The Overrated Value of Catcher’s Throwing Arms | FanGraphs Baseball

Interesting stuff.

In short, when it comes to the timing variables within the running game and the reputation of the battery mates, our study refutes the conventional wisdom that the catcher’s arm is primarily responsible for caught stealing. While there are other lurking variables at play — like pitch location and handedness of the batter — surface value says that a pitcher’s quickness to the plate is a whole lot more influential than a catcher’s arm in the battery dynamic. Said lurking variables will be topics for future installments and will help us dive deeper into assigning credit to one of the two battery mates. When it comes down to the timing variable, the need for speed is on the pitcher’s side of the rubber.

Are catchers trading safety for comfort by choosing titanium masks?

Ryan Doumit can’t remember exactly when he switched to a titanium catcher’s mask, but it was sometime around 2009.

The appeal, if not the outright benefit, seemed obvious.

“It’s extremely light, which is what catchers like,” said Doumit, in his second season with the Twins. “It’s kind of grown on me.”

The traditional steel mask is noticeably heavier, Doumit said.

“Throughout the course of the game, you start to feel it in the back of your neck,” he said.

Joe Mauer felt the same way about the switch to a titanium mask—which claims to be 10 times stronger than steel while weighing just 16 ounces—until he followed Doumit onto the concussion disabled list Aug. 20.

That continued a staggering trend for the month in which at least seven major league catchers suffered concussions while working behind the plate.

Also sidelined were Alex Avila (Detroit), Santiago Perez (Kansas City), Carlos Corporan (Houston), Yorvit Torrealba (Colorado) and John Jaso (Oakland).

Of those, at least three were believed to be using titanium masks at the time of their injuries. So were Doumit and Mauer.