Who do you think has a much harder job? Is it the MLB catcher or the NHL goaltender, I say it's the goalie.

Question

My uncle tried to argue with me that the MLB catcher has a harder job than the NHL goaltender....I think this is the most rediculous statement I ever heard...I think the goalies job is alot harder and isn't even comparible...What does a catcher have to contend with that a goalie doesn't...The goalie has to deal with alot more, not to mention the weight of all the equipment

Answer 1

I played goal and I was also a pitcher. My opinion is that the catcher has much more to be responsible for than a goaltender (putting up with Awesome Bill can be a job in itself). Not by a landslide mind you, but I was concerned with keeping the crease clear and the net empty, whereas a catcher has to call for pitches while keeping an eye on runners. Not to mention those errant sliders I tossed at the most inopportune moments.

In the physical sense, the goalie is more active at times but that's when the action comes his way. A catcher is involved with every pitch for however long an inning would last. So, like I said, catcher is more challenging by a slim margin.

Answer 2

Goalie is way harder. It takes skill, more than a catcher.

Answer 3

the goalie is a way harder job.

the mlb catcher knows where the ball is coming from and what kind of a throw it is.

the goalie sometimes cant find the puck, doesnt always know what kind of shot it is and has like 4x as much equipment on.

so to sum it up the goalie has way more responsibility than the catcher does , making it  a harder job

Answer 4

My turn. I bet those who are knocking being a catcher have never played it at any level past middle school, let alone at any professional level. Try catching a doubleheader in 100+ degree heat with 90 percent humidity and both games go into extra innings, not some stupid,g*y,suck-out shootout, because Heaven forbid, they may have to play the next night and playing more than an extra five minutes might deny someone their beauty sleep. The amount of stress on the knees and back is unbearable at times over 140-150 games, not 70.(average games a catcher plays compared to a goaltender) The workout regiment is almost the same. Flexibility is just as important.  Ever try making an accurate throw to second base when someone is trying to steal? Dealing with different types of pitchers and setting up a batter. A catcher has to spend more time strategizing, during the game and spending hours looking at scouting reports on hundreds of hitters. Calling out various defenses depending on the situation.  Catchers are called upon to make split-second decisions too, like using their judgment to decide which base to go to when there are multiple runners trying to advance.

Someone mentioned a wild pitch. What if there is a runner on third? Ball gets past the catcher, a run is scored too. So much for that argument. There is so much more, but I could go on for another page.

I'm not saying a goalie has it easy. But to say that a catcher is so much easier is just as ridiculous and ignorant. Each has its own special kind of skill sets required to be successful. I don't knock goalies. Maybe some of you should spend less time knocking catchers. If some of you think it's so easy to play MLB, try it sometime and see how far you get.

If anybody wishes to ask about it, feel free to email me and I will gladly answer your questions.

Answer 5

i think it' a catcher because the catcher is always in the play hes in there every pitch the goalie isn't in every play if your playing a bad team the goalie barley gets any action. when your an mlb catcher playing a bad team or not your still in every play

Answer 6

Goalies (hockey and lacrosse) has the best cardio in the league. They have to because of all the equipment and cat-like relfexes. A catcher doesn't do much but run to first base every once in a while and take the occasional bodycheck once every 30 games or so. An NHL goalie gets run over almost every game; every three games if he's lucky, and he may still get run over a few more times again in that game. A catcher's job is a lot easier than a goalie's.

Answer 7

Goalie.  You don't see time out boxes in MLB.

Answer 8

Goalie is a lot harder. The goalie has a 4x6 area they're trying to keep the puck out of, the pitcher aims for the catcher, not around him.

Oh- and if the catcher s***w up with the ball and it gets past him, the worst is a stolen base. If a goalie lets a  puck by him, it's a goal against and could lose their team the game.

Answer 9

Yah the goalie has a lot more to deal with.  The only argument for a catcher is that he is subjected to plays at the plate and can be intentionally drilled.  But on the other hand hockey goalies get ran all the time, but there is usually an ensuing brawl.  Baseball catchers dont have people intentionally trying to get the ball or puck by them.  catchers have the benefit of people throwin at them, not by them.  Catchers have more on the knees, but goalies have more wear on every other part of the body.  Another argument for catchers is that they have to do two things (defend and hit) goalies just have to defend.

Answer 10

i would def. say a goalie because they have to deal with so much. they have to deal with guys surrounding them while trying to find a puck or make a save. their equipment is so much heavier. they are on skates not just squatting on the and staying in pretty much the same position. being a goalie is so much harder you can't even list how many reasons why.

Answer 11

The ball is usually getting thrown directly into the catchers mit (or at least within a few inches of it) and is, for the most part, coming from the same location everytime.  

Goalies have to stop pucks from every direction while the best people at their particular sport tries to get it past them.  They also have people standing in front of them trying to block their view and bumping them all the time.  I dont think there is much of a comparison.

Answer 12

Tough question-

Why the goalie position is harder-

1.I would say goalie is harder because unlike a catcher where the pitcher is trying to throw it to you,with a goalie they are trying to avoid you with the puck so that makes it harder.

2.More equipment means you will be more tired.

Why the catcher position is harder-

1.A catcher is crouching for long periods of times so thats harder on the body.

2.Catcher plays outside in 99 degree weather sometimes and has to run alot.

Points for both sides pro and con.

Answer 13

On the mental side of the game the goalie has to know shooters tendencies, know the angles and maintain proper positioning, and has to help direct his defenceman when they are coming back to get the puck.  A catcher has to know hitters tendencies, call pitches, know when runners are trying to steal and throw them out, and direct the game from behind the plate.  

On th physical side, goaltending is tough on the knees and hips, so is catching.  Both positions demand great reflexes.  Goalies to stop shots that may come from anywhere and may be tipped along the way.  Catchers to dig balls out of the dirt, deal with foul tips (which usually cause the ball to pick up speed), and make a throw to catch a stealing base runner within a second of catching the ball.

Goalies have to deal with traffic in front of the net, but catchers have to deal with a guy swinging a bat that will pass a few inches from their head on many pitches.

Both may get run into during the course of the game, but it's a legal play in baseball to run into the catcher when you are trying to score, so runners don't let up and catchers wear less protective equipment.  Goalies may get run into, but players are usually trying to slow up or avoid the contact in some way.  That and if you run a goalie then one of his team mates is probably going to try to rip your head off.

Both are tough positions to play, and I have to disagree that there is no comparison or that one is way harder than the other.  Anyone that says that either position is easy has never played it.

On a single game basis I'd say that the two are about even, over the course of the season I'd have to give the edge to the catcher since a starting goalie will play 65 to 70 games a season, where a starting catcher will play almost double the number of games in a season.

Answer 14

Goalie. The goalie has more pressure. If the Catcher lets one by it only matters if theres people on the bases. If a Goalie lets one by then he lets in a goal.

Answer 15

i've played both and they are both physically demanding, but goalie is waay harder... not to mention the pressure

Answer 16

All other things being equal, a goalie has to do it on a slippery surface and often with someone chipping at their ankles.

Answer 17

Baseball is the easiest sport to make it pro in.  A goalie has to skate, pass, skate backwards, etc.  Baseball catchers have it rough on the knees and sometimes the heat but overall?  Hockey is one of the toughest sports to master.

Answer 18

Apples and oranges bud.I can see the argument for both sides.A catcher is involved in every play whether he catches the ball or not.he is the quarterback of the baseball team.The catchers job is way more mentally involved than a goalie's job.a golaie does wear more pads,but more importantly is flexibility.Goalies must be very flexible to succeed.they also have "traffic" in front of them to contend with.Goalie is not much of a mental job (it is somewhat but not as much as a catcher)but i think the goalie's job is more physical than a catcher.so to answer your question i would say a Goalie has a harder job because of all the outside influences on his job(traffic,deflections etc) but i would say a catcher has a harder job mentally.

Answer 19

Your uncle is right in one case... anyone catching for Randy Johnson.