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Originally Posted by Uncle George
It sound like to me that you guys who are afraid to say "strike" to a pitch that passes through the strike zone don't have the nad's to stand behind the plate! It's a frickin' strike if the pitch passes through the rule book strike zone for God's sake! If you're calling balls and strikes just to keep out of a
confrontation with the coaches, YOU should be doing 10 & under ball! I've been doing this for a mere 15-years and not once have I called a pitch that goes through the strike zone, then short hops the cather a ball! I never have and I never will! Now, some of you will say, well you'll never advance in this business. Look, if comprimising the rules of the game are what I need to advance, what's that say for you guys who do comprimise the game? Pretty darn bad if you ask me! The umpires job is to make sure the game is played fairly by both teams. That's it! Don't make up your own rules and call the game the way the rule book says to! OK guys, lock and load! I've got the target taped to my back! Go ahead, aim and fire!
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I'm not going to freak out or anything, I'm just going to try to respond to your opinion with a little bit of my reasoning.
If a pitch passes through the strike zone but is caught in an unorthodox manner (ie bounces into F2's mitt, caught with F2's mitt on the ground, ect.), I will not call said pitch a strike. My reasoning is not so much based on advancement, but on trying not to have a $#!thouse in my game.
Everyone (F1, F2, Batter, Both managers and my pard)
expect that I 'ball' this pitch. If I do call a strike (which by rule is the correct call), I plant a seed of doubt in everyones mind about my ability. Next thing you know, belt high, waist-one pitches on 0-2 counts that are 8" outside but are hitting their spots that I 'ball' are now bringing heat because I called that bouncing pitch that appears to have been low a strike. Next inning the ball beats the runner to the plate but F2 misses the tag, the coach is already convinced that I suck, so here he comes! Now I run him and I'm up 'til 1:00 a.m. filling out a report, all because I called a strike on that pitch that bounced into F2's glove.
If you believe it's better to call it a strike, more power to ya! Not me. No thanks, I'll stick to balling that one every time...
