Ball Four

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Me thinks you didn't hear the full explanation in the cages.

It's along the lines of "This is what we want you to do here...you won't do this when you leave."

It is all part of the Academy thing...having every student work exactly the same way so they can be judged against a standard and so individualized mechanics aren't taken in the mix.

Yes, but some umpires really took their training to heart, and still do it to this very day in professional baseball, and back home in their local associations. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing it in real life, as well as in school.