Quote:
Originally posted by TwoBits
Why put yourself in a bad position to make 80-90% of your calls? Most calls are either ball or strike, and those can be difficult to make from over 60'6" away.
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Actually, in my experience, it is infinitely easier to judge balls and strikes from behind the mound. That's because you are able to see the whole picture - the batter, the plate, the catcher, the flight path of the pitch, all in one visual window.
I find it considerably more difficult to judge balls and strikes from behind the plate, requiring significantly more concentration, more physical labor leading to possible fatigue late in the game, more dirt getting projected into the eyes from the catcher's mitt, more sweat and hotness from the equipment.
I totally agree with Jerry when he says that the only reason for an umpire to station himself behind the plate is because participants and spectators expect you to be there. The biggest reason for that is that usually their only experience with an umpire working from behind the mound occurs when an assistant coach umpires a scrimmage game. With no umpiring experience, he does a dismal job. For some reason, they attribute his dismal performance to the fact that he working from behind the mound, rather than understanding it is because he has no training as an umpire.