Strike Zone

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by tarheelcoach

I am a school coach who has started doing some rec umpiring as a prelude to moving up to the HS ranks when I stop coaching.
Tonight the coach was giving me a hard time about my strike zone. This is the same community in which I coach, and he kept saying "These aren't HS kids, they are 9 years old." He thought my zone was tight.
I give them the benefit of the doubt vertically, but nothing horizontally. My feeling is that 9 year olds can still hit a pitch a little low or a little high, but there's no way they can cover a pitch off the plate, especially the smaller kids.

What do you think? How do you adjust your zone for the lower levels?

I think the plate's 17" wide and the bats, even for the little tykes, are 30" long, which kind of argues against your theory.

The bottom line is if you're umpiring a walkathon, nobody's having any fun. With kids in a rec league, adjust to the level.

[Rcichon]

Frankly I don't like tweaking the zone but for 12YO's, I've seen it go from letters to just below knee. In and out just has to be hittable.

[JR12]

Recently our County High School Coaches were polled about how our Umpire Assoc. could improve. The #1 answer was (you guessed it) CALL MORE STRIKES!!!

[mick]

Originally Posted by JR12

Recently our County High School Coaches were polled about how our Umpire Assoc. could improve. The #1 answer was (you guessed it) CALL MORE STRIKES!!!

I do not find this surprising.
Like us, the game keeps moving, everyone gets home sooner, ... and more strikes gives the illusion that their pitchers can actually pitch, because the coaches have been doing their job.

[David B]

Originally Posted by mick

I do not find this surprising.
and more strikes gives the illusion that their pitchers can actually pitch, because the coaches have been doing their job.

Now that's funny! But true!

Having a 9 year old, last nights game was a better game because the umpire called many more strikes.

However, he was calling more high and low where if he would have expanded the zone the same amount on the in and out if would have been much better.

Parents complained all game long about high and low. Everyone wanted to know why the one a little inside was not a strike - or the one a little outside.

As has been mentioned, no one can tell if its inside or outside sitting in the stands. But everyone can see it was at 'lil Johnnys eyes and the umpire called it a strike.

Thanks
David