Pitch I hate calling the most.
 

After our game on Sunday, my son and I were talking about the pitch we both agree is the hardest / worst one to call;

The high curve that drops down (in theory) through the Strike Zone.

This is the most subjective pitch to call.

If the catcher sets up deep, the ball can drop behind the Strike Zone, but will be caught dead center of the Catcher's chest and in the middle of the plate. Never touched the zone, but to the entire world, it looks like a strike because of where the Catcher caught it. (yep, call it a strike, unless it came in way high)

If it does catch the zone, it will most likely be caught low, and look like a Ball to the rest of the world. (Call it a ball if caught really low, call it a strike if caught kind'a low)

Bottom line, it's not like when we use the way the Catcher caught the ball for a pitch that could go either way. This pitch is all about how / where it is caught. And at least 50% of everyone will disagree (not that it matters).

I called the plate in a championship softball game, and had something very similar. The pitcher on the one team threw this one pitch, something along the line of a change up/curve. It would start out about eye level to someone, then when it crossed the plate, it would be about waist or below, then the catcher caught it about shin level. Tough pitch to call with that much break, never seen it before.

Nick and others -

We've talked about the strike zone being a 5 sided prism that runs from knee to belt. Is it possible then for a pitch to come down into the "back" strikezone similar to one that comes from outside the plate and catches the back half of the plate?

Does anybody know what I mean? Kind of confusing...

Maybe you should switch to a goalie style mask. That mask will solve all your problems.

great post

Well, I guess know one is up for discussing a REAL WORLD situation, rather than the MADE UP / WHAT IF / ARM CHAIR UMPIRE situations that make up the majority of this board.

Oh, and lets not forget the TROLL POSTS.

You know, at one time GmcGriffs was more popular than this board, and look what happened to it.

Nick:

I'm guessing it wasn't much more than two months ago that we beat this to death here. That's probably why no one wants to do it again right now.

Tim.

I would also say it is most obvious that the 12-6 curve is the hardest pitch to call, there really isn't anything else even close to that in difficulty.

The Pitch I Hate Calling The Most
 

The Rising Fast Ball!! :D :D :D :D

Johnny, what do we have for our winner ? :p

I think I'd rather see that oldie but a goodie discussion resurrected rather than discuss how many leg openings there are in a pair of panties. ;)


Tim.

Oh, come on Tim...you know you'd rather talk about panties than just about anything!:)

Nominations
 

I find a 2 strike fastball to be the most difficult pitch to call when the catcher wants it and batter doesn't.

Well, I apologize for missing it.

But all someone had to do was tell me, and provide a link to that discussion. I would love to read it.

Thanks,

Somewhat tongue in cheek, but truly I think the pitch I hate to call is the foul tip or tip off the catchers glove that goes straight to my mask(or elsewhere).
I'll make the right call, but.....

Ball
 

To the the only tough pitch to call is a ball. We all know that strikes get us closer to going home LOL!!! Seriously, I don't find any pitch difficult to call. It is a strike if I say so. No questions asked unless the rat wants to go sit in the port-a-potty for the rest of the night.:cool:

Baseball Panties?
 

None of my business, but have you already had this discussion?

Green OAKLAND A'S ATHLETICS Baseball Thong PANTIES MLB

http://cgi.ebay.com/Green-OAKLAND-AS...QQcmdZViewItem

Talk about a very interesting place for your favorite MLB team logo.

Hockey Mask?
 

I do not see that switching the mask will help any. Only thing the mask does (beyond protection) is allows the umpire to see the ball better. He did not say he could not see it. He said it was a difficult pitch to call.

I agree this is a difficult pitch to call. There are many pitches that are difficult, such as the rising fastball, the fastball with lots of movement (lots of Lefties have this one), the big sweeping slider, etc. But the key is, I know the rule book has the zone spelled out, but the PU creates the zone early and if the pitch goes through that zone then it has to be or needs to be called a strike; regardless of where the catcher catches it. At least this is in an ideal world.

The best thing you can do is to try your best, be as consistent as possible and as fair as possible. The golden rule is to not interfere with the outcome of the game. You will miss a pitch here and there, but as long as the official does not determine the winner and loser then you can sleep at night.

Hmmmm
 

I took your ealier post as that of someone new to the board, now it seems possible you may not be as you appear.........

It's possible that he calls a hard breaking curve that knicks the zone a strike even if it's caught on or near the dirt. It's not something most of us will do, but I've worked with guys who will.


Tim.

"Rising fastball", CollegeUmp? THAT pitch be hard to call because it doesn't exist.

Exactly. It seems strange that a "pro school graduate' would list a nonexistant pitch as "hard to call." I rmember the chuckles from instructors at the Desert Classic when a young, LL excperienced only student inquired about a "rising fastball." Perhaps Wendelstedt instructors are the only ones who don't understand physics, but I doubt it. I'll check, though.

Well,
 

CollegeUmp06 should alert us to one of two options:

1) Troll alert or,

2) Moron alert.

Regards,

The toughest pitch for me is a guy who can actually throw a good knuckler.

The toughest pitch to signal is the inside fastball to a left-handed batter which finds a way by the swing and the mitt all the way to my wrist or hand. Tough to bring the hammer when that happens.

The Rising Fastball Is Not Myth
 

From http://www.infosports.com/baseball/arch/2346.htm
Some people pretend it can never be done or pretend that it is physically impossible. While others have simply stated the obvious. See
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print...135&type=story
Every generation, a pitcher comes along and consistently throws a rising fastball. Let's agree that we have over 100 years of evidence.

Please do not start this again. There's nothing in the article to support a physical upward movement of a ball once it has been released (or reached) a horizontal or downward motion. In fact, the author himself states, "Yes, yes, Egbert; we all know that a baseball does not literally jump in mid-air, it merely appears to do so to the batter. Very good; now sit down and shut up."