1.5 strikes per game. Now, that might not be much of a difference. But if you're costing that strike on a 2-1 count with runners on 2nd and 3rd.... yeah, thats going to be a big deal. And the fact he is having a negative effect every game compiles the significance. 

[ashbury]

"Jesus. I'm out."  He stayed in there longer than I could have.

[twinsfan34]

Ha! What a great clip. Good stuff.

 

Man...I haven't 'caught' in about 15 years...even so, as with Seth, highest velocity I caught was probably touching 90. And it was a big difference of that versus 80-82 mph (what most HS pitchers were throwing in my time and area).

 

Doesn't help being a database engineer and the morning iPhone reading emails has made me near sighted in one eye.

 

I don't know what to think of the 'catch framing'...definitely some catchers are good at moving the ball around. But pitchers pitch. I pitched and caught (most every game I played was one or the other). Only issue I ever had with my catchers was show me the mit or do a 'flash' before hand. Some catchers didn't want to tip location, my thinking was I put it in the right spot, it won't really matter if they know it's there as long as it's not at the heart of the plate.

 

The best 'pitch framer' catches don't correlate to the best pitching staffs. Even a cursory glance at the top pitch framing catchers and their teams will give away the 'best records' or winning teams doesn't have a high correlation to the catchers.

 

http://www.statcorner.com/CatcherReport.php

 

Wish I had the real totals - punch in the gut for not yet having trying to figure out the Retrosheet database and get it install into SQL.

[Riverbrian]

Funny!!! It made me laugh

[Madre Dos]

One of the best "framing catchers" I have ever seen in the minor leagues was Jhonatan Arias.  His ability to "frame" gave the pitchers 2-3 inches.  Unfortunately,  he didn't have enough offensive punch to keep him playing professionally.