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It was explained to me that as professional umpires moved from the "raft" to the inside protector, they felt that they were too close to the catcher. The "raft" was bulky and placed some distance between the umpire and the catcher. Once that "mattress" was removed, it seemed like you were way too close so umpires would put their hand on the catcher's back to keep their distance. Sounds crazy but I can appreciate the feeling as I came from that era also. I will on occasion reach out to the catcher just to get my bearings (if I am not using the GD) but I never make contact.
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When in doubt, bang 'em out!
Ozzy
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