Book Review: “The Art of Catching,” By Brent Mayne

Written by: on 11th February 2010

Book Review: “The Art of Catching,” By Brent Mayne | read this item

Growing up in a small town in Connecticut, I was forced to participate in the coming of age activity known simply as, “Little League.” Now, I wasn’t the most athletic kid on the team. As a matter of fact, I was the fattest and voted most likely to put the ice cream man’s kids through college. They tried me in the outfield, but I ran down fly balls like a three legged gazelle. (Apologies to three legged gazelles). Then they gave me the arduous task of pitching, which was like giving C-4 to Martini from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. My father told me to, “Keep my head chin up, something you’re good at will come along.” He was right, sort of. Ten games in, a position opened up. My then coach, Mr. Cullen, looked down at me, then around to see just how wide I was, pointed down a boney finger and said, “Catcher. You’ll play catcher.”

Of course!

All the fat kids play catcher because there are no good pitchers in Little League, so the first thing you want to do in order to nullify that is to insert the kid with the most surface area to block pass balls. I spent two years fielding unsuccessful and erratic pitches in the dirt, diving left and right, and occasionally ten-hopping a ball to second base on a steal attempt. I earned the nickname “The Magnet,” because very often the ball would ding me in the groin, the shin, the arm, the shoulders. There were more foul tips into my catcher’s mask than in the 110 year history of Major League baseball.

I left Little League not wanting to play baseball ever again. And I didn’t. I refused to try out for Babe Ruth and when I did try out for my high school team, I was more than embarrassed by my poor showing. I blamed my coach for the longest time for not putting me at the sexy position of first base or shortstop. At least there I could’ve developed some confidence, and who knows, I might have lost fifty or sixty pounds. What I really should have been mad at was the lack of education there was about the catcher position itself. There were no books about catching, no videos, or afterschool specials. I believe Johnny Bench had a book out in the 70’s, but they were never in-depth. Most of them spoke of catching as a metaphor for life, like catching was a Zen-Buddhist state of being. Repeat after me, “I am one with the glove. I am one with the glove. Ohhhm.”

And I never did find a book solely devoted to catching until I came across The Art of Catching: The Secrets and Techniques of Baseball’s Most Demanding Position, by former Major League catcher, Brent Mayne. He discusses not only the “art” of catching, but the responsibilities of the position, accompanied with a deep well of knowledge for the history of the game as well as high hopes for its future.

At first glance it might appear to be akin to that of a “How to…” type book. It’s not, and I can’t stress that enough. If it seems structured, well, that’s because it is. He starts us off with a brief introduction which automatically draws young readers in by stating that baseball is seriously lacking good, fundamental catchers. The first words of the book, “Two hundred million Americans, and there ain’t two good catchers among’em,” is a quote by the great Casey Stengel. At the beginning of each chapter you’ll find quotes by not only Hall of Fame players and managers, but from some history’s greatest teachers, such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Bruce Lee.

Mayne makes us feel at home with his personable yet authoritative language. He doesn’t try to lord over the fact that he is the professional, but rather uses it to assure you his methods are coming from experience and proven results.

The Art of Catching is like a well designed house – sturdy at the bottom, which allows you to build and build. And in doing so he aptly teaches his lessons while keeping our interest. In fact, we grow along with him and his chapters, as each one is a building block to becoming a good, solid catcher. He even starts with the idea of “the foundation” in Chapter 2. And while there are 12 chapters, covering everything from Stances to Plays at the Plate, the purpose isn’t to complicate, but to simplify.

Everything in this book is to make it easier for YOU to become the best catcher you can be. Technique is stressed in every line and he makes it very clear that poor technique in practice is what you will take out with you to every game, which is probably why I never made it as a catcher or even a ballplayer.

The same could be said about attitude. The tone and voice of the narrative is friendly and always positive, yet quick to be humble if the moment calls for it. Being a good fundamental catcher allows for a sense of pride and confidence that one wouldn’t have otherwise. Mayne wants you to do well. He wants you to exceed in every way possible, which is why he so meticulous in each chapter. The deeper he goes, the more you learn about catching and the game.

The book then lends itself to expand into different aspects of baseball, as the catcher is essentially the eyes and ears of the baseball diamond. Mayne understands this as a 15 year veteran and along with the fundamentals of the game come the intangibles which are obviously cultivated through experience, but can be bridged quickly by good technique and what he refers to as anticipation.

A catcher with excellent anticipation is a well prepared one. He studies his pitcher during bullpen sessions – their tendencies, the speed and spin of their pitches. He devotes a chapter to Blocking and says that, “a ball should, in effect, be blocked before each pitch is ever made.” This is the crux on which the book seems to pull its wisdom from. It’s similar to Sun Tzu’s Art of War, in which a key principle is that “every war is won before it’s fought.” Again, it all goes back to preparation and HARD WORK, something young kids seem unwilling to compromise towards. Even Mayne admits that he didn’t start out as a catcher, but he worked alongside his father to in a way, revolutionize the way the position was taught and executed on the field.

He makes the game accessible and the “art” of catching more of a paint by numbers than a course in Neo-Expressionism. Mayne wants it to be fun and educational – a seemingly lost art form in itself. And while professional baseball is about money, he goes farther to express the want for more showmanship and entertainment. Baseball after all is entertainment. And why shouldn’t we enjoy ourselves?

The Art of Catching gives us fire to a stove that hasn’t been burning for years. He presents the opportunity for anyone interested in baseball the chance to excel at a specific position, and have the assurance you’re doing it the proper way. In a time when less and less kids are active in sports and come from single family homes, it is important for a book like this to be in print.

You know, Brent Mayne is the only catcher during the twentieth century to pitch and win a game. And at the risk of sounding trite, it’s not a stretch to say he delivers one right down the middle with this book, to which I would suggest receiving with both hands, in a good stance, never forgetting to enjoy yourself.

Stephen Okawa is the College Baseball Editor for Gotham Baseball and the Co-Executive Producer of Gotham Baseball LIVE. You can contact him here, or follow him on Twitter and add him on Facebook.

Topics: Arduous Task, Babe Ruth, Brent Mayne, Coming Of Age, Cream Man, Cuckoo S Nest, Gazelle, Gazelles, Groin, Little League, Longest Time, Major League Baseball, Matter Of Fact, Mr Cullen, One Flew Over The Cuckoo S Nest, outfield, Pitchers, Pitches, Shortstop, Surface Area

Latest Headlines

In The News

Padres Recap – Braves and Buccos

The Padres are quietly putting together a solid season, did it continue this week?

The Week That Was: Just When You Thought It Was Safe

The Phillies came to Busch prior to a trip to the Windy City for the Redbirds. Take a look at the results of a busy week for the Cardinals.

Baseball Digest LIVE: Meet the Real Joe Black

We have an all star lineup

A Glove of Their Own: A Grand Slam On and Off the Field

Bob Salomon is a name you will be hearing about. He is using the concept of children participating in sports as the vehicle to communicate his all encompassing goal of giving back

Mets Week 16 Recap: Anemic Mets Wrap Up Miserable West Coast Trip

The Mets looked out of place, out of sorts, and altogether out of it while going 1-6 in Arizona and Los Angeles.