plate mechanic

[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.