Strike Pitch - Do you still call it?

[C'monBlue]

At the varsity level and with higher-quality JV, I agree with Rich. The catcher has to do his part and everybody knows it. Anything below that, I'm looking for strikes and outs. The batters haven't yet earned the right to be connoisseurs. Swing or sit.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by C'monBlue

At the varsity level and with higher-quality JV, I agree with Rich. The catcher has to do his part and everybody knows it. Anything below that, I'm looking for strikes and outs. The batters haven't yet earned the right to be connoisseurs. Swing or sit.

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[sm_bbcoach]

So, what I am reading in reguards with this: even if it is a strike that the bottom drops out of and when C catches it, it is very low or blocked, call it a BALL?

I work mostly fr/jv games. It would make this seem as if the game will go on forever - walks.

If I undersdtand these post correctly, we are letting what the spectators and coaches influnence what we call because of what they THINK happened, not really happened.

Let me apply this to FB (for those who do that sport): do we allow the RB who did not "pop the bubble of the goal line" get the TD, because it looked like he got in???

[insatty]

smbbcoach: Baseball is a game of perception. When the fielder takes the throw at 2B and swipes his foot near the bag, but doesn't touch it, before throwing to 1B for the double play, do you call R1 safe? No you don't, because you would be the only person in the park who thinks he's safe. The whole world thinks he's out, so he's out.

Likewise, every person in the park who sees a curveball touch the dirt before the catches gloves it thinks it's a ball. So it's a ball. And since the human eye can't discern whether a curveball truly passed through the strike zone before its "bottom fell out," who are we mortal umpires to say it did? As Carl Childress says, "Never make an extraordinary call on an ordinary play." Your lower-level game won't go on forever if you pick up the high strikes. And in lower-level games give the pitchers three balls outside instead of one and a half. This is game management without sacrificing your credibility.

[LMan]

insatty is exactly right. You will see this as you gain more experience behind the plate.

At your current level you can/should give more leeway and call more pitches that drop off strikes, but as the kids get older you should do this less and less. If you need to open up the zone a little do it laterally, dont mess with the floor of your zone.

[BigUmp56]

The way the catcher handles a pitch has a lot to do with helping an umpire define his strike zone. The concept is not new and is referred to as "rewarding the mitt." I'm a firm believer just as Nick and Rich are that doing this will help you advance and make your games move along a lot smoother. If a pitch breaks off of the table and catches the zone, but is handled with the mitt turned down near the dirt, it's a ball. Calling pitches strikes just above the dirt will lead to trouble. Likewise if a breaking ball comes across the zone a little high, but the pitcher sticks the mitt, it's a strike. It would be nice if we could all call balls and strikes in a vaccum, but we all know that's not going to happen. Using the catcher to help you call pitches is a great tool.


Tim.

[RPatrino]

At the HS Varsity level I use the concept of the "strike zone of least resistance". Is this contrary to the rule? I don't think so.

For example, you have a big sweeping 12/6 curve ball that probably crosses somewhere through the strike zone, but bounces before the catcher can touch it, and ends up at the backstop. What do you think will happen if you call that one a strike?

An outside pitch is about a ball lengths outside, and the catcher jerks it back into the zone. Same pitch, but the F2 frames it, keeps his glove still. Technically, both are balls. What do you do?

If it looks like a strike, call it a strike. Use the catcher and batter as "landmarks". Generally, if the catchers glove is pointing upward, the ball is probably not too low. If the catcher doesn't have to reach above his head to catch the ball, its probably not too high. Generally, if the ball is caught within the area defined by the catcher's knees, its not too far outside or inside.

The key is consistency, call the same pitch the same way every time during the game. The pitcher's and their coach wants to be able to be comfortable that they can get the same call in the same spot every time. The best thing you can hear is a coach tell a griping player, " He's been calling that a strike all day long, now shut up and hit the damn ball".


Bob P.

[DG]

The catcher can help his pitcher by "sticking" the catch on borderline pitches. If he "jerks" a borderline pitch I figure he thinks it's a ball and he is trying to fool me, but everyone can see what he did, so I call it a ball. If he sets up outside and has to reach inside to catch one, or is set up inside and has to dive to the outside to catch one it's a ball. Strikes are easy to catch and should look easy.

At the higher levels you will get a lot of grief calling pitches strikes that the catcher did not easily catch. And if you call a borderline pitch a ball that popped out of the catcher's mitt, you will hear "you gotta catch that pitch" out of the dugout from the manager to his catcher.

[Clint Lawson]

I think it has a lot do with the level of baseball. At the college and pro level if you call that pitch a strike your better not be playing in an old wooden ball park. If you are you better call the fire department cause you are going to burn it down. High school i would not call a strike if the glove touches the ground. But I would work with the catcher that can't stick the pitch on the corners.

Clint Lawson
Carolina League
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