Catcher is one of the hardest positions in professional sports. It’s difficult enough for someone with two arms. But Luke Terry, a teenager from Tennessee, can play the position (and play it quite competently) with only one arm.
See for yourself.
This is absolutely amazing. This is my buddyβs son up to bat but please watch the catcher. Letβs make this guy known! ππ pic.twitter.com/M6goz7VYa1
— ππππ¦ π΄π’π π‘ππ (@TonyAustin_10) April 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/tholland25/status/852655343041728512
Terry has been without a right arm since he was only 19 months old. He’s gotten it down to a point where both catching and hitting is something he can do second nature.
“I don’t even think about it,” he said per Tom Kraeger of the Tennessean. “Fans tell me, ‘You’re an inspiration.’ They want me to go a long ways.”
Perhaps an underrated element of this is that Terry throws with his left hand. While that may not seem like much in comparison to playing with only one arm, most batters are right handed and most throws that catchers make are generally easy for right handed throwers. As such, catchers are almost exclusively right-handed throwers. That’s even another obstacle that he’s overcome.
Baseball does offer some success stories for Terry to follow, as well. The most notable, of course, was longtime pitcher Jim Abbott. Abbott threw a no-hitter in his career and even recorded two hits in only 18 at-bats.
Terry is certainly a long way from that. But regardless of how far he goes, what he’s already done deserves our attention.
