strike zone and philosophy

[GarthB]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PeteBooth

Who are the CUSTOMERS?

We can aruge who a customer is all day long (players, fans, coaches, etc.) but in my experience, the important customer is the one who writes the checks. Normally that is a league or a tournament organization or the state.

How can you look bad when your Customers want you to open up the zone.

I have never had a customer ask me to open my zone.

I do not know how your association works, but in mine Coaches have a say in who umpires their games. Therefore, if the coaches who are your Customers want a certain zone who are you to argue. It's not OUR GAME it's theirs.
Also, you get to go home early - What's wrong with that.

Fortunately we do not have as system like that here. Coaches aren't allowed to alter the rules or dictate umpire's strike zones. And while going home early is enjoyable some nights, it's not a goal I attend to during a game.

IMO, I do not think that opening up your zone will make you inconsistent for the next game. If it does then IMO you have problems with your mechanics to begin with.

I would disgree. Nothing builds consistency like practicing consistency. That's a fact.

Once the game becomes rediculous, and is OVER, it's OVER meaning open up the zone and get out of dodge.


Again, start with an appropiate zone and stay there. Don't wait until the 5th inning to move to an appropriate zone. Batter's know in the 6th inning what I will call a strike. They don't get surprised. And I've never had a coach complain about me being consistent throughout the game. I have seen some coaches get tossed because they were upset over an "evolving" strike zone throughout a game.

But, Im not trying to convert you, Pete. You work whatever way makes you comfortable, and I'll do the same.

[Edited by GarthB on Jul 13th, 2004 at 02:05 PM]