Quote:
Originally Posted by Ump153
If that is the case, either your perception of what is over the black is off, or their's is. There is no way a batter, or a base coach, for that matter, from their angle can tell the difference of cutting the black or cutting the white that touches the black.
If these complaints are constant, you missing by a lot more than just the black.
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I used to purposely call 2 balls off the plate, and sometimes even more. A couple years ago I cut down to where if it looked over the black to me, or just an inch off, I'd call it a strike. I guess that when working the slot, if the pitch appears to be an inch off it probably means the pitch is at least half a foot off the plate. I set up in the slot one time on an empty field, and a colleague zipped his fist across the outside area of the plate, then asked me where I thought it was. I said "ball. Just a little bit off the plate". Then I stood directly over the plate, not in my stance, and he zipped his fist over nearly the same location, and it turned out the pitch was actually 8 or 9 inches off the black.
From there I adjusted by making sure that if the pitch is even remotely off the black, call it a ball. Had one adult league batter who struck out on three pitches, all of them called, all of them over the outside corner and well framed by the catcher. He went back to the bench swearing and saying how far outside it was. Yes I should have tossed him. I assumed my perception of the outside corner might have been a little bit off, and after the game I said to my partner (who had been in the hole as there was a runner on base at the time) "those pitches must have been about 5 inches off the plate". He said back to me "no I think those pitches were perfect, right on the outside corner". So what am I to think? Partner clearly sees the calls as good, but the batter is whining and because of my past struggles with calling pitches too far outside, I believe I must have screwed up, when in fact I didn't.
The point is, it is important to get feedback from a reliable source on where that outside pitch is. I also pay close attention to whether the catcher moves towards the outside of the plate, or whether he has to reach for the pitch. If he does, it was probably outside.