Quote:
Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
Quote:
Originally posted by DG
I set up with my nose on the inside corner of the plate with full view of the outside corner of the plate. My head would be above the catcher's head so I can see the outside corner. If the catcher is back I can be back, if he is crowding the plate, I will have to move up with him to see the outside corner. There are times when I can't see the corner, and I do the best I can. This would be when the catcher and batter are crowding the plate and the catcher is setting up inside. In an extreme situation of batter and catcher crowding and catcher setting up inside I might shift to the catcher's opposite shoulder, especially if he moves to his left at TOP. Catcher's moving around after TOP can take strikes away from their pitcher, because if I am set and he moves he may block my view.
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This is a BS excuse. You are punishing a catcher because he moved to catch a pitch? While I have heard this many times, I don't buy it.
Frankly, I don't need to see the ball into the glove to judge where it is -- I've seen the release point, I know if it's a fastball or breaking ball, and I have a pretty good idea where it is crossing the plate and ending up. If I get blocked I use my best judgment to call the pitch -- if that judgment tells me the pitch is a strike, I call it a strike.
This season I've set my initial position and not varied it -- if the catcher moves, I don't, unless my view of the release point is blocked. Then I adjust higher until I can see the release point. Feet stay still. Once in a great while I'll step up if the catcher adjusts up a LOT. Cleaning up the happy feet means that all I have to do is lock in and focus on the timing of that. Not that I'm always perfect there, but it helps me be more consistent.
--Rich
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I've seen the same thing Rich. I've moved back where I'm a good arms length from F2 and I can see so much more and it doesn't matter now if F2 wants to set up on the inside.
By simply taking a higher stance (look) it easy to tell where the pitch is. You might not be able to see the F2 actually catch the pitch when he's on the inside corner and BR is crowding the plate but you can tell by the things you mentioned above if its a strike.
I've never liked when I see an umpire move outside just because F2 is moving inside. But if you get totally blocked, its a ball. Thats F2's fault, and the coach won't say a word because he knows it.
Playoff game last night so we have teams that we;ve not called all year etc., and F2 asks me, "do I smell that bad?" He had noticed how far back I was and how much room he had. I think the catchers like not having the umpire on their backs.
Thanks
David