And yeah, I used to be a pitcher, too, and I've been crapped on by many an umpire. I remember one ump calling a pitch I threw a ball, saying it hit the plate. I have really good eyes, and I could clearly see the new mark 6" behind the plate. Even my catcher looked at him like he was smokin' something good.
Maybe that's why in some of the upper leagues, my 12' max seems a little higher (probably ends up about 13' or 13.5' - so sue me).