Kevin,
Take a deep breath.
I wonder if you and MrUmpire & LDUB aren't closer to "violent agreement" than you realize.
Earlier, you said,
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The pause is a built-in buffer that some umpires might need to fully evaluate a borderline call and deliver it without appearing inconsistent.
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That is almost correct, but not quite. And, I believe gets to the heart of the matter.
ALL umpires need a "buffer" to call a pitch - but not just "borderline" pitches, every single pitch. But, the "pause" is not something you "do", it's the natural result of "proper use of the eyes".
When you don't use your eyes properly, you tend to call the "easy" pitches too quickly, the "nut-cutters" too slowly
and indecisively, and you miss "easy" pitches that turned out to be not so "easy" as you had anticipated before the ball reached the plate.
As MrUmpire eloquently stated earlier with regard to inserting an artificial "pause",
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Never the less, it is BS.
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It most certainly is.
However, with proper use of the eyes, there will definitely tend to be a consistent "pause" between the pitch reaching the catcher and the umpire calling the pitch. Every pitch, not just "borderline" pitches.
JM