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I forget who said it...
"Your strike zone depends on how many fans are sitting behind you and how many cameras are on you."
Oh yeah, it was me.
A lot of us know that if 1/1000 of a seam passes through the zone, it is a strike. How wide is the ball? We all see the slow-mo replays where our favorite batter is wrung up on one that is "just a ball outside". At some levels, the seams are a little thicker than usual. If a pitcher is really hitting his spots, the plate grows too. I'm all for calling strikes and keeping the game going, but from the original thread, it sounds like he took the bat out of the kids hands. Everyone can see the top and bottom of the zone, don't job a kid there. If you've got a kid having a tough time, give him a ball and a half inside and two balls out. You aren't sawing off the bat and last time I looked the plate was 17" and the bat can be up to 36". So...if the kid is in the box (6" from the dish) and he's swinging with his arms extended, he's got a whole lot of bat to go after that "outside strike".
I know the first comment seemed a little smart a**ed, but it's true, the bigger the game and the more people watching us, the truer we are to the rules. No one likes getting caught opening up the zone. If you do, nake sure it's both ways and consistent.
When I've done high school games, I've actually had coaches come up to me and complain about the strike zone being too tight. I ask them if they want it opened and they always say "Hell, yes!" Conversely, I call a very tight zone when I'm working above that level. I try not to let the score effect me. I figure that I'm coming back there some day and I want them to want me to be there. That's a good attitude for youth ball, too.
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