Quick Pitch?

[Tim C]

In games played by high school aged players and above most successful umpires will interface with the catchers and clearly define to them that it is their responsibility to keep a pitcher from pitching too quickly.

Now that does not mean that as the PU you do nothing but better quality umpires handle it this way:

PU: "Hey Jmmy, let's make sure the batter is in place before you give signals to your guy on the mound, OK?"

Jimmy: "Yeah, I know he just wants to go in a hurry."

PU: "Well we just want to make sure we're all on the same page and if I get involved it makes it a whole lot more important than it needs to be, OK?"

I am the plate guy that when a batter holds his hand up asking for "time" to dig in that the first time I give it the BIG: "Time, time" and walk away from the plate!

As the batter gets into the box, quietly I say: "Hey, don't raise you hand unless you want to call time . . . we'll make sure he won't pitch until all three of us are ready, OK?" I then generally ignore the "raised hand for I want to dig in sign" from the batter.

Remember as the Plate Umpire you "own" the pitcher, the catcher and the batter . . . nothing should begin until are ready.

I am always one of a few plate guys that games generally come in well under 1:50 minutes. I run my games and make sure that everyone is treated equally and are safe.

Regards,