Yadier Molina takes a knee
Being a catcher has to be the most physically demanding job on a baseball field. Heck, my knees hurt just warming up a pitcher for a few throws. I can’t imagine squatting down day in and day out over the course of a 162 game schedule.
This is why I can’t understand why more catchers do not go down on a knee when receiving pitches. With no runners on base, why would it matter? There are certainly catchers who do it every so often but none do it regularly. I think they should, especially at the younger levels. Here’s why:
For younger kids, taking a knee improves their balance which will improve their receiving ability. It also can enable them to give the pitcher a lower target to throw to. Obviously, it saves their knees as well from having to squat down on every pitch.
I’m not calling for catchers to drop a knee all the time. With runners on base, catchers will need the ability to get up faster in order to throw to bases. Dropping a knee would make that difficult. However, if catchers drop a knee properly, there are significant benefits to them when it comes to relieving stress and strain on their knees.
If I was a catcher, I’d be doing it a lot. I think others should too.
