Quote:
Originally posted by PAblue87
Always remember, you can do some little things to speed up the game or avoid a lot of walks. However, remeber that the game sytill means something to the kids playing. Maybe the winning team has their last 5 guys on the bench in the game, and you can bet they do not play much so they do not want cheated out of their at bat wih a poor strike call. The lower levels you do the more you can help pick up the pace of the game. But I have this happen at Varsity and even up to the D-3 level. I believe that you just call the game the way it should be. If you call a kid out just cause its a close play, or you widen the strike zone, you are now opening yourself up to problems. Remember, in most cases the play, or the game aways means something to someone.
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This is the first time I recall being offered this particular perspective on why you shouldn't change your zone in a blowout, thank you PAblue87 (sincerely). Although I can now appreciate the alternative position better, thanks to you, I would still personally resort to considering the best interests of baseball at such times.
I don't believe the best interests of baseball are served if a struggling team has their inadequacies ground into them. That's what happens if you don't take some action to stem the haemorrhage and salvage the losers some self-respect in the final score. These guys will get better, but not if they are hammered out of the game before they have that opportunity. No-one enjoys losing by a football score every week, and I know it has turned some players off the game altogether, including my son. That's bad for baseball.
By the same token, to be effective it must be done in a way that allows them the illusion that they ARE getting at least marginally better. Widening the zone surreptiously for one team is one way of achieving that goal. Now, following PAblue87's enlightening comments, I think I would have more regard to the part of the batting order that was coming through the batter's box, and whether they were recent substitutes. I'm not good enough to change the width of my zone from batter to batter, but I might be able to make a conscious adjustment between innings for the sake of the game. I'm talking about inches, not feet, by the way; benefit of the doubt on marginal pitches, etc.
Cheers,