MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Make no mistake, the impressive record that the Morgantown Post 2 baseball team has compiled thus far this season (17-2 at the end of June) has an awful lot to do with a deep and powerful hitting lineup.
However, any time a pitching staff can boast of an ERA around 1.00, and a majority of the starters are tossing complete game victories, the other end of the roster ought to garner some attention as well — especially when the game is left completely in the hands of the Post 2 players.
That’s right. No looking into the dugout for the coaches to call the pitch and no frequent trips to the mound for lengthy discussions. Just get the bal and throw the pitch that’s called. Repeat. Get outs. Close out innings. Hit. Win.
And for Post 2 skipper Tyler Barnette, the reason for this anachronistic, yet successful strategy, is rooted in one deceptively simple word.
Trust.
“I know that baseball seems to be moving more and more toward controlling everything from the dugout,” Barnette explained. “But we are here to teach these guys how to play the game, to play it the right way, and at a high level — and we have the best pitching coach in the state in (former 40-game winning Post 2 pitcher) Andy Altemus, and the state’s Johnny Bench Award winning catcher, Caleb Taylor.
“So why wouldn’t we trust those guys to make the right decisions, to put the pitchers in the best possible place to win each pitch, each at-bat?”
Altemus pitched several years at the professional level before returning to his hometown and is now director of baseball/softball at Pro Performance, and his mantra always was the same: Work fast. Change speeds. Throw strikes.
“The quicker you work — without rushing, of course — the more you are able to control the rhythm and tempo of the game, the less comfortable the hitters are,” he said. “And the less time between pitches, the bigger the contrast between your fastball and your off-speed stuff.
“Plus, being around the plate and working efficiently keeps your defense sharp, too.”
Of course, all that efficiency doesn’t work if a player isn’t 100% committed to the pitch they’re about to throw, and that’s where an experienced, committed, commanding presence behind the plate can make a huge difference.
According to Altemus, Taylor has embraced his role like a true field general.
“We wanted Caleb to begin calling his own game, because we feel it’s the next step in his development,” he said. “And he knows the game inside and out, [he] wants to learn everything he can and he absolutely thrives on the challenge. And he has 100% respect and buy-in from every pitcher, so we give him complete control.
“Of course he’ll make a mistake here and there,” he continued, “but he’s usually talking to me about it before he even gets in the dugout after the inning. It’s a huge asset for our staff, especially the younger guys, because it gives each of them less things to think and worry about.
“All they have to do is believe in the pitch that he calls, have confidence that it’s the right one, then execute it.”
For Taylor, there’s so much to consider as a catcher, which is why the game is so engrossing for him.
“It all starts in the bullpen before the game,” he said, “figuring out what’s working that day. And then once the game starts, you have to consider your pitcher and his mind set, the hitter and his tendencies, the running game, everything.
“Believe me, when I started in Legion ball for Post 2 as a high school sophomore and I was catching college pitchers, it was pretty overwhelming. But I’ve gotten more and more comfortable with every game.”
So what’s his favorite part of playing the position?
“The whole thing, really,” Taylor smiled. “The game within the game is really the most fun, to notice a little thing and make a little change to set a guy up so that he’s expecting one pitch and you call something else and he just freezes. Man, that’s the best. And it feels really good to have the pitchers trust me, and trust their defense behind them, so that we’re all working together and for each other. That’s when I’m the most happy, and we’ve been in that place for most of the season.
“We’re on a really solid roll right now,” he concluded, “and if we can keep that trust in each other, I think we can keep it going. As long as we continue to work hard and battle hard on every pitch.”
