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Old Fri Feb 08, 2008, 04:23pm
ASA/NYSSOBLUE ASA/NYSSOBLUE is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greymule
When I began doing this as a college kid in 1957, calling intramural ball, I thought you had to be quick and decisive.

I did too, but we didn't simply make up such mechanics. Before some point in mid/late-1960s, MLB umpires called strikes before they hit the mitt, and made out calls practically instantaneously. Films from those days show umpire mechanics quite different from today's. They made many calls at 1B, for example, from just on the foul side of the running lane, a foot or two past the bag.

After many years and zillions of games, I still have to remind myself to wait.
The whole business of actually S-L-O-W-I-N-G D-O-W-N your calls can be directly traced to Doug Harvey sometime in the mid 60's - a fact most of the idiots on the baseball HOF Vets Committee do NOT understand...I seriously think a letter writing campaign by ALL sports officials is necessary...
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