Calling a Game
The catcher choosing each pitch and its location.
How it actually works. Start with your pitcher: what he likes, what he can actually command today, and what he goes to when he needs a strike. Then study each hitter the first time through the order, where he stands, what he chased, what he hit hard, because remembering those tendencies is what wins the late innings when the lineup comes around again. Get on the same page with your pitcher about signs before the inning, not by walking out and holding up play. And before the first pitch, introduce yourself to the umpire.
Why it is done, and when it is wrong. The biggest thing a catcher can be is smart and loud. You see everything, so you talk: outs, runners, bunt coverage, where the throw goes. A catcher who communicates and controls the game makes eight other players better and keeps his pitcher calm, and that separates catchers more than any arm does. Introducing yourself to the umpire is not just manners. Part of your job is protecting him, and an umpire who trusts the catcher in front of him gives that catcher the close pitch.
What people get wrong about it. The mistake is calling what the pitcher wants to throw or what you want to catch instead of what the hitter cannot hit. The other one is being quiet. A silent catcher wastes the one position that can see every play developing.
At Little League and travel ball. Most youth coaches call every pitch from the dugout, which is fine at first, but a catcher who never calls a game never learns to. Give him an inning or two, let him be wrong, and talk about it between innings. The communication part can start at any age.
Batter's Eye: look up anything in baseball