Question about dead ball era catchers

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

(been looking at Patrick's T3 Meyers--)

I don't know who the first catcher to squat behind the plate was, but all the pictures on cards and photos of dead ball era catchers show them "bent slightly" a few feet--not many--behind the batter. HOW COULD THEY CATCH (LEGAL!)SPITBALLS OR MATTY'S "FADEAWAY"? A spitball (or other substance ball--soap, vasaline, etc.) often acts like a wicked curve, falling off the table. A "slightly bent" catcher would, I should think, fall on his nose or his behind trying to catch one of those!

I started thinking about the kinds of balls modern pitchers miss--the wild pitch high balls, or wild pitch way outside balls; but these are much fewer than those he can reach, obviously.

So did dead ball era catchers miss a lot more balls than modeern ones? Or did the pitchers--in spite of the legal spitball- tend to "groove" the ball more?

I know until 1887, the batter could call for "a high one," or "a low one," which would give the catcher time to prepare--if the pitcher delivered as promised!
But not during the dead ball era.
Patrick? And how about answering my questions about your card!