Catchers who don't wear a cup?

[Seattle1]

Has there ever been a catcher who didn't wear a cup?

That would be nuts! (No pun intended.)

:crazy

[The Kid]

The first catcher who wore a cup was, I believe, in the 30s, so many catchers never wore a cup their whole career.

[bluezebra]

Has there ever been a catcher who didn't wear a cup?

That would be nuts! (No pun intended.)

:crazy

Yes. He's now the lead soprano in the Vienna Boys Choir.

Bob

[CTaka]

The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball credits Claude Berry with being the first catcher (or baseball player) to wear a cup in 1904. I read somewhere that Johnny Bench once said that he broke 7 cups in his career. Can't imagine taking one of those "cup cracking" shots unprotected. Those catchers REALLY had to be tough guys to play behind the dish in the early days of baseball. And yet in the all-time catcher ratings, I find it incredible that people mark catchers in the 19th century and deadball days down for not catching as many games as modern catchers!!! If you think you could go behind the dish without shin guards, groin cups, and those unpadded "bird cages" as a mask and just stay alive in 90-100 games a year, then my hat's off to you as a real "Man of Steel". If you are like me and can't imagine taking that kind of punishment, then maybe you'll realize that baseball was a different game (particularly for catchers!) back then and take era differences into consideration when ranking catchers.

[Brian McKenna]

Read a book by ex-Falcon Tim Green, The Dark Side of the Game, who said it was a macho thing - they don't wear cups in the NFL.

[brett]

Johnny Bench said that 3-4 times he had a cup broken in half on a direct hit early in the game and had to sweat it out the rest of the game.

[BigStellyPADRES4LIFE]

Read a book by ex-Falcon Tim Green, The Dark Side of the Game, who said it was a macho thing - they don't wear cups in the NFL.

Believe it or not, in football its not as essential, ive played both sports, if you think for a minute a football rarely has that dangerous upward motion that can do serrious damage if it hits. Plus a football will flex alot more than a baseball will and its much larger surface area would lead to far less damage if you get hit.

[Chisox]

Catchers Who Don't Wear Cups = IDIOTS
Catchers Who Don't Wear Cups never do it again.

[RuthMayBond]

Confucius did not say that catcher who not wear cup tend to have past balls

[Chisox]

Believe it or not, in football its not as essential, ive played both sports, if you think for a minute a football rarely has that dangerous upward motion that can do serrious damage if it hits. Plus a football will flex alot more than a baseball will and its much larger surface area would lead to far less damage if you get hit.

I stopped wearing them altogether when I was about 10, a little before that for baseball. My whole thing was speed/quickness and I found that the cups severly inihibited my range. I can't imagine not wearing one behind the plate, but I never wore one after probably 8/9 hitting and got hit there a few times. During 9/10 year olds I took several direct hits without them playing either side of the pitching machine. I always thought that the shots generally hurt more with the cup than without. The shots with the cup didn't have the sharp, immediate pain, but they lasted a lot longer and made me feel nautous (like a good punch in the gut) for a few minutes severly limiting my motion. Without the cup, it hurt like a you know what for the first while, but after 30 seconds or so, I was pretty much fine.

[Chisox]

Confucius did not say that catcher who not wear cup tend to have past balls

:laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :rofl: :rofl: :p :applaud:

I wonder if it would be considered fair to attempt a steal of home on one of those "past balls?"

[Seattle1]

Yes. He's now the lead soprano in the Vienna Boys Choir.



LOL!

:rofl:

[Brian McKenna]

Believe it or not, in football its not as essential, ive played both sports, if you think for a minute a football rarely has that dangerous upward motion that can do serrious damage if it hits. Plus a football will flex alot more than a baseball will and its much larger surface area would lead to far less damage if you get hit.

I was thinking more knees, elbows and fists.

[RuthMayBond]

:laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :rofl: :rofl: :p :applaud:

I wonder if it would be considered fair to attempt a steal of home on one of those "past balls?"It might be considered below the belt

[bluezebra]

I stopped wearing them altogether when I was about 10, a little before that for baseball. My whole thing was speed/quickness and I found that the cups severly inihibited my range. I can't imagine not wearing one behind the plate, but I never wore one after probably 8/9 hitting and got hit there a few times. During 9/10 year olds I took several direct hits without them playing either side of the pitching machine. I always thought that the shots generally hurt more with the cup than without. The shots with the cup didn't have the sharp, immediate pain, but they lasted a lot longer and made me feel nautous (like a good punch in the gut) for a few minutes severly limiting my motion. Without the cup, it hurt like a you know what for the first while, but after 30 seconds or so, I was pretty much fine.

Just out of curiosity, aside from feeling "nautous" (nauseas) do you have children?

Bob

[bluezebra]

I always wore a cup when working the plate. After a warmup pitch went awry, and hit me in the "jewels" (luckily, it hit the ground first), I also started wearing one on the bases.

Bob

[catcher24]

Always wore one catching; didn't use one when playing the infield until a similar incident during practice. Always had one on after that unfortunate episode. Never did wear one when playing the outfield, and don't know many who did.

[Wade8813]

I always wore a cup when working the plate. After a warmup pitch went awry, and hit me in the "jewels" (luckily, it hit the ground first), I also started wearing one on the bases.

Bob A warmup pitch hit you when you were by the bases? Is that even possible?

[AstrosFan]

A warmup pitch hit you when you were by the bases? Is that even possible?

If Mark Mallory was pitching, yes.

[Chisox]

Just out of curiosity, aside from feeling "nautous" (nauseas) do you have children?

Bob

I'll be 25 in July, so, no.
Why do you ask?

[catcher24]

Posted by bluezebra:
Just out of curiosity, aside from feeling "nautous" (nauseas) do you have children?

Ummm, actually if we're correcting spelling here, the correct spelling is nauseous.

From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language:

nauseous

SYLLABICATION: nau·seous
PRONUNCIATION: nôshs, -z-s
ADJECTIVE: 1. Causing nausea; sickening: “the most nauseous offal fit for the gods” (John Fowles). 2. Usage Problem Affected with nausea.

[Brian McKenna]

Ummm, actually if we're correcting spelling here, the correct spelling is nauseous.

From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language:

nauseous

SYLLABICATION: nau·seous
PRONUNCIATION: nôshs, -z-s
ADJECTIVE: 1. Causing nausea; sickening: “the most nauseous offal fit for the gods” (John Fowles). 2. Usage Problem Affected with nausea.

Unnecessary and uncalled for post - perhaps the writer's signature should be "tools of arrogance."

[catcher24]

Posted by bkmckenna:
Unnecessary and uncalled for post - perhaps the writer's signature should be "tools of arrogance."

Actually, if you bothered to read all of the posts, I made that post because bluezebra had corrected the original poster (see post #19) but had also spelled it wrong, and I was simply busting his chops a little bit. So try chilling out a bit. It would appear to me that if anyone here is arrogant, it would be you!

[rugbyfreak]

Believe it or not, in football its not as essential, ive played both sports, if you think for a minute a football rarely has that dangerous upward motion that can do serrious damage if it hits. Plus a football will flex alot more than a baseball will and its much larger surface area would lead to far less damage if you get hit.

I agree here. I have played rugby, which has contact situations similar to football, for 27 years and have never worn one, and very few players do.

On the other hand, I also played defense in college hockey, and it was unthinkable to take the ice without one.

As for baseball, though I never caught as a player, as a HS coach I had to catch pitchers' bullpen sessions, and I did so the first time without a cup, with a huge feeling of dread (my wildest curveballer, no less). From that day on, my old hockey cup became a fixture in my bag.

Believe it or not, I have considered wearing one for golf, since a buddy of mine once caught me right in the stones after hurling his putter. After I stopped throwing up and seeing triple, I decided to forgive him, since that missed putt cost him a fiddy!

[catcher24]

Posted by Rugbyfreak:
After I stopped throwing up and seeing triple, I decided to forgive him, since that missed putt cost him a fiddy!

OK, you've got me on this one - what is a fiddy?:confused: I've never heard that term before.

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

On the other hand, I also played defense in college hockey, and it was unthinkable to take the ice without one.Yup, I cracked a cup in hockey this season. Blocked a slapshot square in the nuts. I was scared that I would pee blood after the game, but thankfully it was fine.


OK, you've got me on this one - what is a fiddy?:confused: I've never heard that term before.I'm guessing a "fifty" (dollar bill).

[rugbyfreak]

Yup, I cracked a cup in hockey this season. Blocked a slapshot square in the nuts. I was scared that I would pee blood after the game, but thankfully it was fine.

I'm guessing a "fifty" (dollar bill).

You are correct--$50.

Back to hockey for just a sec (sorry, Mr. Moderator). I never cracked a cup, but in my younger, who-gives-a-darn days (college and serious men's club right after), I would live in fear of that fateful shot to the wrong place, since my cup often moved around slightly, and anyway, we all knew they were never perfectly designed to cover every inch. Then, I'd be back out there, and I'd forget all about my fear, since I was, in a sense, a trained robot D-man, carrying out orders I'd heard all my life that shot-blocking was part of my job.

But actually, my bigger concern--which I stayed aware of on the ice--was the face. I played college right before mandatory face masks. So, as you can imagine, the technique for shot-blocking was different: More of a pads-to-the-side slide, with free glove hand shielding the face. Far from perfect, but I never took that dreaded rubber head-on to the mug (saw many others do so). Took many cross-checks across the bridge of the nose, though, and today, I have a boxer's nose of sorts.

Oh well, live and don't learn!