Quote:
Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
Quote:
Originally posted by DownTownTonyBrown
I feel the low pitch is the toughest part of the zone to call.
I don't know that I'm different from the other posters but I tend to find the limits of the zone AFTER the pitch. I do lend some credence to where the catcher makes his catch but we all know that pitches break and often the catch of a pitched strike can be made a foot below and a foot outside.
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On the big diamond, this is virtually impossible. A pitch in the dirt or far outside is a ball, no matter how the pitch "crosses" the plate.
While building up the techniques that Bob pointed out, work on timing and calling the zone based on where the catcher catches the ball.
--Rich
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Not sure what "on the big diamond" means... perhaps that is some poke at me ( I work the biggest games available to me around here - HS and some junior college and they don't play on a 60 foot diamond). Not sure what "virtually impossible" means... balls definitely do break. And with a catcher reaching for a breaking pitch that goes through the zone, he can make it look like the ball was a foot outside and a foot below the knees - definitely possible. Happens quite often.
There is one thing that makes a strike a strike and that is the umpire calling it a strike. If an umpire calls strikes when the catcher makes the pitches look bad, the umpire is going to catch some crap and cut himself short on the level of games assigned and that he will get to work - independent of where it crossed the batter/plate.
If that is what you are saying Rich, we are in agreement. If not, then you are going to have to explain more.
I definitely do not "just" rely upon where the catcher catches the ball. Because the same breaking pitch could miss the zone and yet be caught in a position, that if it were a fastball, would surely have been a strike.