plate mechanic

[TussAgee11]

Sometimes on the close outside pitch or inside pitch, I have the habit of calling ball and moving my head left or right, so everyone knows, if they are paying close enough attention, where I thought it was (as opposed to high or low). Lots of MLB umps do this.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Sometimes on the close outside pitch or inside pitch, I have the habit of calling ball and moving my head left or right, so everyone knows, if they are paying close enough attention, where I thought it was (as opposed to high or low). Lots of MLB umps do this.

Contrary to what Bainer posted about ol' Smitty, ol' Smitty was right. There is nothing wrong with this, and you are right, many MLB umpires, as well as MiLB, D-1, 2, 3, JUCO, HS, and Adult Baseball umpires do as well, at least in this country. They only do it on in and out, not up and down. The rats can see up and down from their cages.

It is by far preferable to announcing verbally where a pitch is. It should not be an exaggerated thing, just a slight movement, well after (about a 2 count) you have called "Ball." If you do it too soon, it looks as if you tracked the pitch with your head instead of your eyes.

[nickrego]

Originally Posted by LMan

I have never 'announced' the location of a ball, although sometimes if it was verrrry close and the call obviously surprised the catcher, I will quietly tell him where it was, just to pre-empt the inevitable question....

I'm with you LMan. My mechanics exactly.

Now, I know there are lots of umpires at all levels, that will look to the side where a pitch was outside (can't see that from the dugout), as an indication of where it missed, which I think is fine. But there is NO need to indicate if a pitch was High or Low, as you can see that from the dugout.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by nickrego

But there is NO need to indicate if a pitch was High or Low, as you can see that from the dugout.

normally i'd agree with this, but i had a coach who was whining about high/low and apparently wasn't paying attention at least on this particular pitch....F1 lets one loose and its easily 2 feet above the batters head, but it makes a sweet sounding, loud pop into F2s glove (the sound associated with a 'good' pitch to some). everyone in the park who was looking even out of the corner of their eye knew this ball was 8 feet off the ground...but that coach yells out "come on! tell me where that missed! are you even watching?" one of his assistants goes "tom, just shut the hell up please. you look like more of an idiot now. lets watch the game."

[tcarilli]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

many...D-1, 2, 3, JUCO, HS, and Adult Baseball umpires do as well, at least in this country.

I think you are mistaken about this as it relates to your geography. I have only seen one umpire working at any of those levels engage in this practice and that was Saturday night (American Legion). In fact I didn't understand what he was doing until I read this thread.

So the point is this, the country is a big place and I know of no college umpires who engage in this practice. In fact, I have never heard or seen it taught.

(Caveat, I do not work JUCO or Adult Baseball. Generally the pool of umpires is the same, however.)

[PeteBooth]

What say you?

[/QUOTE]
It's a matter of preference. it's not a right / wrong answer. It's what works best for you.

With the exception of high quality baseball I would not recommend it.

Why!

Depending upon the nature of the game your strike zone may change and a pitch you called a ball and verbalized outside may now be a strike because of the way the game is progressing.

Another drawback of verbalizing location is when you "Miss it" No matter how good of a plate person you are, no one gets evey pitch correct. Therefore what are you going to say when you missed it.

Generally speaking I do not verbalize location. In addition that is the accepted practice in the association for which I work.

Pete Booth

[archangel]

Depending upon the nature of the game your strike zone may change and a pitch you called a ball and verbalized outside may now be a strike because of the way the game is progressing.



Since when does the progression of the game decide a strike zone ?. Yes, we all make mistakes, but I really try to keep a consistant zone ALL GAME LONG.

[NickG]

"Depending upon the nature of the game your strike zone may change and a pitch you called a ball and verbalized outside may now be a strike because of the way the game is progressing."

Oh, I see a long and disturbing thread brewing -- maybe as heated as the "strike" in the dirt grazing the edge of the zone thread we had not long ago.

Wandering zones aside (which I don't subscribe to, BTW), I add myself to the list of those who announces on close pitches inside/outside (never high/low). The dugouts can see high/low, and if they ask me on these, they're sniping, and I say so. In/out, on the other hand, can't be seen from the side. Everyone's happier, it seems, if everyone knows where a pitch missed. And I like happy -- especially when it's me!

[NIump50]

Originally Posted by NickG

I add myself to the list of those who announces on close pitches inside/outside (never high/low). The dugouts can see high/low, and if they ask me on these, they're sniping, and I say so. In/out, on the other hand, can't be seen from the side. Everyone's happier, it seems, if everyone knows where a pitch missed. And I like happy -- especially when it's me!

I have no quarrel one way or the other relative to announcing inside or outside, but I do have a comment as to sniping.
As a coach, you don't have to be very smart to figure why a pitch was called a ball. If a coach sees the ball is not hi or lo then he knows it is inside or outside, that's perfectly logical. Based on the catchers position and glove placement no coach is going to confuse an outside pitch with an inside pitch.

My point
It's sniping either way!

99% of the time the coach knows the answer in/out hi/lo before he asks the question. He's only asking to make a point and if he's inclined to make a point he'll make it one way or the other.

[DG]

Originally Posted by NIump50

I have no quarrel one way or the other relative to announcing inside or outside, but I do have a comment as to sniping.
As a coach, you don't have to be very smart to figure why a pitch was called a ball. If a coach sees the ball is not hi or lo then he knows it is inside or outside, that's perfectly logical. Based on the catchers position and glove placement no coach is going to confuse an outside pitch with an inside pitch.

My point
It's sniping either way!

99% of the time the coach knows the answer in/out hi/lo before he asks the question. He's only asking to make a point and if he's inclined to make a point he'll make it one way or the other.

After the top of the first tonight I hear an assistant tell the manager that I am calling a ball and a half off the plate a strike so tell the batters to swing at that pitch. And at that point in the game I don't think I had called anything that was off the black. Simply amazing how well coaches can call 'em from the dugout.

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by DG

After the top of the first tonight I hear an assistant tell the manager that I am calling a ball and a half off the plate a strike so tell the batters to swing at that pitch. And at that point in the game I don't think I had called anything that was off the black. Simply amazing how well coaches can call 'em from the dugout.

Probably just trying trying to get them up swinging on pitches they can reach on the outer half of the plate. God bless him. Rather umpire a game where I don't have to call anyone out on strikes, and the teams are at very minimum attempting to put the ball in play.

[pdxblue]

My take on this is that if you have established a good zone in the first couple of innings, and are CONSISTENT calling it, the catcher will usually take care of you concerning letting the coach know where the pitch was. If he lies to him, I "clean" the already clean plate while letting the catcher know that I don't appreciate him crossing me up. They usually get the point!

Really, with a consistent zone coupled with 99 out 100 catchers, I don't need to announce the location of a ball because the catcher will do that for me. EVEN on very close pitches, the catcher will usually defend my call to the coach.

I found that if the coach and catcher aren't visibly disturbed by my call, the fans shut up too.

So really, the key is the call a consistent, good zone.

[waltjp]

On the few occasions where the catcher has told that coach that a pitch that was clearly outside of the zone was "right there" I've called time, come around to clean the plate and have told the catcher in a voice loud enough for the coach to hear, "You're not doing yourself, your pitcher or your coach any favors by telling him that THAT pitch was a strike. Understand?"

I've only had to do this twice and each time it was effective. Of course, we're talking youth games. The bigger guys know better.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Watching the Astros/Twins game right now, and noticing three things about HP umpire Jeff Kellogg:

1) he turns his head to indicate location in/out on borderline pitches, which is what I do also.

2) he tucks his slot hand behind his thigh, which is what I do also.

3) he puts his other hand on the back of the catcher, which I have never, ever, done.

[pdxblue]

Originally Posted by archangel

[/I]
Since when does the progression of the game decide a strike zone ?. Yes, we all make mistakes, but I really try to keep a consistant zone ALL GAME LONG.

If you were being evaluated by NCAA standards, and you kept your same strike zone in a lpsided game, you would get dinged for keeping that zone. http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/cham...PreviewState=0

Also, you can see in those standards too that the Gerry Davis stance is totally discouraged! I agree with that one for sure!!!