Strike zone

[Tim C]

I think perhaps that you have identified the issue we all deal with one day:

As noted there are "black letter rule" guys and "usage and tradition guys."

I have found over the years on the internet that "black letter rules guys" take great umbrage to the "real world" guys. The inverse does not seem to be true.

NIUmp50 has been painted as unreasonable. It may seem that on the surface but his points need to be considered. The question soon becomes: "gee, what other rules do you guys ignore."

My answer: "Several." Remember I am a guy that only calls balks that EVERYONE sees . . . I select to ignore technical balks.

This is what separates great umpires (i.e. those that get the "Big Game" assignments) and those that twist in the land of also-ran games.

But that is just my view. I am sure that NIUmp50 gets just as many important games as I do . . . we just see umpiring differently.

I know of NO UMPIRE in shaving aged games that would call a strike that bounces into the catcher's mitt. None.

Perhaps NIUmp50 works in a region where this is a common occurance.

It is just too obvious from the posts in this thread that the view professed by umpires like myself appears, on first blush, to be what is accepted universally.

Except of course, in games viewed by "black letter law" umpires.

This is all just opinion and I hope you can separate the chaf and learn something from the thread.

Regards,