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Baseball · Level 7: Upper-Advanced · Sub-level 7.3

The Catcher

10 tests · 100 facts · updated 28 October 2026 · markdown

Catcher's gear through history, great defensive catchers, catchers who could hit, Yogi Berra, the toll of catching, history-making games, unusual pitchers, catcher stats, the automated strike zone and becoming a catcher.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1The history of catcher's gearTake a test

  1. Thayer adapted a fencing mask for Harvard's catcher.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. Bresnahan wore cricket-style leg guards and was mocked at first.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Charlie O'Brien wore one in 1996, based on a goalie mask.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Without gear they caught pitches on a bounce from a distance.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. It absorbs pitches and foul tips to the body.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Big padded mitts let pitchers throw harder to catchers up close.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. Wedge pads behind the knees ease strain while crouching.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. 1877, 1907, the 1990s.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Legs, chest, head, then the mitt.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Early masks were adapted fencing masks.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 2Great defensive catchersTake a test

  1. 'Pudge' Rodríguez was famed for his throwing arm.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. Molina was known for blocking, framing and pickoffs.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Bench kept his bare hand behind his back and won ten Gold Gloves.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Runners rarely dared to run on him.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. A quick snap throw can catch a runner off base.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Much of a catcher's value only showed with tracking data.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. All three won World Series rings as catchers.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. 13, 10, 9.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. The 1970s, the 1990s, then the 2010s.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Catchers can pick runners off with a quick throw.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 3Catchers who could hitTake a test

  1. Piazza hit 396 of his 427 homers as a catcher.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. Bench won the NL MVP in 1970 and 1972.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Berra with the Yankees and Campanella with the Dodgers.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Mauer is the only catcher with three AL batting titles.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. Moving off catcher keeps the bat in the line-up longer.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Gibson was among the greatest power hitters of his era.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. Posey won titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. The 1930s, the 1970s, the 1990s.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Three, two, one.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Piazza holds the record for homers hit as a catcher.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 4Yogi BerraTake a test

  1. No player has won more.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. Berra caught for the Yankees from 1946 to 1963.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Berra's sayings, or 'Yogi-isms', became famous.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Berra leapt into Larsen's arms after the final out.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. He managed both the Yankees and the Mets to pennants.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. The cartoon bear's name echoed Berra's.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. He won in 1951, 1954 and 1955.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. 1946, 1956, then as a manager in 1964 and 1973.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Ten, nine, five.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Berra jumped into Don Larsen's arms in 1956.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 5The toll of catchingTake a test

  1. Rodríguez caught 2,427 games.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. He crouches for nearly every pitch.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Squatting and foul tips take a heavy toll.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Regular rest helps catchers last a full season.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. Foul tips and collisions can strike the head.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Fisk caught in parts of four decades.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. Returning every pitch and throwing to bases adds up.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. Catchers take the most punishment.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Catch, DH, rest, catch.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Hundreds of crouches wear down the knees.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 6Catching history-making gamesTake a test

  1. Ruiz caught the perfect game and the playoff no-hitter.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. A good game plan behind the plate shapes the outing.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Berra's leap became an iconic image.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Mixing patterns keeps hitters guessing.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. Catcher and pitcher celebrate together.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. The ball is a keepsake from the game.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. Ruiz was valued for handling the Phillies' staff.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. Pitch, out, run, celebrate.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. 1956, May 2010, October 2010.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Catchers rush to celebrate a no-hitter.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 7Catching unusual pitchersTake a test

  1. Doug Mirabelli often caught him with an oversized mitt.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. It is charged to the catcher when runners advance.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Wild pitches are the pitcher's fault, passed balls the catcher's.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Late lateral movement can surprise the glove.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. Low pitches need blocking more often.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Modern relievers throw extremely hard.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. A wild breaking ball can cost runs on the bases.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. Knuckleballs are hardest to catch.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Miss, roll, advance, scoring.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Oversized mitts help with knuckleballs.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 8Catcher statsTake a test

  1. It compares runners caught to steal attempts.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. Passed balls show pitches the catcher should have caught.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. It tries to measure game-calling, though it is noisy.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Pitcher quality and defence swamp the catcher's effect.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. It counts borderline pitches turned into strikes.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Statcast estimates how well catchers block.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. It runs from the pitch reaching the mitt to the throw arriving at second.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. Passed balls and caught stealing came long before framing.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Lower is better.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Positive framing runs mean extra strikes for the pitchers.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 9The automated strike zoneTake a test

  1. Cameras track whether each pitch is in the zone.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. Players on the field signal a challenge right after the call.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. A tap on the helmet or cap asks for a review.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. If a framed strike is wrong, it can be challenged.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. MLB tested ABS for several seasons in the minors.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Umpires still call pitches; only key calls are reviewed.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. Successful challenges are retained.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. Call, challenge, replay, ruling.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Judgement, review, then automated challenges.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Tapping the helmet challenges the call.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Test 10Becoming a catcherTake a test

  1. Few players combine the skills and toughness needed.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  2. A decent hitter who can catch is very valuable.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  3. Receiving, blocking and game-calling take years to learn.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  4. Clubs carry him for defence even if he hits poorly.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  5. A backup catcher plays when the starter rests.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  6. Clean catching is the base of the position.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  7. Catching teaches strategy and how to handle pitchers.

    Source: General baseball reference · recall

  8. Receive, throw, call, lead.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  9. Two-way catchers are rare and prized.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

  10. Blocking drills are a core catching skill.

    Source: General baseball reference · applied

Sources

General baseball references, WBSC and league material, coaching manuals; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered rules belong to the Rules category.

  • General baseball reference100