The spirit or letter of the rules?

[JJ]

If it's a strike and I call it a ball - shame on me! I have never relied on the ability of a catcher to make or break balls and strikes. Catcher drops a "strike"? I'll still call it a strike (and take the heat if need be). Most of the pitchers we work for have enough trouble throwing strikes without me taking one away from them. Of course, if I do call a strike on a dropped strike, I almost immediately say to the catcher, "Catch the ball". But then, he's usually hearing it from his coach, too. The smart ones (catchers and coaches) know that DOES make our job a bit more sellable on the close ones.