Strike zone

[Always Wright]

Instead of an oval, I think the strike zone is shaped like home plate with the point of home plate at the top of the strike zone. I agree with those who say that a pitch just below the numbers right down the middle gets called a strike while a pitch of the same height on either corner gets balled. However, I try to be consistent at the bottom of the zone as far as height goes. I work hard at keeping the height of the zone the same whether the pitch is down the middle or on the corner.

Chris

[briancurtin]

apparently today i had the worst strike zone one coach has ever seen in his life. i should have read this thread before my game today, because apparently i needed a whole lot of help...

[begin rant]when you teach a catcher to put nearly their entire body outside the strike zone, you would think the coach would realize that basically every ball the kid catches is obviously outside of the zone...but hey, its a coach. the kid would catch a ball and not move his glove, but i ball it because its 10 inches outside. the coach would be absolutely disgusted...and the catcher was somehow shocked as well.[end rant]

[DG]

Originally Posted by briancurtin

apparently today i had the worst strike zone one coach has ever seen in his life. i should have read this thread before my game today, because apparently i needed a whole lot of help...

[begin rant]when you teach a catcher to put nearly their entire body outside the strike zone, you would think the coach would realize that basically every ball the kid catches is obviously outside of the zone...but hey, its a coach. the kid would catch a ball and not move his glove, but i ball it because its 10 inches outside. the coach would be absolutely disgusted...and the catcher was somehow shocked as well.[end rant]

I must have had a good game today. Not one comment, from bench or fans, about any pitches.

And while we are on the subject of strike zone, how a catcher catches it is definitely a factor, as well as the age of the catcher, and the level of the game. I had one pitch about 2 inches above the knee, and right in the middle of the plate. It hit the catcher's mitt and went sideways about 15 feet. I did not say anything, I just turned and looked at the ball rolling away. The catcher tells his pitcher "that's me, that's me" and no one says a word. This was college players playing with wood bats in the summer, and at that level a catcher should be able to catch a strike.

I also called several pitches strikes that were over the middle that were at the top of the "bullit".

[SanDiegoSteve]

Today I had a batter square to bunt, pulled the bat back way before the pitch arrived at the plate, and it was low, so I called "ball." The stupid coach, who was sitting in the closest part of the dugout to home plate asked, "He didn't offer at it, Blue?"

I said, "If he would have offered at it, I would have called it a strike, don't you think?"

The coach said nothing further.

[waltjp]

[QUOTE=DG]I must have had a good game today. Not one comment, from bench or fans, about any pitches.

And while we are on the subject of strike zone, how a catcher catches it is definitely a factor, as well as the age of the catcher, and the level of the game. I had one pitch about 2 inches above the knee, and right in the middle of the plate. It hit the catcher's mitt and went sideways about 15 feet. I did not say anything, I just turned and looked at the ball rolling away. The catcher tells his pitcher "that's me, that's me" and no one says a word. This was college players playing with wood bats in the summer, and at that level a catcher should be able to catch a strike.
[QUOTE]

I had the bases in an adult summer league game last week. The catcher for one of the teams was having a hard time holding on to pitches. At one point, after having three consecutive pitches pop out of his glove the SS yells in, "It's like a ketchup bottle! You have to squeeze it!!!"

[Tim C]

I now know all I need to know about your umpire ability, the level of baseball you work and your believability.

It makes it easy for me to give your posts the interest they deserve.

Regards,

[NIump50]

Originally Posted by Tim C

I now know all I need to know about your umpire ability, the level of baseball you work and your believability.

It makes it easy for me to give your posts the interest they deserve.

Regards,

Apparently in your world, whoever has the loudest and most intimidating coach gets the calls.
Quite frankly i could care less what you think of me or my abilities. Any one too scared to call a strike a strike has shown me all i need to see about their character and believability.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by NIump50

Apparently in your world, whoever has the loudest and most intimidating coach gets the calls.
Quite frankly i could care less what you think of me or my abilities. Any one too scared to call a strike a strike has shown me all i need to see about their character and believability.

Your clear lack of understanding of how the game works at higher levels is all I need to know about your experience and ability.

[insatty]

I believe in the old saw that calling balls and strikes takes 50% timing and 50% courage. And you definitely need the courage to call the high strike that the NCAA requires. Our local collegiate umpiring association evaluates each on calling the zone according to the NCAA emphasis points. So if an umpire resists the high strike because of the moans, groans, and *****ing, he will not be invited back for the next season. One of the reasons there still is residual *****ing over the high strikes is because some of the "old dogs" want more to be liked than good.

So in order to survive in the world in which I umpire, I call the high strike and get tough on the *****ing early and often. But I find that if it is called consistently for both sides, the complaining doesn't last past the third inning.

Other than that, kudos to Rich F. and T. Alan for telling it like it is. Perception is reality in the balls-and-strikes game, so the catcher must make the pitch look good. And the umpire who is courageous enough to call a lot of strikes is the one that moves up.

[TussAgee11]

The one fastball that comes right down the middle but is dropped is a strike in my book. Anything on the corners that the catcher is flying out to get, and the glove keeps moving out after he catches the pitch. BALL! Catcher not up far enough and curveball in the dirt. BALL!

Consider it the penalty for allowing me to get hit on every ball in the dirt while that catcher is playing.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by NIump50

Apparently in your world, whoever has the loudest and most intimidating coach gets the calls.
Quite frankly i could care less what you think of me or my abilities. Any one too scared to call a strike a strike has shown me all i need to see about their character and believability.

This isn't slow pitch softball. There isn't one high quality umpire I know that will call a hard breaking curve a strike if it's caught just off of the dirt. Not one! I don't care where it crosses, I'm not calling that crap a strike.



Tim.

[NIump50]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

This isn't slow pitch softball. There isn't one high quality umpire I know that will call a hard breaking curve a strike if it's caught just off of the dirt. Not one! I don't care where it crosses, I'm not calling that crap a strike.



Tim.

so if a pitcher has the ability to throw such a pitch and spot it in the perfect position why would you call it crap? I call it talent and a damn good pitch.
Think through your reasoning
a pitch hits the strike zone and you don't call it.
Under normal circumstances I see only 2 possible reasons.
1. You're a lemming. If no one else is going to call a strike a strike neither am I. I'm following the crowd.
or
2. You're a coward. I want to appease the crowd and coaches. The ball is picked at the ankles and the path of least resistance is a called ball, despite the fact that i saw it catch the knee over the plate. I'm going to penalize the pitcher because I don't want to take the heat.

If there is another reason for calling it a ball please enlighten me.

[ctblu40]

The key to calling ball and strikes is consistancy.
I have developed what I call "the strike zone of least resistance". The pitch must be at or below about 2" above the belt. Nothing below the hollow beneath the knee. A little bit in is OK, I'll grab it for a strike. 2-3" out and I can get it.

Now it's story time- I was working a summer adult wood bat league game last week. In the 3rd or 4th, a pitch comes in for a high strike, and I call it a strike (I should've balled it). The batter looks at me and says, "That was a ball my last at bat." I said "It was a strike that time." He shakes his head digs in and we go. Next pitch was in the same spot... "Ball" He (the batter) looked at me and I said "See, it's a ball again."
In the parking lot after the game the batter approached me and said, "I guess everyone misses them once in a while?" I said, "I didn't miss it, I'm schitzophrenic." We had a good laugh

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ctblu40

The key to calling ball and strikes is consistancy.
I have developed what I call "the strike zone of least resistance". The pitch must be at or below about 2" above the belt. Nothing below the hollow beneath the knee. A little bit in is OK, I'll grab it for a strike. 2-3" out and I can get it.

Now it's story time- I was working a summer adult wood bat league game last week. In the 3rd or 4th, a pitch comes in for a high strike, and I call it a strike (I should've balled it). The batter looks at me and says, "That was a ball my last at bat." I said "It was a strike that time." He shakes his head digs in and we go. Next pitch was in the same spot... "Ball" He (the batter) looked at me and I said "See, it's a ball again."
In the parking lot after the game the batter approached me and said, "I guess everyone misses them once in a while?" I said, "I didn't miss it, I'm schitzophrenic." We had a good laugh

Hardly anyone complains on the high strike anymore. We've been calling it for a few years and just about anything below the letters is an easy one to grab. This started in the NCAA and MLB and has trickled down.

Why restrict yourself to 2" above the belt?

[ctblu40]

Because if I called the high strike all the time, I'd be the only umpire in my association and probably the state calling it.