[scott1231]

I went to a clinic/camp last fall, and really had my eyes opened about timing on the stick. I listened and worked hard on my timing, and felt really good this season, earning a lot of compliments from mentors/supervisors and even the rats.

My wife likes to travel with me when I work games, when she can. One day early in the season, we were headed to dinner after showering and changing. I had worked the dish, and felt really good about the game. No complaints from players or coaches ... in fact, compliments from both rats. It was the first college game she had seen me work this season, so I asked her what she thought of my new mechanic.

Her: "Well ... It's really slow."
Me: "Slow? What do you mean?"
Her: "It seemed like it took you forEVER to call a strike."
Me: "Nah, hon ... it just seems like forever."
Her: "Really. I've never seen that before. It made you look like you were hesitant, not sure of your call."
Me: "Well, kinda hesitating. I look at the pitch, retrace it quickly, quietly say "yes" to the catcher and hitter, and bang it."
Her: "It just looks stupid, you calling a strike when the ball is going back to the pitcher. Didn't anyone else complain?"
Me: "No, in fact the catchers liked it that I said 'yes' before banging it."
Her: "Well, it looks stupid, but you must have had good game. I didn't hear anyone in the stands say anything about your zone."

Okay, maybe that wasn't word-for-word, and more of a compilation of conversations we had this past season ... but you get the idea.

Did it make me aware that the perception was that our mechanic is slow? Yes.
Did I change my timing because of her perception? No.
Did I get batters running off or head-whipping? No.

I'm pretty sure it was actually my wife writing that article under a pseudonym.

The thought that, by using proper timing on ball/strike calls, we are trying to draw attention to ourselves or that we are adding to the time of the game is ridiculous.