Why does the catcher call the signals?
There are a number of parts to this answer. First, the catcher is the only player on the field who sees the whole field. Therefore, he’s the only one who can adjust the plans, at any time, in response to what’s in front of him. Second, the pitcher can and usually does take these signs as suggestions. A pitcher can change this, and hopefully, does so after consulting with the catcher, either by a conference on the mound or by signals back to the catcher. If you’ve ever noticed a pitcher moving his gloved hand across his abdomen or his thighs, you’ve seen a pticher changing the plan by adding to or subtracting from the numeric sign given by the pitcher. Of course, if the pitcher doesn’t let the catcher know this, he can “cross up” his catcher, and that really means that he’s crossing up himself. The catcher will also give signals that indicate that the defense should shift, or be alert for this or that. You see that when a catchers stands and moves his arm around in front of his chest pr
