Natural Stance
 

How do you guys determine what a batter's natural stance is? The reason I ask is because last year I had an immediate positive turnaround in my batting when I went into a crouch. It helped me get my legs, arms and torso into the swing, rather than it just being all wrists. It also helped me see the ball better and cover the outside corner of the plate.

How can one say that this is not my natural stance? When my batting average goes up immediatly after assuming this stance, it's hard to argue that it's not natural for me. Yet I have had pitches called strikes at my head because of it. What do you guys think?

Also, as an umpire I sometimes get fooled by the batter ducking when a high strike comes in, thus making it look like the pitch was high when it in fact wasn't. I've missed a few of these, not sure if there is any way I can correct this.

I think I will call any reasonable stance that you take.

Learn to set your zone before the pitch and to enlarge it when the B ducks. Assume he is trying to squeeze his zone and your enlarging it will signal to him to quit that BS.

Is Natural Stance Old Stance's brother?

If your "crouch" is such that pitches at the level of your head can be plausibly called strikes "because of it" [the "crouch"], then it sure as he!! isn't A "natural stance", however "natural" it may feel to you.

When I have a batter that assumes an exagerated "crouch" at the plate, I am forced to improvise the top end of my strike zone. I am likely to choose what I THINK a batter of the same aproximate size might be expected to swing at standing "normally". If forced to articulate how I judged a "natural" batting stance for that [crouching] batter, I might find myself referencing those "natural" warm-up swings he took while standing straight up and getting set in the BB.

And, BTW, it's a judgment call, so STFU and swing the bat.

Do you hit from this crouch or do you straighten up?

Easy way to correct:
If a ball is over the plate and the batter ducks, STRIKE.

Works every time

Just like the batter who walks out of the box as soon as the ball is released and its near the outside corner. STRIKE!

I do not appreciate being spoken to that way. Saying that "it's a judgement call" is just a way to hide the fact that you do not in fact know the rule. And why did you put me on your ignore list? Might I add that I do swing from my crouch, and it is natural for me.

Ah ha, now this makes more sense. I swing from my crouched stance, so the umpire should be calling based on the way I stand in my stance.

Of course he knows the rule. And no matter how you slice it, it is a judgment call. He's right about one thing in particular that's been left unsaid. You need to leave your player hat at the door when you discuss items of interest with a large group of umpires.


Tim.

Are you an umpire or are you a rat, rat?

Crouching Moron.....Hidden Brain Cells
 

A crouch is not a "natural" batting stance, IMHO. Other than Pete Rose, I can't remember ever seeing anyone swing from a crouch. And I'm betting you're not him.

Rickey Henderson

You are right. Rickey once told me "Rickey swings from a crouch". :D

[quote=canadaump6]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by tcarilli
The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball..

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Has everyone stopped calling you a liar yet? :D It's rare but I have had several players who assumed very low head positions and when striding, kept that same vertical position, that is they hit in a crouch. One led an adult league in hitting, he must have been 5"6" standing. His zone was such that curve balls which struck the dirt before caught were often strikes. I got heat from opposing coaches, "not his natural stance" or whatever; what they were actually P.Oed about was his OBP, something like .750, it was absurd, he was a leadoff, of course. Hit with power, very talented, exceptionally fast, maneged the team and they were perennial winners.