The catching odyssey for Wyatt Cross began in T-ball, and there’s nothing overly complicated about his origins at the position.
“I just liked putting on the gear,” he said. “That’s how it all got started.”
Cross, a senior catcher at Legacy, has rarely shed the mask and pads since. The preseason prep All-American was drawn to the romantic ideals of baseball’s dirty-work position almost as soon as he began playing. He yearned for collisions at the plate, reveling in the thunderous contact they provided.
“I guess normally people would say ‘I’m not about that,’ but I had played football for a long time, so I loved it,” he said.
At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Cross casts an intimidating shadow for baserunners trying to score through force from third base, but he has blossomed into perhaps the state’s top high school catcher by constantly consuming knowledge about every aspect of the game’s most demanding position.
“He had a real good defensive skill set when he came here as a freshman,” Legacy coach Ty Giordano said, “and then over time, by working on mechanics and working on fundamentals, learning the game and understanding the small details that go into catching, he does the things that make great catchers great. He’s just paid attention to all those details that have made him into the catcher he is.”
Giordano marvels most at Cross’ glaring lack of an off switch. Though he has started every game behind the plate for Legacy this season, the senior is dealing with a back issue and won’t be able to hit until Wednesday. The Lightning (4-6) will certainly welcome back a bat that hit .302 last year.
But not hitting doesn’t mean Cross has propped his feet up when he isn’t behind the plate. Between innings of a game Tuesday against Fossil Ridge, Cross headed to an empty patch of grass outside the dugout and went to work, dropping to his knees and quickly popping back up while blocking imaginary balls in the dirt.
“His passion for catching is unbelievable,” Giordano said. “He’d catch every bullpen (session), every inning. He’s just one of those guys. I couldn’t pull him out of that spot if I wanted to. He has a tremendous sense of pride in it, and he wants to be the best catcher. Period.”
Cross has the full trust of a coaching staff that allows him to call the game. While most of the Legacy team plays in a summer league together, Cross’ work with the Perfect Game showcase circuit the past few years has had him traveling to tournaments and events across the country, including a stop last August for the Under Armour All-America game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Still, he has found the time to forge the necessary relationships with a mostly new pitching staff, quickly acquiring information on the pitchers’ strengths, weakness and stamina that allows him to call the most efficient games possible.
“He just knows how to adjust to how the game is flowing,” said Legacy pitcher Jordan Comstock. “We have a lot of trust in him.”
While Cross knows many high school catchers eventually gravitate to other positions as they reach higher levels in the sport — Joey Votto and Bryce Harper are among big-league sluggers who once were catching prospects — the University of North Carolina signee hopes not to give up the position any time soon.
The gear fits him too well.
“Being in on every play, every situation, it’s what I love about catching,” Cross said. “I always have.”
Nick Kosmider: nkosmider@denverpost.com or
Blossoming backups
A look at where recent Denver Post All-Colorado catchers are in their baseball careers:
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| Year | Player | High School | College/team | Note |
| 2014 | Matt Rindal | Cherry Creek | Iowa Western CC | Hitting .286 with seven RBIs in 14 games |
| 2013 | Land Milligan | Cherry Creek | New Mexico | Still catching, hitting .321 with 23 RBIs as a sophomore |
| 2012 | Brent Williams | Liberty | Seward County CC | Playing first and catching, hitting .405 with seven HRs |
| 2011 | Greg Bird | Grandview | Double-A Trenton Thunder |
Having moved to first base, Bird is moving up in the Yankees’ farm system |
