Discrimination against Left-Handed Catchers

 

Never would I imagine that I would have to deal with a High School baseball coach discriminating against my son just because he is Left-Handed. 

There is no reason there is discrimination toward a player regardless of a natural ability, it is not like he asked to be born left-handed. I homeschooled my son for the last two years and I am truly against him being in public school, which reminds you was an experiment by the government to get kids out of the house teachings and under their rules, laws, and teachings. By this they can manipulate everyone, and everything being taught. Now it is so far gone and teaching away from the truth and things they need to know to be a productive citizen. Regardless, I let my son go back into the school system under specific circumstances that are acquired for my house. 1. To get all A's or close with my understanding of the issues. 2. To be in ROTC 3. To play baseball (the sport he absolutely loves and has played since 3 years old) 4. He wanted to go to be a beacon light from GOD to try to save God's children from this corrupt world of satan. I will just say, I am still not OKAY with him being in public school. I must trust GOD to protect him and keep his Salvation and relationship to Yahshua (aka Jesus Christ). 

When baseball was about to start, Christopher by this time had already started showing up for conditioning at 0600 at Clover Park High School with the coach G. I stayed in the truck most of the time until I asked the coach if he was okay with me walking and jogging the track field and bleachers. A week prior to practice starting, the coach sent an email out saying due to the lack of students showing up for pre-practice that there will be no more practices in the morning. By this time Christopher had enough of the morning practices and I got a membership at the YMCA to work out with him after school. Christopher started working out at the YMCA longer and harder. It was not worth the morning workouts; it was too early and not enough time to work out. The couple kids that did show up were forced to change or shower at the pool where the coach's wife had access to. All the time they went to get dressed in the pool lockers, their coach went in two times, the rest of the times it was only her inside with the boys. As a result, nothing I knew happened but to be on the side of caution, she should never put herself in a position to be alone with kids without their coach, parents’ knowledge and other safety precautions for them and the kids. 

Christopher has played baseball for his entire life. As a left-handed player, his main position was catcher, pitcher, and occasionally first base. Once practice started, I went to nearly every practice. At most there were enough players for one team. I remember telling my mother, I do not know where they are going to have two teams. As practices progressed, I noticed there were no try outs for positions, just the same routine where they warm up, throw back and forth and practice layouts on the field with some hitting here and there. Never once did this head coach get out there with the kids and show them how to do something or work with them on anything. He left things up to the school volunteer and JV Coach. The Jv Coach did everything. They are lacking experience when it comes to baseball, besides JV Coach. There was not a person showing some of these kids’ skills on grounding the ball, measuring themselves at bat or the skills of batting. Even as an experienced coach of over 10 years I always had to result back to basics even if my kids had experience playing before. There was nothing to suggest Coach G has correct experience to teach these kids how to play baseball. Isn't that the reason why coaches exist is because you teach kids how to play baseball? I do not know if he ever played baseball, but it shows that he is there for a paycheck not for the kids learning and playing an American sport to get knowledge and have fun. 

I have told G many times that because I have coached for so long that I would help wherever they needed. Because I know how hard it is to get volunteers. And to be honest who wants their kids around volunteers straight off the street with no kids in the system. It is a little uneasy to think they do not have alternative motives. But even if they were there as a volunteer and did not have any kids on the team, they do have to go through background and stuff with the school. Which makes us parents a little more comfortable to be screened but not incautious to the possibility of what could happen. Regardless of this, it is not like we have any volunteer period. The only ones that have tried and still try to be a part of their child's baseball program are the parents. Are we allowed to? NO, according to G. It does not make sense to me. To me since I have been to every practice before and now except of course two for appointments, there were not enough kids out there. When the first Varsity game came up, he already had his Varsity team that he had from the year before. Most of the Varsity players were not qualified to play because of the number of practices under their belt. Three to four days prior to the 1st Varsity game, suddenly, some players were there and then started in the game. Because Christopher was not playing in the game, I did not go to them. But I do want to put on record that Coach G told Christopher that he was Varsity and then put him on JV that next day. Christopher was qualified in all criteria, but he is supposedly best suited for JV, is what I was told. Then I was told it was because of his weight and agility. Then I was told it was his arm. Then I was told it was because of him being left-handed. 

I picked up my son from practice this day I was not able to be there, one of the days I could not be there is the day something was said to my son. He was headed to first base from changing positions, and he was just saying that he is usually catcher and the school volunteer told Christopher that they only have right-handed catchers. So, my son stayed quiet and stayed on first base until the switch up. He got in the truck, and I knew right away something was wrong. He did not want to play anymore, said he did not want to be in school any longer, that he wanted to be homeschooled. He was incredibly sad, discouraged and I had to try to uplift the situation. Did not think I would have to resort to causing an uproar for a high school baseball position from discrimination and putting a child down for wanting the impossible in this nasty world. 

This was the last straw for this gold hearted Christian to fight for my sons right to spend his last two years of High School happy doing something he loves to do and be a catcher and uplift his team. I just also found out this volunteer told Christopher to throw a fly ball and Christopher knowing his limitations due to his Physical Therapy and all his years of playing baseball, he tried to tell him that it would hurt his arm if he kept doing it, this guy decided to go to Coach G that Christopher was complaining about his arm, when he wasn't. Coach G proceeded to tell Christopher to go to the Sports therapy person for CP. The therapy person told Christopher gave him ice and told Coach G that he was good for practice. This really made me mad, because my son was being introduced to someone that was physically touched my son. Do not get it twisted, I get that is his job but not once was a parent introduced to anyone that may have physical contact with their child. 

So, by this time, as you can suspect, I am a little heated about the situation. Why would anyone tell a kid he cannot play a position just because of his dominant hand being left? I am so tired of this stereotype that left-handed people cannot play a position based on their hand that GOD gave them. 

The traditional arguments against left-handed catching are unsubstantiated at best, and just plain stupid at its worst. 

10% of the world’s population is said to be left-handed people. Is it their fault, NO, it is what GOD gave them. In Major League Baseball, about 25% of players are lefties. As in the world of baseball, even the left-handed players were giving a nick name that really sounds derogatory called Southpaw. In fact, the left-handed player is a rare breed, not rare in my family but in the world of baseball. This is caused by a stigma, a bias and tradition that stems from when baseball was played majority by right-handed players. The higher levels of baseball surpass left-handed players because they are not like their teammates. 

There is always some type of bias against something or someone that threatens someone. There was a stigma against pit bulls, and they were rated the worst dog to own and everywhere they went they were not allowed because they were supposed to be so vicious. They are not, it is the owners and how they are treated to create them the way they are. I have two and they are the sweetest dogs ever. Of course, they protect this house of mine, but if you were invited once they would be nice. There are many stigmas in this world. If it offends someone or threatens their sense of ways, they will make it that their problem is a general problem. In fact, they are just trying to keep their problem a problem. It is like telling a woman and man cannot teach the same subjects. Or like, back in the day that an African American cannot play with the white folk just because of their skin color. Well just like that is a huge discrimination due to their skin color, imagine if one of the Black folks were left-handed too. Man, double discrimination, and it does not matter if they can do the job and better than a white folk or a right-handed person, this was always a discrimination and they hated them for being different. Has times changed; no, it has just been disguised. 

We are in the end times, murderers left and right, evil in everything we see, hear, do, and go. 

Let us talk about the reasons they say left-handers cannot be catchers. And why it is a bogus claim and why they are false. 

1. This is one thing the coach told me is that left-handers cannot throw to third base. 

Left-handers must pivot and turn to throw to third base. Right-handers also must make some movement to get behind the right-handed batter in the box.

Okay, so their dominant hand is different, this does not mean they are at an advantage over a left-hand catcher. In fact, a left-handed catcher has the upper hand and advantage to throw to third. Left-handed catchers avoid the batter completely. Left-handed catchers will be releasing the ball with their back turned towards the batter, unlike a righty who would be throwing into or around the batter with their arm motion. Either way, right-handed or left-handed catchers use proper mechanics to make the throw, there really is no adverse effect either way. 

2. When they throw to second base they will be throwing in the line of the right-handed batter. They say this because the majority of the batter’s bat right-handed.

The throw to second base becomes a little bit more complicated because most hitters are right-handed. However, if they use proper mechanics, they will be no closer to the right-handed batter than a righty would be to a left-handed batter, and we do not complain about right-handed catchers throwing to left-handed batters in their face. 

3. Throwing to second from the left side of their body is no different than a right-handed catcher throwing from the right side of their body with a left-hand hitter. 

4. The tag play at the plate is much more difficult for a lefty with his glove on the infield side of his body and the tag taking place on the foul territory side of his body. 

They say it could cause a left-handed catcher some valid issues. This does not mean it has to be more difficult for left-handed catchers. It is important to note that if the throw is on target, and there are other runners on the base paths, the left-handed catchers can go through the entire play and never turn their back to the infield. This allows the left-handed catchers to be more observant to what is going on in front of them on the base paths and could lead to an out.

Also let us take into consideration that if there were left-handed catchers, pitchers and first basemen, there would be a greater advantage over the game. If you do not believe me, do your own research. Not only this, but if you have a right-handed catcher with the left-handed hitter, all these issues that people say left-handed catchers are an issue and the reason they cannot do their job is because of their dominant hand. It goes the same way for the right-handed catcher with the left-handed batter. 

The left-handed catchers are at a significantly higher advantage fielding balls out in front for a throw to first. They can run straight at the ball and are lined up for the throw as soon as they pick the ball up. 

If we look at the stolen base success with a left-handed pitcher vs. right-handed pitchers. You will see that right-handed pitchers have a greater stolen base rate than left-handed pitchers. The left-handed pitcher is much more difficult to steal off. From his mound the left-handed pitcher has an advantage by being directly facing the runner. The right-handed pitcher must look over his shoulder and wheel to first base, giving the runner a warning of the right-handed pitcher intent. 

The opposite argument can be made also for first basemen because a left-handed player can make a quicker and easier throw to second base compared to a right-handed player. The right-handed player must make that pivot which slows him down. 

In conclusion, the left-handed catchers do not have severe limitations that people and the baseball league say. It has never been a proven fact, just accusations that turned into this full blown out skepticism that turns heads away from left-handed catchers. This is prejudice against the left-handed community. 

Despite the multiple left-handed people that proved this stereotype wrong, it is still lingering, and many discourage left-handed kids from following what they dream about. If we do not stop the schools and people in charge of crushing kids dream into full account, then the stigma will continue. Never did I keep a child from playing in a position they wanted to do. When my son fell in love with catching, I had already told him of the stereotypes, stigmas, and complete lack of encouragement for left-handed people in anything they do in life. I guess we can state that if someone lacks the experience of playing baseball, then they should not ever coach the game. 

Even though we currently have no Major League Baseball left-handed catchers, which does not mean that we as a society need to keep the rouse, stereotypes and discrimination continue against left-handed catchers or in all in baseball. It may mean that you need to stand up for those people with left-hand dominance. 

Let us look at some statistics for a minute. 

In 2009, there were 82,511 plate appearances from left-handed hitters.

In 2019, there were 76,375 plate appearances from left-handed hitters. 

That is a drop of 6,136 left-handed hitters in a decade, or more than 7%. 

40.9% of plate appearances came from left-handed hitters in 2019.

Even though there are fewer left-handed hitters, what percentage of those left-handed hitters were pure left-handed or right-handed throwers. 

In 2019, there were 34 left-handed hitters that were right-handed throwers who got 250 plate appearances which was the lowest number in a non-strike season since 1969--when there were 6 teams less at that time. 

If we saw this in a 30-team era, in 1998, there were as equal 47 full left-handed players and 48 left-handed hitters that were right-handed throwers. These numbers slowly separate over the years and truly jump apart in 2015. This just shows to tell me that the stigma and discrimination has hurt players chances of playing baseball. 

The history of left-handed catchers is slim and few but there are many that prove that any left-handed player can catch like any other player. 

The list of left-handed catchers in Major League Baseball history and the number of games caught are as follows:

JACK CLEMENTS:

SUMMARY

Career

WAR

3.6

AB

1052

H

288

HR

1

BA

.274

R

200

RBI

157

SB

21

OBP

.295

SLG

.320

OPS

.616

OPS+

89

Fergy Malone

Positions: Catcher and First Baseman

Bats: Right  •  Throws: Left

5-8, 156lb (173cm, 70kg)

Born: August 1844 in Tyrone 

NAME	YRs	G	TC	SC	PO	A	E	DP	FLD	PB
CLEMENTS, JACK	17	1073	6251	5859	4780	1079	392	93	0.937	417
HARBIDGE, BILL	8	325	820	701	561	140	119	6	0.855	115
TROTT, SAM	8	272	2236	2025	1635	390	211	33	0.906	249
MALONE, FERGY	7	220	150	117	87	30	33	0	0.780	30
TATE, POP	6	202	1368	1238	918	320	130	18	0.905	128
SUTCLIFFE, SY	6	186	1131	1003	722	281	128	21	0.887	142
HINES, MIKE	4	99	935	838	662	176	97	12	0.896	157
HUMPHRIES, JOHN	2	75	598	524	407	117	74	11	0.876	96
TENNEY, FRED	5	71	328	307	236	71	21	7	0.936	19
TWINEHAM, ART	2	52	266	249	195	54	17	2	0.936	26
BAKER, PHIL	3	50	325	296	256	40	29	5	0.911	41
DONAHUE, JIGGS	3	45	227	214	160	54	13	2	0.943	17
OLDFIELD, DAVE	3	35	259	222	176	46	37	1	0.857	29
HOUSEHOLDER, CHARLIE	2	34	219	196	153	43	23	5	0.895	56
McMAHON, JACK	2	16	70	63	52	11	7	1	0.900	9
KREHMEYER, CHARLIE	2	12	66	57	45	12	9	0	0.864	16
WALL, JOE	2	7	31	28	25	3	3	0	0.903	3
FOSTER. ELMER	1	5	34	28	19	9	6	0	0.824	13
DISTEFANO, BENNY	1	3	2	2	2	0	0	0	1.000	1
HILLEBRAND, HOMER	1	3	9	8	7	1	1	0	0.889	2
EGAN, JIM	1	2	15	15	13	2	0	0	1.000	5
SQUIRES, MIKE	1	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	1.000	0
LONG, DALE	1	2	1	1	0	1	0	0	1.000	1
EDEN CHARLIE	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	1.000	2
CASSIDY, JOHN	1	1	3	3	2	1	0	0	1.000	5
MULLEN, JOHN	1	1	7	5	3	2	2	0	0.714	2
MARR, LEFTY	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0
WRIGHT, JOE	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0
POWELL, MARTIN	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0
REDMOND, BILLY	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	1

SHORT, CHRIS                       1            1

 

 

You can get your own research but there is also this website to find out about certain statistics. Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers - Greatest Catcher Ever (tripod.com)

George Herman Ruth (Babe Ruth) was and is the very essence of baseball. The player that shows all Americans to never give up. Before Babe Ruth became famous, he fell in love with catching, even as being Left-handed. It did not stop him; in fact, it made him stronger to fight for anything he wanted to do in life. He is known for all his Home Runs. BUT, in this family he means a lot to us since we have many left-handed people. 

Ruth’s legend was built on the diamond. After three dominant seasons in Boston as a pitcher – where he won 65 games from 1915-17 and was widely considered the game’s best left-hander – Ruth transitioned to the outfield, where he led the American League in home runs with 11 in 1918 before hitting a record 29 home runs in 1919.

But Ruth’s legend was more than just numbers. He became an oversized symbol of America’s power, a brilliant man with human flaws that made him seem more real than mythic. His size did not stop him from achieving what he set out to do. 

After his fame in Major League Baseball, he did not climb back into the catcher position but just stayed strong in his other positions, mainly pitcher and hitting. 

I was told that someone did their own research and there has not been a left-handed catcher since Benny Distefano in 3 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1989. Well, that may be the last MLB but there are many little league and minor league left-handed catchers that are proving themselves to be as good as any right-handed catcher. 

Mark Schauren is 20-plus years with the Susquehanna League as a left-handed catcher. He played for 14 years with his hometown Columbia in the Susquehanna League. Then he suited up for the past 9 years at East Prospect. He has .332 lifetime average with 76 Home Runs and 561 RBIs, adding over 700 career hits. The discrimination against left-handed catchers derailed his chances to compete at higher levels of the college game. He has heard more excuses thrown out, but they flat out tell Schauren that they pass him because he is left-handed. He does not give in and refuses to go to a different position because he loves catching. 

Dylan Stezzi, like Christopher, is a Junior in High School. Dylan is a Junior at Eastern High School. He is also a left-handed catcher. Dylan himself will tell you and the world that the reasons the world of baseball has said left-handed catcher cannot play that position is Hogwash, simply not true. He says the home-plate play does require mechanical tweaks, but it is possible to do. Throwing to second base is not more difficult than righties must throw down with left-handed batters in the box. Times article in 2006 showed there is truly little statistical difference for catchers when it comes to who is in front of them. It is all fundamentals for the accurate throws are concerned. Just like any other left-handed catcher, the criticism and discrimination use it as motivation and keeps him going. Just like any other left-handed catcher, he loves catching. 

This is what he said "You're the guy behind the plate, you are the only one who could see the whole field, and that makes you the leader back there. You have to make sure everyone is doing their job, and the whole idea of being a leader, I love being the catcher because I'm the leader on the field and a leader of the team."