PHOENIX – When fans think of the role of bullpen catchers on a baseball team, they likely view them as little more than glorified ball machines, just catching pitches and throwing them back.
“My schedule pretty much was to get to the ballpark around noon, get in uniform right away, and you’re there for the guys,” former Astros bullpen catcher Carlos Muñoz said. “Every day, I was throwing like two or three long tosses. Then, before the long tosses, I would throw everybody practice. Then, when I finished my batting practice, I would turn to right field lines and there was a guy waiting for me.”
That’s the basic job description. But there is so much more that bullpen catchers do behind the scenes that people don’t see. From helping pitchers turn their careers around to helping someone come back from a nagging injury, bullpen catchers are always there to help players and teams.
“I usually do one or two small-group sessions, primarily rehab guys,” Marlins minor league bullpen catcher Harry Wilonsky said. “We focus on mindfulness, emotional intelligence, that sort of thing. You have to give the rehab guys a little bit extra to look forward to in their day. Just give them a space where they can feel hurt.”
Catchers take their time, working with the pitchers who need assistance with a pitch, helping them learn a new one and assuming many other roles.
“They’re the hardest working guys on the field for an organization,” former Athletics pitching coach Scott Emerson said. “They have to handle equipment, they have to handle getting baseballs ready for pitchers. They do a lot of work and without them, it’d be hard to really get your job done because of the little things that they do.”
As the main line of communication between a pitcher and the pitching coach during bullpen sessions, it is important that the job is filled by someone who knows the game and knows what they want from their pitchers.
Composed of many former players or former coaches, bullpen catchers may be just as important as other coaches. The bond between the pitchers and their catchers is something that is crucial to helping make arms better, and that bond is something on which a lot of catchers work hard.
“First, you have to sit and create bonds with the coaches,” Muñoz said. “You start creating those bonds, not just in spring training, but before spring training even starts.”
A lot of bullpen catchers dedicate their lives to their work, doing everything they can to stand out in a position that garners no spotlight.
The best way for them to do that is to be the best at their job and to be a jack of all trades. It’s about picking up and bringing out equipment such as balls or nets when another coach calls for them. It’s about always being ready when their name is called.
But to be great, a bullpen catcher needs to stand out and be better than others at the simple things. That means giving good feedback, not focusing on anything else outside of the job at hand and helping the pitchers become the best versions of themselves possible. It is providing pitchers a place and person whom they can trust if things don’t go as planned.
“In pro baseball, I think it’s really just bringing attitude, energy and effort,” Wilonsky said. “These guys just need somebody that’s consistent. Giving guys a place where they can be frustrated, but also still have fun.”
The job doesn’t care if the call comes before, during or after practice.
A good bullpen catcher is not someone who is physically stuck on the field either.
Insiders say those who find a balance between the work on and off the field will be the guys who have the best relationships with the members of the staff. Being able to step away from the field – step away from the game for a time and still integrate with teammates – creates the balance necessary to dedicate themselves to their job and care for the team.
“The majority of the work comes outside of games,” UCLA bullpen catcher Brady Feramisco said. “The majority of our work is in practice, even on off days we’ll come in, catch bullpens, play catch with guys.
“We hang out outside of baseball and so a lot of times when we’re hanging out, guys will talk to us about how they’re looking, how their catch plays, and Coach (John) Savage trusts us.”
Despite all the work they do, bullpen catchers get little recognition for it.
There are a few, like Javier Bracamonte with the Astros, who become well known after spending years with one organization. But the majority of them are simply former players who are looking to make an impact and wanting to put the pants on again, like the Diamondbacks’ bullpen catching duo of Jhonatan Solano and Jose Queliz.
“It’s all blood, no glory,” UCLA’s other bullpen catcher, Sutton Simonian, said of the position.
It is not a very glamorous job, being hidden away from the crowds and mostly making a difference behind the scenes, but that is enough for most. Just the fact that they can make a difference is motivation to keep up the work.
“It’s kind of meditative in a way,” Wilonsky said. “I really appreciate the community that it builds. I get to be around a whole bunch of guys that are living their dream and I just like catching a baseball and throwing a baseball. It was my favorite part of the game when I was a kid.”
The quality that all bullpen catchers have in common is their desire to help. They want to help their pitchers and coaches get better. And outside of the spotlight, the fame and the work, deep down, all they want to do is help their squad win.
“Being accountable,” Simonian said. “Being able to have people trust you. Being able to get leaned on. Truthfulness, you gotta be true. You can’t sugarcoat things. You gotta tell them the truth. It’s very important to be honest.”
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