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SPENCER — North Rowan High senior Brad Canipe became a member of the catching fraternity strictly by accident.
Canipe was 6 years old or thereabouts when his Little League coach asked if anyone wanted to catch. Even then, a gung-ho guy, Canipe’s hand was the first to shoot up.
“I was a kid, I thought he meant did anyone want to go to the outfield and catch flies,” remembers Canipe. “Man, the next thing I know they’re putting all this heavy equipment on me.”
That equipment became a major part of Canipe’s life from that day forward. He never regretted it. He grew to love being the kid who wore the mask and who was the next most important guy to the pitcher. He loved being the guy who stooped behind the plate at Spencer’s 8th Street Ball Park, with all the action right there in front of him .
When Canipe reached middle school, he got to know a tall pitcher named Daniel Moore, who had always been on the opposing team in Little League.
And even today, Canipe reminds everyone —quite cheerfully — that he made the North Rowan High varsity as a freshman, while his more famous batterymate and buddy had to pay his dues on the jayvees. Canipe was the second-string catcher on the varsity that first year, but as Cavalier coach Bill Kesler points out, the kid made the team because of his bat, not his mitt.
“Bradley (his coach likes to refer to Canipe as Bradley) was always a good hitter,” says Kesler. “His catching had a ways to go.”
Canipe started for Kesler as a sophomore, holding his own at the plate, struggling behind it.
The turnaround in Canipe’s catching career came that summer when he won the backup job to West Rowan’s Matt Cline on the Rowan American Legion team. Canipe learned from watching Cline, who couldn’t hit like Canipe but was a whale of a catcher, and from coach Jim Gantt, who worked long hours with the receivers.
“By his junior year, Bradley had become real good defensively,” says Kesler.
But not very many people noticed, because that was the same year Canipe exploded with his bat, terrorizing the Central Carolina Conference with a .500 batting average on his way to a spot on all-conference and all-county teams.
But now, in his final season, everyone’s finally noticing Canipe’s work behind the plate. North’s entire staff — not just the awesome Moore — is having an incredible year, and Canipe is a huge factor.
“Bradley’s become outstanding defensively as a senior,” says Kesler. “He’s our defensive MVP. He’s good at blocking balls and he’s got a quick release on his throws. He doesn’t have an easy job, because we’ve got a big lefty (Moore) who throws hard and whose curve breaks sharp.”
There’s also Phillip Goodman’s fluttering knuckleball. Canipe says Goodman’s told him that his glove is shaking crazily as he tries to get a feel for where the knuckler is headed. Then there are right-handers Brandon Doby and Nate Woodburn, both of whom throw hard and whose pitches move differently from Moore’s or Goodman’s.
“Bradley’s defense is key,” says Kesler. “The big thing is he gives pitchers confidence that they can throw their best pitch in a tough situation and he’ll be able to block it. Sometimes pitchers don’t have that confidence and they throw something that’s going to get hit.”
“You have to block balls,” says Canipe. “A lot of times blocking a ball with a runner at third makes the difference in a ballgame.”
Canipe says there’s no secret to his steady improvement. Mostly it’s just old standbys — hard work and experience.
“And anticipation,” says Canipe. “I’ve caught Daniel so much that I can tell where his ball’s going even before he releases it. But his ball does break hard. That’s why the guy is so good.”
Canipe is good, too. He hasn’t hit .500 this year, but he’s stayed in the .350s and is tied for the team lead with 27 RBIs. And his stellar glovework has more than made up for the loss of a few batting average points. If you’re looking for a “PB” in a North boxscore, it may take awhile.
On top of everything else, Kesler says that Canipe has played hurt all year — with a mangled pinkie and a sore back.
“He’s hurting,” said Kesler. “But he doesn’t miss a practice, much less games. I think he’s been to all the doctors and chiropractors.”
But the one thing that might cure Canipe is rest — and that’s a remedy, he’s not willing to try. His team needs him behind the plate. And that’s exactly where he wants to be.
“I don’t hurt during the games,” Canipe says. “Sometimes, though, after the game, it does hurt. I got hit by a runner in the Ledford game and held on to the ball and didn’t even feel it. But later, it hurt bad. You suck it up and do the best you can. You play through it. It’s part of baseball.”
No question, it’s part of being a catcher.
Canipe says his catching days may be done after North’s games at Five County Stadium and the current Legion season. He’s gotten several academic scholarships (he’s in the National Honor Society), but most colleges are looking for bigger guys to wear the tools of ignorance.
“I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen,” he says, but I do know these last few weeks have been as much fun as I’ve ever had in baseball.”
There will more fun this weekend, as well, as Canipe and the Cavs go for their first 2A state title against Greene Central. A game might even hinge on whether or not Canipe can block a curve in the dirt or throw out a baserunner.
If it does, he’ll most likely deliver. He’s been waiting for this weekend since he was 6.
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Mike London is covering North in the state playoffs this weekend.
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