Framing pitches

[wpiced]

Thank you Jim for sharing that with us. I believe that I can actully learn something from David Hensley's posts. My guess is that there are others out there who read some of the nonsense that goes on in these boards (not just this one) and simply drift away without edification.

On this board, we actually pay to communicate with one another about baseball and particularly the art of umpiring.

[Dave Hensley]

Originally posted by wpiced
Thank you Jim for sharing that with us. I believe that I can actully learn something from David Hensley's posts. My guess is that there are others out there who read some of the nonsense that goes on in these boards (not just this one) and simply drift away without edification.

On this board, we actually pay to communicate with one another about baseball and particularly the art of umpiring.

Marty, thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you found my comments useful.

[rllipham]

I do many game where neither team knows me. I will go to each catcher and tell him to frame if he likes but if he tucks the ball in the strike zone he will always get a ball call. If he frames the pitch I will better be able to call the outside pitches in his favor. I reason this and "break the ice" with the catchers by telling them that I have never had a catcher to tuck a strike. If he wants to call "balls" he may tuck them to indicate the ball. I will call strikes.

The coaches like the attitude and appreciate the effort to ease and direct the catcher.

My favorite is to have a weak catcher to setup inside and have a pitch just in the strike zone on the outside where the catcher reaches "outside" to get the ball and has the ball swing the mitt behind him.

[JEL]

Just read all this stuff , have not visited in a couple of days. Good topic, and good posts here. In softball clinics, I have been taught to track the ball by moving my head, in baseball clinic, with eyes only, but all the way to the mitt on both. If I move my head, my vision "rattles" so I track with my eyes. I view the catchers actions this way, and mind you it has to be done in a split second. If I see a "borderline pitch" and catcher frames glove, I tend to call strike, catcher doesnt really influence me, I am using the complete pitch cycle to determine the track of the ball. If glove is pulled, snatched, or repositioned, the catcher has just told me he didnt see a strike either!

Another important reason to track ball into catchers mitt is, as an umpire youve always gotta know where the ball is. If you get a passed ball, borderline pitch, its hard to call that a strike, especially in upper level play. I love the plate position as an umpire, I suppose because I was a catcher, that is the only position I ever played.

[GarthB]

Marty wrote:

"On this board, we actually pay to communicate with one another about baseball and particularly the art of umpiring."

Actually, Marty, this board (Official Forum) is free to all whether one has paid to subscribe to Officiating.com or not.

[AAUA96]

[/B][/QUOTE]I'm still one that gives a half a ball or so on the outside corner... but not if the catcher is set up two inches inside and has to dive out there to catch the pitch. [/B][/QUOTE]

That is the point. You will make a different call on a pitch in the same place, depending how the catcher catches the ball. If he is set up a little outside and the pitch hits him square in the mit - strike. If the catcher is set up inside and he has to reach for a pitch a little outside - ball. In the first case, it looked like it could be a strike to everybody at the field. In the second case, it didn't look like a strike to anybody.

If you make the expected call, you get less grief. If the players execute (pitcher hits his spot - catcher is set up in the right place), they get the reward of a pitch on the edge of the zone.

[rllipham]

I see some agree that if the catcher reaches far for the outside pitch then it is a ball. It saves so much grief not calling the reach out pitch. I even tell the catcher that I will give the outside pitch if he can help me sell it. In exibition or practice games I will go to the coach and tell him that the catcher is setting up inside and losing the call because of the reach. The coaches really appreciate the information.