Pitching staff lets Burt call all the shots

Penn catcher Rick Burt is the Ivy's bestPenn catcher Rick Burt is the Ivy's bestsignal caller and an emerging offensive force Calling a game is one of the most dificult things to do in baseball. One needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of each batter and then decide the location and type of pitch to be thrown. Even the most knowledgable person can at best come up with only an educated guess about each pitch. The decision-making process is often assumed by the coach in college baseball. But Penn catcher Rick Burt is the exception to the rule. He is the rare collegiate catcher who calls his own game. Burt and the Quakers (12-7) will take on West Chester today at 3 p.m. at Bower Field. "There is nobody better at calling a game in our league than Rick Burt," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "He knows all of the hitters in the league." Burt's process for calling a game begins before he even sets the signal down for the first pitch. Before the game he can be found watching the opposing team's hitters during batting practice. Burt looks for anything that he can use against the hitter during the game. "I look at where they stand, what they like to hit," Burt said. "I try to get a feel for the hitter, what he wants to see at the plate." Burt has made calling a game such an exact science that he will even call games from the bench, including today's game, when he is not playing. But even Burt admits that calling a game he isn't participating in is not the easiest task. "I don't think I call a good game from the dugout," Burt said. "When I'm in the game, I have a better vision of what is going on. It's totally different from the bench." Regardless of whether or not he is in the game, Burt has maintained an excellent relationship with the pitching staff, who have responded by posting an ERA right around 4.00 as Penn has gotten out of the gates quickly in the early season. "It would be ridiculous to say that he hasn't had a big part in our success," Quakers junior pitcher Mike Greenwood said, "especially because we have a lot of inexperienced pitchers." Perhaps there is no better measure of Burt's impact than the way the new members of Penn's staff have responded this year. Whereas last year's staff relied on its seniors, Burt has had a different challenge this year with Penn's young rotation. "With a lot of younger pitchers, I spend more time in trying to build their psyche," Burt said. "Mostly I rely on a lot of positive reinforcement, just telling them everything is OK." The pitchers also have one less thing to think about on the mound when Burt calls the signals. The Quakers hurlers are better able to concentrate on making the pitches to get the hitter out. "It's important that they have confidence in me," Burt said. "If they know that they throw whatever I put down, then it takes a lot of pressure off of them." The Penn staff certainly isn't lacking confidence in Burt, especially based on the results this year. Junior pitcher A.B Fischer can best attest to the strong bond Burt has with the rotation, having played high school ball with him at Palmetto High School in Miami. "I don't think I've shaken him off in six years," Fischer said. "We are on the same wavelength." Penn sophomore catcher Dave Corleto has also worked extensively with Burt as he tries to pick up any tricks of the trade. Burt and Corleto can often be seen talking about baseball before and after games. Seddon hopes Corleto continues to learn from Burt throughout the season before assumes the catching reigns full-time next year. "Dave's going to be a great catcher," Burt said. "We are trying to work him in slowly and have him call at least half of his own pitches." Burt's contributions to the team go beyond calling the game and lending his expertise. He is one of the best defensive catchers in the league. Burt relies on an exceptionally quick release to consistently nail would-be basestealers. "There are teams in this league which will not run on us out of respect for Rick's arm," Seddon said. This season has also seen Burt emerge as an offensive threat. After setting four records at his high school and finishing second in Miami in batting his senior year, Burt had been better known for what he did behind the plate than what he did at the plate as a Quaker. "In the past, I knew that it would be fine if I played solid defense and made an offensive contribution when I had to," Burt said. This year, Burt realized he had to take on a larger role on offense. Through hard work during the offseason, he has upped his batting average to .367 to go along with a .532 on-base percentage, as he settles into the second spot in the lineup. "The two spot is really the perfect spot for me," Burt said. "I know that I don't have to hit for a lot of power. I can bunt, hit-and-run and take walks. I have no problem doing that because the guys after me in the lineup will drive the runners in." Burt has put up impressive numbers so far, but the only statistic he cares about is wins. Penn's recent 9-1 run has Burt extremely confident in his teams chances to win the Ivy title. There would be no ending more fitting to his career than Burt crouching down behind the plate and flashing the signals in one more NCAA tournament game.