If I did not know any better...

[jicecone]

Ok Scyguy, you want it by the book, you got it. Just make sure you practice what you preach!

In accordance with Federation Rules:

The Circumference of a baseball is 9 to 9-1/4 inches.(Say 9.125 inches)

Using the formula of Cir.= PI (d) and PI= 3.14159

then D=Diameter of the baseball equales 2.9045 inches.

OK, A strike is "a pitch that enters any part of the strike zone in flight and is not struck at" 7.2.1a

If the ball touches the zone, it is technically a strike but, for the purist it has to enter the zone. So I will say 1/8 inch is enough to enter the zone.

Now the plate is 17 inches wide and for the purist the ball can enter 1/8 inch into the zone to be a strike.

So 17 inches minus 2(1/8) inches equales 16 - 3/4 inches. Now lets add the width of the ball on each side of the plate and what do we get, (by the book), 16-3/4 + 2.9045 + 2.9045 = 22.559 inches.

SO BY THE BOOK the strike zone is 22.559 inches. Now don't forget to add this to your upper and lower portion of your strikezone.

I believe that everyone here has more than suggested that the strike zone you believe is unfair to everyone, is in reality , BY THE BOOK.

Sooooo, you can keep your zone or actually call the Rule Book zone, the choice is yours.

GOOD LUCK