[GarthB]

The old AL Box stance positioned the umpire over the top of the catcher. Kind of hard to get too low there.

I assume you are taking a modified box stance in the slot. Easy to get too low there.

As ML ump Rich Garcia and our own Carl Childress have complained, the slot presents us with as many problems as it does solutions. The absence of outisde chest protectors, banned in the majors since the merger of the AL and NL associations, first allowed umpires to investigate different positions. The slot has since become the traditional position of the umpires regardless of "stance". Last season, we saw about four major league umpires return to the AL Box, but, as far as I know, the pro schools teach only the slot, still.

The number one problem with the slot is that it is easy for one to dip with the pitch, or just get lower as the game goes on and one tires. There is nothing that would obscure your vision as drop, or so it would appear, so you are not always aware that you are getting lower.

When you drop, not only do you lose consistency in the high zone, you also tend to lose it in the low zone. Rich Garcia and Steve Palermo, among others, have blamed the slot position for the ever-widening outside corner as well.

So how to fix your dipping problem? The quickest way would be to get out of the slot and back over the catcher. However, that is too radical for most associations to handle and you would probably hear about it from your evaluator. The AL Box is one of those things that a major league umpire can do that most "cool" associations do not want to copy.

So we're stuck in the slot.

First, make sure you are not getting too low at the start. As Garcia advises, keep you throat protector at the same level as the top of the catcher's helmet.

Second. Make sure you are not bending too much from the waist. Get at least 90% of your drop from your legs, not your waist. The semi-new "double-wide" leg positioning that some ML umpires are using helps in getting lower without involving the back and waist muscles as much.

When you"drop" into position for the pitch put at least one hand, preferably the one behind the catcher, firmly on your thigh. As you hit the bottom of where you want to be, "lock" your arm in its position. Over time, you will recognize the sensation of being at the right position and your arm will not "allow" you to drop farther down.


Another tip, although you don't want to be "down" too long before the pitch, try dropping just a bit earlier and use the extra half second or so to run a quick mental check of where you are and how your body feels.

Garth


[Edited by GarthB on Jan 31st, 2001 at 06:50 PM]