1. "On paper", should you draft a catcher out of a college (with great stats) or high school
2, What are the first signs that a catcher should be moved off the position
3. Is it true that the last important tool for a catcher is throwing out a runner?
Mack
The easiest measure to tell whether or not a catcher can stick at the position is his ability to "receive" well. Receiving, at its most basic level, is simply catching the ball that your batterymate pitches, but so much more goes into it.
Proper throwing form and blocking technique can easily be taught to anyone with minimal talent and enough time to run through the drills a couple thousand times (which is why extended spring training is great for young catcher's looking to improve), but receiving is something I have found to be much less forgiving - you're either a good receiver or you're not.
Having watched several conversion projects during my tenure, I can say that if a catcher doesn't get comfortable receiving in the first month or so on the job, chances are he won't hang around for very long. Jeremy Hambrice was a phenomenal athlete that the Mets were hoping could parlay his physical attributes to a career behind the dish. Now injuries were certainly a factor as to why the change didn't stick, but it was his receiving ability that kept him from really making a run with it. Just watch a bullpen session with multiple pitchers going at once (i.e. Spring Training) and within 5 pitches, you'll be able to discern which catchers are the real deal and which ones need more work.
A strong arm can bail you out of a lot of tough situations where form might be lacking, but passed balls and ugly framing stick out like a sore thumb and unless you're hitting .330 with a bunch of home runs, your teammates will want you out of the lineup as soon as the balls start hitting the backstop. Show me a catcher who receives well and who pitchers like throwing to, and I'll show you a guy who keeps his job.
Now scouts love seeing a catcher who can throw people out, and you still see defense-first catchers creeping into the top 5 rounds every year simply because of pop times (Brian Jeroloman comes to mind), but the reason these guys get to the big leagues isn't because they can keep runners at bay - nearly every catcher in the big leagues who is there solely for defensive purposes is going to be a top receiver and game-caller as well.
Back to your initial question though, I think speaking in generalities about catching talent - college vs. high school - is really a go-nowhere debate because it will always come down to the player himself. I do think the transition to the pro game is much easier for a college catcher, simply because he has had the opportunity to catch harder throwers and has more mileage behind the plate than your typical 18 year old. Very rarely do catchers taking in the first round out of college spend more than a year or 2 in A Ball, whereas a high school catcher really needs the seasoning of rookie ball to get acclimated to the pro game. Whether or not they can hit enough to keep a uniform on is a separate question, but in terms of catching, the college prospect will require much less time in the minors to pay back on his initial investment.
Teddy
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