Catcher: The Player Behind the Plate, and the Thing That Catches
A catcher catches. In baseball it is the fielder crouching behind home plate, and in general English it names any device or person that catches something.
Catcher is the agent noun of catch, and its most famous use is baseball's most demanding position. The catcher squats behind the plate for every pitch of the game, calls the strategy, and is the only fielder who sees the whole field in front of them.
- A baseball fielder behind home plate. *The catcher signalled for a curveball.*
- Anyone who catches. *A dog catcher.*
- A device that catches. *A grass catcher on the mower.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | catcher | The starting catcher. |
| Verb | catch | He caught the ball cleanly. |
| Noun | catch | A fine catch. |
| Compound | dogcatcher | Call the dogcatcher. |
| Compound | flycatcher | A spotted flycatcher. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The catcher threw out the runner at second.Baseball — one of the position's key skills.
- Fit a grass catcher to save raking afterwards.A device sense.
- The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951.Salinger's title comes from a misremembered line of Burns.
What a catcher actually does
- Receives every pitch, including ones deliberately thrown into the dirt
- Signals which pitch should be thrown and where
- Throws to bases to stop runners stealing
- Blocks the plate when a runner tries to score
- Wears more protective equipment than any other player, sometimes called the tools of ignorance
From *catch*, from Old North French *cachier*, to hunt or chase, ultimately from Latin *captare* — the same family as capture. The idea of chasing came before the idea of holding.
Why are catchers' pads called the tools of ignorance?
A joking phrase from mid-century baseball: only someone unwise would volunteer for the most punishing position on the field.
Is there a catcher in cricket?
The equivalent role is the wicketkeeper, who also crouches behind the batter, though the rules and equipment differ.