Bad game last tuesday

[nickrego]

Never call a zone that is bigger than you feel comfortable with, or that is not the regularly accepted zone size for that level/league. No matter what the coaches, or anyone else asks you to do.

I have done that twice (early) in my career, and I will never do it again.

First time, was a (last) regular season game between two LL teams that were not in the playoffs. Both coaches wanted a big strike zone to keep the game moving, and to keep it from being a walk-fest. I took a major load of grief from the crowd, and the players.

Second time was a HS pre-season scrimmage. This time, I had the coaches announce to the crowd that THEY had requested a larger than usual strike zone, to get the kids swinging the bat. It was still a nightmare.

The last reason I won't do it is this;

I have spent years working on several CONSISTENT zone sizes for the different levels I work. I am not going to go throw all that out of the window, and screw up my conditioning for anybody. Plus, it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a fair and consistent, enlarged zone. But you already know that, don't you !