Calling Balls

[jicecone]

"Again, I'm wondering why others don't do it."

You do the announcing and we'll do the officiating. Once again, the ONLY reason location is asked for is because it is an indirect way to argue Balls and Strikes. I don't allow it.

Now if a coach happens to come to me after the inning or game and say "hey Blue , what happen on that pitch", I will probably say something like "it dropped the last minute", "I thought it was a little to far out", "the catcher came up on me", "I missed it coach". Why , because thats what the guy REALLY wanted to know in the first place. If you can't grasp that, then you really need to start umpiring a little and find what everyone here already knows.

[Rich]

Originally posted by sportsannouncing

I've noticed a lot of responses that had either the player or coach was upset and the location wasn't called. Maybe, this will help as to why. Call the location each time.

Now on Rich's quote above, if the pitch is high and outside, you simply say, "high and outside, ball 2". That's how you explain it while calling a pitch.

But my question is, why wait until ask and let a pot boil possibly to the point it explodes? I understand other umpires saying, "I just call it a ball, simple as that" but I want to know why. Why don't you call the location. I know it doesn't say anywhere that we should, but communicating this with everyone would seem to be a good idea to quell any possible discrepancies.

Views are different from all over the field and yes from some dugouts you get an honest view of high and low. But I'd want to know if the pitch that came in high on V1 was the same as the high pitch on H1. If I say it was high and inside on V1 but just high on H1, the coach has a good idea laterally. The only people who see the plate directly and know where exactly it is are the CF, pitcher, catcher and plate umpire. However, only the plate umpire (I hope) is the only one that is right behind the plate and sees exactly what it was. Why keep it a secret?

Again, I'm wondering why others don't do it. Has anyone else tried to keep it as a constant? Will anyone in here be willing to try it out for a couple of games and give honest feedback? I know I'm only one person, but to not have as many gripes as I see others have, I'm just throwing something out there that might be of use to others. That's what these boards are for.

BTW-To the wiseguy who was calling the location of the strikes, if it's a strike, you don't need to call the location, it's in the zone! Kinda funny.

Just as easy: You don't need to call the location -- it's out of the zone.

Rich

[Warren Willson]

Originally posted by jicecone
There is only ONE reason this question comes up. To me it is just the same as disputing Balls and Strikes. Unacceptable.

No disrespect intended but I think there ARE genuine reasons for CATCHERS asking the question IN THE FIRST INNING. I generally don't have to answer managers - the catcher will regularly do it for me, once I've made it clear to him where my zone is going to be.

If the battery haven't worked with you before then they're entitled to know where YOU think the zone starts and finishes. That is particularly important if you tend to give a good edge or if you're still settling into your high zone for the day.

I'm happy for a professional catcher to ask about pitches on the margins for maybe the first or second batter, but no more. Anything after that is exactly what you said - a way to dispute the call.

As for the rest, I won't announce locations on pitches. It's just asking for a debate. Officiating is not a democratic process. My vote is the only one that counts.

Cheers

[JRutledge]

Sportsannouncing,

Instead of telling us what we need to do and what will help us umpire and officiate, why not pick up a book on umpiring and officiating and read what experts say that have much more understanding of the game than anyone here. You seem to have all these opinions on what we should be doing, why not pick up something and read it. You might actually learn something.

It is not our jobs to make the jobs of the players and coaches easier. It is our jobs to call the game and nothing more. What we tell them has parameters and should be very limited. Because if I am always explaining to one team a situation and not talking to the other, then you would accuse me of favortism. Good teams do not need umpires or officials to tell them anything. If you officiated, you might understand that fact.

Peace