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Just read all this stuff , have not visited in a couple of days. Good topic, and good posts here. In softball clinics, I have been taught to track the ball by moving my head, in baseball clinic, with eyes only, but all the way to the mitt on both. If I move my head, my vision "rattles" so I track with my eyes. I view the catchers actions this way, and mind you it has to be done in a split second. If I see a "borderline pitch" and catcher frames glove, I tend to call strike, catcher doesnt really influence me, I am using the complete pitch cycle to determine the track of the ball. If glove is pulled, snatched, or repositioned, the catcher has just told me he didnt see a strike either!
Another important reason to track ball into catchers mitt is, as an umpire youve always gotta know where the ball is. If you get a passed ball, borderline pitch, its hard to call that a strike, especially in upper level play. I love the plate position as an umpire, I suppose because I was a catcher, that is the only position I ever played.
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