Teaching the strike zone

[mcrowder]

I was confronted with a room full of "My zone is my zone" guys one year as well, and I'd seen these guys do exactly as you say. We discussed at a preseason clinic once, and I decided to film each umpire once during a scrimmage. Then we ALL watched all the films before the season started. You'd be surprised at the eyes that were opened.

It was a nice training tool, as guys could see themselves moving their bodies to track a pitch, call a pitch too early, and yes ... call that ankle strike (and sometimes oversell that ankle strike three).

I think ALL of our zones (self included) improved that year, and we now do it every year. We watched the first year one (5 years ago) recently and all got a good laugh from it. It's amazing to see the difference now.

[ctblu40]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

I was confronted with a room full of "My zone is my zone" guys one year as well, and I'd seen these guys do exactly as you say. We discussed at a preseason clinic once, and I decided to film each umpire once during a scrimmage. Then we ALL watched all the films before the season started. You'd be surprised at the eyes that were opened.

It was a nice training tool, as guys could see themselves moving their bodies to track a pitch, call a pitch too early, and yes ... call that ankle strike (and sometimes oversell that ankle strike three).

I think ALL of our zones (self included) improved that year, and we now do it every year. We watched the first year one (5 years ago) recently and all got a good laugh from it. It's amazing to see the difference now.

This is a great idea and I am going to suggest it to my fellow Umpire Development Committee members at our next meeting.

[NickG]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

I was confronted with a room full of "My zone is my zone" guys one year as well, and I'd seen these guys do exactly as you say. We discussed at a preseason clinic once, and I decided to film each umpire once during a scrimmage. Then we ALL watched all the films before the season started. You'd be surprised at the eyes that were opened.

It was a nice training tool, as guys could see themselves moving their bodies to track a pitch, call a pitch too early, and yes ... call that ankle strike (and sometimes oversell that ankle strike three).

I think ALL of our zones (self included) improved that year, and we now do it every year. We watched the first year one (5 years ago) recently and all got a good laugh from it. It's amazing to see the difference now.

Good idea, and good advice. Yes, the problem is TEACHING the zone. It's extremely odd to me that this is the one area of umpiring where everyone is given the guidlines (many repeated in the posts above), but then nevery really TAUGHT.

Using video is a really good idea. Another idea is to set up a session with pitchers and catchers and stand-in "hitter", then position umps at various positions around the plate, then let the one behind the plate call balls and strikes, with those in various positions also calling on the planes -- that is, those on the side calling high/low, and those in front/behind calling in/out. It would be interesting to see how much agreement there was with respective views. The "plate ump" calls 20 or so pitches, adjusting against the group consensus. Then everyone rotates. Just a thought -- ANY thought -- to provide more tools.

Thanks for the inputs ...

[Tim C]

I am not sure you can teach an art.

Balls and strikes is a fine line between science and art and I lean towards art in the equation.

When Doug Harvey was asked: "What's your strike zone?"

His answer was: "If I like it, it is a strike!"

Some posters here take umbrage at that type answer.

In teaching a strike zone you can only give guidelines. We know there is a book strike zone -- some here will tell you that is what you call (even a curve ball that passes through the strike zone and bounces before a catcher can catch it) PERIOD!

Others know that a strike zone resembles an egg. There are holes in a zone that an experienced umpire working upper level baseball don't call.

We all know that umpires FAIL because of poor base work . . . we also know you make your name and career through your plate work.

Nick when I started umpiring if an umpire missed 10 pitches in a game he was considered REALLY good. Now if a miss ONE PITCH at a crucile time I am considered a Smitty!

Another good way to continue to learn the strike zone is to play a game we play in my area called "Up and Down". This is a game played with your base umpire(s). At then end of the game they tell you how many pitches they thought you called Strikes that appeared to be balls (UPS) and how many pitches you called balls that appear to them to be strikes (DOWNS). This system really works to make you think through what really hapopened during your game.

And as I always intone: Nothing does more for learning than to keep a journal of EVERY GAME you umpire and making a critical part of that journal a fair evaluation of your balls and strikes for a plate game of that day.

[GarthB]

I agree with Tee that calling strikes is an art. And like most other artistic endeavors, one learns the mechanics of the art, then the creativeness, or the "art=part" that comes from within, has an avenue to express itself.

So it goes with calling balls and strikes. Teach the mechanics. Then re-teach the mechanics.

Everyone thinks they know the mechanics, but they don't. They may have forgotten. They may have never learned. They may have learned and forgot to use them.

Mechanics.

I've done this for most of the time since 1972. I attended clinics or camps with Doug Harvey in the 70's, top D-1 clinicans and Gerry Davis in the 90's and Jim Evans in the 2000's. Until attending a Desert Classic, I thought I was calling a great strike zone. I had listened and done what I was told.

At Evans, I was amazed at what I had forgot and what I never really did.

The season after that camp I heard comments like: "That was most consistent plate we've seen all year" and "Jesus, Garth, you've become one of the best plate guys we have."

Now, at first I thought, "Hell, was I that bad before?" And as one of our proschool grads told me, no, not bad before, just a hell of lot better now, consistently."

Mechanics allow umpires to do their jobs. Excellent, consistent mechanics are required to do excellent, consistent work.

Will excellent mechanics make everyone better? Yes.
Will they make everyone excellent? No.

But even a great creative sculptor can't create squat without knowing how to use his tools.

Mechanics are our tools.

[Fritz]

I am all for locking in with a consistent strike zone, but how do you guys handle it when you are bouncing among age groups? I did everything from high school ball down to low division 12U this past summer and if I called a high school strike on the young guys, we'd set a record for walks!

In fact, I had one triple-header day where I had the plate for a high school division first, then switched to the bases, then finished up with a plate at a low 13U game and I have to tell you, it took me a couple of innings to adjust my zone back out for the younger guys.

Any secrets one can share to help me when that happens again (and it will, the local league supers know that I love doing the games and will fill in at whatever level they need!)?

[ctblu40]

Originally Posted by Fritz

I am all for locking in with a consistent strike zone, but how do you guys handle it when you are bouncing among age groups? I did everything from high school ball down to low division 12U this past summer and if I called a high school strike on the young guys, we'd set a record for walks!

In fact, I had one triple-header day where I had the plate for a high school division first, then switched to the bases, then finished up with a plate at a low 13U game and I have to tell you, it took me a couple of innings to adjust my zone back out for the younger guys.

Any secrets one can share to help me when that happens again (and it will, the local league supers know that I love doing the games and will fill in at whatever level they need!)?

I think the best thing to do is to start with your HS zone then see what the kids can do. If necessary, expand it a bit. When I work HS and LL, the top and bottom of my zone is pretty much the same, about 4" above the belt, the hollow beneath the knee.
If you need to expand in and out for the kiddies, that's not too hard to do. You may have some strikes in the 3rd that were balls in the 1st, but there are only 2 people in the park who won't like that... the batter and the batter's mother.
Around here, the new guys do most of the LL stuff. They tent to not to call as many strikes. It's so unusual for an umpire to actually call strikes on the little guys that by the second at bat they're swinging anyway.

[EAGLE EYE]

Hey guys. I am here in Williamsport. I was taken out of the LLWS rotation due to illness which landed me in the Hospital up here from Friday - Monday. I received a visit from Mr. Keener who personally invited me back to umpire next year.

I have been reading all the comments and I think for the most part they are fair. While most everyone is doing their best, some simply were more ready then others.

As for the strike zone, I know my zone improved tremendously after having an experienced umpire critique my game. His #1 comment was my timing. He told me I needed to do a better job of tracking the pitch to the mitt with my eyes (not my head). Sounds simple, but to a lessor experienced umpire, it made my game better and more enjoyable. After doing a dozen or so games I realized I was missing the most important part of the pitch. The finish!!!

[LMan]

Strikes are good.

[Uncle George]

I've been doing this for 15-years and after a game I was discussing strikes and balls with an ump who has been doing it a lot longer than me. At one point I ask him if my high strike call was too high. His advice on the high strike, if the pitch is caught above the cathers head, it's more likely to be a ball, rather than a strike. One at catchers head height, 50% right, 50% wrong! I've also had problems with calling the low strike and with the information about the cathers knees being a measuring stick, that's going to help me! Guy, keep up the discussions and suggestions...in most cases it makes us all better!

George

[David B]

Originally Posted by Tim C

I am not sure you can teach an art.

Balls and strikes is a fine line between science and art and I lean towards art in the equation.

When Doug Harvey was asked: "What's your strike zone?"

His answer was: "If I like it, it is a strike!"

Some posters here take umbrage at that type answer.

In teaching a strike zone you can only give guidelines. We know there is a book strike zone -- some here will tell you that is what you call (even a curve ball that passes through the strike zone and bounces before a catcher can catch it) PERIOD!

Others know that a strike zone resembles an egg. There are holes in a zone that an experienced umpire working upper level baseball don't call.

We all know that umpires FAIL because of poor base work . . . we also know you make your name and career through your plate work.

Nick when I started umpiring if an umpire missed 10 pitches in a game he was considered REALLY good. Now if a miss ONE PITCH at a crucile time I am considered a Smitty!

Another good way to continue to learn the strike zone is to play a game we play in my area called "Up and Down". This is a game played with your base umpire(s). At then end of the game they tell you how many pitches they thought you called Strikes that appeared to be balls (UPS) and how many pitches you called balls that appear to them to be strikes (DOWNS). This system really works to make you think through what really hapopened during your game.

And as I always intone: Nothing does more for learning than to keep a journal of EVERY GAME you umpire and making a critical part of that journal a fair evaluation of your balls and strikes for a plate game of that day.

Tim,

A great post about the "art" of calling balls and strikes.

One of the best things I've learned through the years is to constantly monitor myself also as you suggested.

By allowing that critique, it often keeps me from falling back into a bad habit.


One thing I've learned from my journals is that most of the time I had a bad game, I bounced back the next by concentrating on my mechanics.

They are great guidelines.

Thanks
David