Former KIA manager Cho Bum-hyun trains high school baseball's great catchers
It is often referred to as "playing pitchers in baseball." This means that a team with stable mound conditions is a strong team in the end. However, there are some players who focus more on the catcher. Manager Cho Bum-hyun (63) claims that baseball is a picture that a catcher draws. Cho, who served as manager of the SK Wyverns, Kia Tigers, and KT Wiz in the pro baseball league and is currently leading the Suwon Fine Eggs, an independent baseball team, used to be a catcher. Cho, who started his professional career as an original member of the OB Bears, was an excellent catcher, with a holding rate of around 50 percent for three consecutive years. That's why his theory is so persuasive. Citing SK Wyverns pitcher Park Kyung-wan, Doosan Bears pitcher Yang Eui-ji and Haitai pitcher Jang Chae-geun, Cho stressed that the kingdom always had a great catch, and it is an indispensable condition to build a dynasty. Cho visited Daegu High School for juniors who dream of building a "high school baseball dynasty." The move was made when Cho readily accepted Daegu High School coach Sohn Kyung-ho's request for talent donation to foster catchers. Daegu High School won the 51st Phoenix Daegi National High School Baseball Competition, which ended on September 9, beating Sehak High School after an extended game. At that time, not many experts expected Daegu High School to win. Busan High School, which was aiming to win its second consecutive tournament as the defending champion, Gunsan Sangil High School, a "master of reversal," and Deokgo High School, the winner of the 2021 championship, and Yushin High School, the runner-up, were evaluated as candidates. However, Daegu High School, which played in a white tiger uniform, a school symbol, had a "green famine" by producing an unusual event to reach the top of the tournament for the first time in five years. Daegu High School, which proved itself to be the leader of high school baseball, is also aiming to win the 52nd Bonghwangdaegi next year, which will be stronger than this year. It is determined not only to become the strongest team in 2024 with two consecutive wins in the tournament, but also to match the number of wins (five times) held by Cheonan Bukil High School. In fact, Cho's goal is to build a "high school baseball dynasty." This is why Cho has come a long way to Daegu. Cho has been coaching his Daegu high school catchers to train Myeongnyugo, an indispensable condition for building a dynasty, for a one-month and half-day run from mid-April to the end of December. Coach Cho, who recently met at Daegu High School's baseball stadium, did not hesitate to write to his younger juniors and the baseball team. "The first thing I noticed was that the position of catcher was not supported even though he needed a professional leader," he said. "The amount of practice of each player seems to be absolutely insufficient, and he is not in a physical condition to fight before entering the ground." Coach Cho taught younger players from lower body training. "It is not too much to say that the lower body is everything for a catcher," he said. "Infielders move their lower body before and after a catch, and use their lower body for a throw, but since a catcher must perform a catch and throw at a stationary state, the ability to use the lower body such as how to use the knee when catching, preparation for the next movement, and blocking is an important position." Cho then advised that each player should be trained according to their characteristics. "Each player has different physique, strength, physical flexibility, lower body power and shoulder strength," Cho said. "It would be good if specialized training methods such as preparation posture and connection posture can be introduced to amateur baseball as well." Cho cited Park Kyung-wan, LG's battery coach who played for Ssangbangwool, Hyundai and SK as an example for this reason. After catching the ball, Park pulled the ball out from under his glove and made a throw. In general, the move was different from the method of pulling the ball out from the side to quickly grab the ball with the right hand. However, he had no problem as he was a player who combined good shoulder and accurate throwing. "I think it would be more reasonable to explain the basics like this, and tell them how to fit each individual's characteristics," he said. Manager Cho, a senior catcher, told his juniors who chose the catcher position, which is considered the toughest position in baseball, that their choice was never wrong. "The catcher is like a commander who controls and leads the game on his own," he said. "The game starts only when the ball leaves the pitcher's fingertips, but the catcher is responsible for all the operation of the sketch. Only the catcher will know the pleasure of the team moving as he thought and turning the opponent batter who entered the batter's box as he thought."