quote:
Originally posted by Dave Hensley:
What's wrong with verbalizing "Strike three"? As long as you don't also say "He's out". or "You're out"? The pros verbalize, I always have, and I see nothing wrong.
The pros verbalize "Strike Three" on a *swinging* strike? I don't think so. They signal, very casually usually, but there's no verbal. You would verbalize on a checked swing, either "Yes, he went!" or "Ball, no he didn't go!" but when the batter swings, everybody knows it's a strike. The standard of practice at the youth and adult amateur levels I work, and the pro umpires I"ve observed, is to signal but not verbalize a swinging strike.
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Dave:
I verbalize a swinging strike. ONly loud enough for the catcher hear. The only reason is so that he knows I saw it and that it was a strike. While it may be obvious to everybody else, I have seen the PU miss an obvious swing before.
Blaine