Northwestern University Athletics
Projected as a Catcher; The Dan Pohlman Story
4/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 29, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. -- As a child, Dan Pohlman dreamed of playing a professional sport.
"I would be in my backyard imagining it was the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded and I was up to bat," he said. "I would always dream something like that would happen. I always hoped I would get a chance."
And now he just might. In his first season as the Wildcats' starting catcher, Pohlman has drawn the attention of dozens of major league scouts. But when he entered Northwestern almost four years ago, baseball wasn't even his primary focus.
Pohlman came to Northwestern on a football scholarship with the intention of playing both football and baseball throughout his college career. He played linebacker for two years, but was forced to reconsider his situation after missing about 35 baseball games his freshman year due to spring football obligations.
"The football coaches told me [toward the end of my sophomore year] that if I was going to be a leader on the team during my junior year, I'd need to be there in the spring, which was not what was originally planned," Pohlman explained. "I was kind of upset and just decided to go over and play baseball full time."
In his first three years with the baseball team, Pohlman played primarily in the outfield and on the mound. But with the graduation of starting catcher Ken Padgett, the Wildcats needed to find a new presence behind the plate.
The only players on the team who had experience catching were junior Pat McMahon and true freshman Geoff Dietz. Because of Dietz's inexperience as a college catcher and McMahon's recent arm surgery, coach Paul Stevens looked to Pohlman.
"Coach just asked me if I wanted to come in and try it out," said Pohlman, who had caught only five games in summer baseball games throughout his first three years of college. "So I tried it, and I really liked it."
"I like the mental part of catching -- you're always into the game," he said. "Pitching is the same way, but in the outfield, you can kind of drift off and start thinking about other things. As a catcher you always have to be in the game. You always have to be thinking."
Pohlman's previous experience on the mound also helped make his move to catcher a little bit smoother.
"Pitchers have a certain mentality and this unspoken jargon with their catchers," he said. "I think my experience as a pitcher has given me a head start in terms of my understanding of that language as a catcher."
It may come as a surprise to some that Pohlman has been scouted so heavily as a catcher, but the senior said there has always been interest in his potential behind the plate.
He had considered signing a major league contract out of high school and was told by coaches and scouts that he was "projected as a catcher."
"I never knew what that meant since I'd never played it before," said Pohlman, chuckling. "I just took their word for it, and when they told me to go behind the plate and throw to second, I did it."
But the chance to continue both an academic and an athletic life outweighed the temptation of starting a professional career.
"Education was important to me," Pohlman said. "It was hard to pass up an opportunity like coming to Northwestern, playing two sports and getting the kind of academic [experience] this place has to offer."
In terms of how college has influenced his future baseball career, Pohlman was quick to point out the pluses and minuses.
"I've had the opportunity to become a catcher and see how I like it," he said. "I've gotten to play with older players and pitchers who throw harder and have better control than guys in high school."
"As far as age goes, it's been a problem for me. Being an 18-year-old signing a contract is much better than being a 22-year-old signing a contract. An athletic shelf-life is only so long." But his age has not seemed to deter scouts -- if anything, the numbers he has posted at Northwestern have only drawn a bigger crowd.
Pohlman has raised his Big Ten Conference batting average consistently over the past three years, hovering above the .300 line. He currently leads the Big Ten (league games only) with five home runs and 18 RBIs, and his .389 conference batting average is ranked sixth. Pohlman's offensive abilities paired with his strong arm put him in a small group of offensively- and defensively-capable catchers.
"Catchers are mainly seen as defensive players," he said. "If they can do anything offensively, it's seen as a bonus. I guess that's what my high school coaches meant when they told me I was projected as a catcher...I guess they realized my potential before I did."
While Pohlman is interested in nutrition and has considered getting a sports science degree if a baseball career doesn't work out, he ultimately has his hopes set on the diamond.
"Hopefully I'm playing baseball somewhere next year," he said. "Just like every other little guy in the backyard playing whiffle ball, I always thought about what it would be like to be a big-league player."
And if the past couple of years have been indicative of what's to come, Pohlman doesn't have to think too hard.
