Quote:
Originally posted by greymule
As for 1.5 to 2 seconds after the pitch to make the call, I was watching some tapes of World Series games from the fifties and sixties, and those umps called the pitches immediately. They called plays on the bases very quickly, too, much quicker than today. I know we're all supposed to wait, but I wonder what the justification is. What was discovered between then and now that makes waiting a better practice? Personally, I prefer to call pitches immediately after they hit the glove.
PS. The umps in the tapes also called strikes at the letters and rarely called a checked swing a strike.
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I had watched the replays of the great 1975 WS between the Red Sox and the Reds. What I really noticed (either in game 6 or 7) was the plate umpire's head height. It looked like he was hiding behind the catcher. Evaluators around here would have torn him up on his plate mechanics for that.
Also, in the Gerry Davis platework tapes they talk about many factors---including head height. Yet elsewhere in the tape they show replays of Durwood Merrill doing the dish with his head almost even with that of the catcher. That's not trying to knock Merrill, only to say that not everything is perfection---even in the bigs. However, it could support the saying that if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Things have changed and will continue to change.
Just my opinion,
Freix