Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates catcher Henry Davis discusses art of the deke, plays at the plate

For this week’s Bucs Beat Q&A, TribLive sat down with Pirates catcher Henry Davis:

You deked Miguel Andujar on a 9-4-2 play at the plate against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 8. What’s the key to selling a deke?

I don’t know. My head coach in college (Dan McDonnell) told us to do it because there’s no reason to react early. It doesn’t help you field the ball better. There’s even a highlight of it on YouTube, where a guy flipped over one of my teammates at Louisville. If you get them to slow up, you’ve got a better shot of getting them out.

What was it like to get that one against the Reds?

It was fun. Anytime you do that, you feel like that’s the margin. Hustling down the line, making a clean relay, playing good fundamental baseball can help us win close games.

Did you think Liover Peguero’s throw to you would be so perfect?

Not necessarily. Sometimes they’ll long-hop it. Sometimes they’ll throw it in the air. It’s a lot easier to deke it if it’s in the air. It was a good throw. Two good throws. Jack (Suwinski) got to the ball really quickly and threw it in. Peggy made a seamless transition on his throw. I really thought Peggy did a great job getting it in with an absolute strike to the plate.

What is it like to see the runner’s reaction?

It’s funny. Sometimes you’ll see them react like they had no idea. (Andujar) glanced at the throw, so I think he had an idea it was coming to the plate. Even just the timing of their slide can throw it off sometimes.

Is there a degree of difficulty to the deke?

It’s not that hard. You just stand there. It’s just what I’ve done for the last seven years of my career. I started learning it in 2018 when I got to campus. It’s kind of about not rushing it. You feel him breathing down your neck, and you know it’s a run. The game is on the line always. You never know what run is going to be the game. It’s just a matter of not rushing it.

You still have to brace for a collision, right?

There’s still contact. They’re just not allowed to crush you.

Would you have liked to play in the days of home plate collisions?

I did. I got flipped in high school once. It’s not fun. You’re just wearing it.

How do you prioritize what to work on as a catcher?

There’s work that goes into anything that can help the team win. You want to make an impact any way you can. Obviously, you have pitch calling, and then you work down from there. You’ve got to protect 90 feet. You can’t let a guy steal. You can’t let a ball get by you.

What area of your defense do you need to work on the most?

Probably game calling. Working with the pitchers, understanding how to help them succeed. I do feel like as I’ve consistently worked to have a good well-rounded game behind the plate, everything has steadily increased to where I’m consistent behind the plate.

What are your most important checkpoints when you self-evaluate?

Did the other team score? Strike percentage for the pitcher. Did we walk people? Quality of contact. How well did they hit the ball? Sequencing, keeping guys uncomfortable. Are we giving up free 90s? That can be a combination of calling slide steps, holds at the right time, how many looks should the pitcher do when we pick to just keeping the ball in front of you.

How does the PitchCom setup work?

Most of them are automated. We have one that’s (David) Bednar’s voice. It’s kind of funny.

What does it say?

Doors.

Like blow the doors off?

Yeah. It’s just like, best fastball right here. Don’t hold anything back. Let it fly.

You’ve been on both sides of plays at the plate, starting a 9-2-4-2 double play against the Phillies as a right fielder as a rookie in July 2023 and on the receiving end as a catcher. How much pride do you take in big plays at the plate?

You really just want to help the team win. When we come in, we think about it constantly. From the time you wake up until the time you go to bed, that’s what’s on your mind. A lot of times it’s what you’re thinking about when you’re sleeping, finding ways to do that as often as possible. That’s our goal as players.

How much different was it when you started one in right field?

Way more nervous. I was more nervous in right field than anywhere else. I, obviously, feel more comfortable behind the plate. But I was fired up. It was in extra innings against the Phillies. That was sick. You’ve got to depend on your teammates no matter what. That’s the part of it that makes this the best game in the world. You can’t do it yourself.