[bobbybanaduck]

In 2 parts due to length restrictions...

Uniform and equipment

The 2-tone ball bag is unappealing and outdated. It was a fad of at least 5 years ago. Please look into replacing it with a solid blue bag.
I know it’s pricey, but please seriously consider purchasing a pair of steel-toed plate shoes. Getting hit in that game using improper/outdated equipment is a good example of what happens if you aren’t wearing what you are supposed to be when working the plate. There are numerous options available. If you do get a pair, make certain they are steel toed and not hard toed.

That leads in to the chest protector, which we discussed after the game. There have been significant upgrades in technology since that thing was made. The West Vest Platinum and the Honigs K1 are the top of the line. They are more expensive than other options, but are well worth the money for the protection they afford.

The belt you wear with umpire pants should fit the size of your belt loops. It will keep your ball bag open better and prevent you from struggling to get into it as I saw you did numerous times during the game. The loops on your pants accommodate a belt of 1 ¾ inch thickness. Honigs apparently only offers the non-patent leather one. Gerry Davis has a patent leather one if you like the shiny look.

The jacket you were wearing will be acceptable only through the end of this season. Next year the MBUA will be requiring the shoulder stripe style pullover (Model K-17 through Honigs). Also, your current jacket should have a MBUA patch on it.

Look into upgrading your plate pants. All plate pants now come with “saddle stitching” in the seat of the pants for reinforcement. They also have a lot more room than the ones you were wearing. I would recommend the darker grey poly-wool pants from Honigs. They are a little more expensive than others, but are more durable, higher quality, longer lasting, and better looking than the alternatives. These are the pants that all the Minor League guys are wearing (we have to pay extra to upgrade from the ones they issue us, but we do it because they are just plain better pants.)

Strike mechanic

We talked about this after the game. Work on “marrying” your verbal and visual mechanics. Also, try to eliminate the opening of your hand after calling a strike. Keep your fist closed throughout the mechanic.

Foul tip mechanic

As we talked about, if you are going to continue calling the foul tip, reverse the order that you currently use so you are signaling the foul tip first, followed by the strike mechanic. The mechanics themselves were fine, just backwards.

Plate stance

As we talked about, you do an excellent job of keeping your head still when seeing pitches. Work on tracking the pitch all the way from the pitcher’s hand into the mitt. We talked about quick timing which results from “tunnel vision,” meaning your eyes are not tracking the ball the last couple of feet before it enters the mitt.

I thought your strike zone was well-sized and consistent throughout the game. Experiment with setting up on the inside edge of the plate and only adjusting your stance up if you get crowded like we did by your car. After a couple of games you should start to get a better feel for the outside part of the strike zone. Call every pitch to help with your timing, even the ones that aren’t close. Balls should be audible to the dugouts, strikes to the stands. Continue to increase the intensity of the ball call like you do when the pitches are close.

If you are going to continue to work as far back as you are from the catcher, your head height needs to be a little bit higher than the top of the catcher’s head so you are able to see the low-outside pitch. Work on making adjustments to your head height by widening your base and increasing your amount of squat, which will lessen the amount of torso lean you currently use. As I said, your current stance has too much torso lean. That is not allowing your chest protector to properly protect you from getting hit as your shoulders are very much exposed.

You absolutely must put the ball back in play when there is a dead ball and there are runners on base. We talked about this and I used the example of the pitcher throwing to first base in a pick-off attempt when you hadn’t put the ball in play. Eliminate all doubt. When the pitcher is on the rubber with the ball, the batter is in the box and the catcher is in position, put it back in play. You do not need to do this with no runners on base, or at the start of each inning.

As we talked about, there is no “ball’s down” mechanic in communicating with your partner. The only thing you should be telling him is when the ball is caught. If he doesn’t hear, “That’s a catch,” then he knows the ball is down. That’s a good lead in to the next point; you do not need to verbally or visually signal an out on a routine catch. If everyone in the ballpark knows the kid caught it simply communicate to your partner, “Catch, Bill.”
Your pre-play communication with your partner was erratic. Sometimes you did, sometimes you didn’t. The simpler, the better with these signals, but it is important to use them before the at bat starts or when the situation changes during an at bat to remind both you and your partner of your responsibilities.

There is no need to call time to sweep the plate. Wait for the action to stop, then get in and get out. The fewer times you have to call time throughout the course of a game, the better.

Move your feet between pitches. You stayed in the same spot as if you had dropped anchor there. After you call the pitch, stand up and move around a little bit while the pitcher is getting back up on the mound. When he gets up there, then you can go ahead and step back in behind the catcher. This will keep your legs looser and also not give you the anchored appearance.

Plate mechanics

Work on slowing down your called strike three mechanic. If you want to use the “chainsaw” like you used, try doing it almost as two separate mechanics; throw the fist forward and call “strike” then, while standing up, pull the cord back and call “three.” This will allow you to be more under control and will allow you to stand up and use your height to your advantage.

As we talked about, remove the “ring up” mechanic on swinging strike three. Everyone in the park knows he just swung and missed. Ringing him up is sticking it up his rear end and is unnecessary.

Try to eliminate “dead ball” from your signaling. Simply call, “Time.”
Also eliminate all of the extra pointing you do:

-There is no need to point to 1B on a base on balls. It could easily be misconstrued to be either a strike call or a half-swing appeal. Simply say “ball four” and let the kid go on his way.

- There is no need to point to your partner before the start of each half inning. Take a glance down and make sure he’s there and paying attention, then go ahead and start. The point is a lower level mechanic (little league) and isn’t used in higher levels of baseball.

- A couple of times you pointed at the plate when runners crossed it. That is unnecessary and could be considered coaching.