It's that time of year again - LLWS

[PeteBooth]

I do not know if any of you are watching the LL Regionals on ESPN but it seems each PU's zone is bigger then the next.

I am curretnly watching the West Regional Final between Arizona and Cal and the PU's zone is as BIG as I have ever seen. He is calling pitches at least a foot outside. How did this guy get a final. If this were the regular season my gut is that the coaches would be all over this guy.

I have not seen all the Regionals, but the one's I have seen thus far the PU's performances have not been that good compared to last year.

I have seen the New Mexico Texas Final and now the Arizona Cal Final. Both Pu's were simply terrible. These F1's at this level do not need any help.

Ok let's start the critiquing.

Pete Booth

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

How did this guy get a final.
Pete Booth

As we have discovered, year after year, ability is a plus, but not a requirement.

It's too bad if it's like you say. During the last two years the LLWS showed some impressive improvement over the past.

[ManInBlue]

I've been more concerned with the height of his zone than I have the width. He's called several pitches up in the zone that I thought were too high. I have seen several breaking balls that just touched any resemblence of a zone and had F2 reaching outside to catch that he called for a strike - those I had a problem with. When you go big, the zone still has to be hittable - those pitches were not.

From my experience with rec league - he probably doesn't get much chirping during the season. The coaches I have run into are glad to see strikes called. It's the clueless parents that yell "that was outside" but then yell "Good pitch, Johnny" when their kid throws it in the same spot.

[TussAgee11]

Anyone check out the LF umpire in the Northeast regional? Sweet Santa Claus beard!

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by ManInBlue

I've been more concerned with the height of his zone than I have the width. He's called several pitches up in the zone that I thought were too high. I have seen several breaking balls that just touched any resemblence of a zone and had F2 reaching outside to catch that he called for a strike - those I had a problem with. When you go big, the zone still has to be hittable - those pitches were not.

From my experience with rec league - he probably doesn't get much chirping during the season. The coaches I have run into are glad to see strikes called. It's the clueless parents that yell "that was outside" but then yell "Good pitch, Johnny" when their kid throws it in the same spot.

He's called several pitches up in the zone that I thought were too high.
The LL strike zone is armpits to the top of the knees so you're going to see higher pitches called strikes.


I have seen several breaking balls that just touched any resemblence of a zone and had F2 reaching outside to catch that he called for a strike

Are you sure you typed what you meant? It touched the zone and you think it wasn't hittable and not a strike?

LL catchers tend to set up way too deep which makes it look worse if you're looking at where he caught it.

[umpduck11]

My personal favorite is the big "softball" strike mechanic.

[ManInBlue]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

He's called several pitches up in the zone that I thought were too high.
The LL strike zone is armpits to the top of the knees so you're going to see higher pitches called strikes.


I have seen several breaking balls that just touched any resemblence of a zone and had F2 reaching outside to catch that he called for a strike

Are you sure you typed what you meant? It touched the zone and you think it wasn't hittable and not a strike?

LL catchers tend to set up way too deep which makes it look worse if you're looking at where he caught it.

No that was not exactly what I meant. It was to be taken in context with the wide zone comment. The breaking balls were outside and tailed farther outside -didn't appear hittable.

Armpits I call in "little boy ball" - 9-10 year olds - You have to to get strikes called and "make them swing the bat." With 12 year olds that have made it through states, they can pitch better than most others, I don't think armpits is needed. High strikes (middle to top of the letters) I can agree with. I called games in the Dizzie Dean World Series and I did not give them the arm pit strike - they don't need it once they get to this level of play. As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn't give a 12 year old that strike anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not insulting LL in anyway. This is strickly a comment based on one game and the PU in that game. His timing was very good, he had good position, his strike mechanic I didn't like and I thought his zone was too big. I have not insulted him or anyone else. I don't think this thread was even intended to insult LL.

About the mask thing - I was hoping someone could tell me why he did that. I saw it, but had stepped away from the TV, so I didn't know if something happened to his bucket or if he was just trying out a mask.

[Jim Porter]

Originally Posted by ManInBlue

I've been more concerned with the height of his zone than I have the width. He's called several pitches up in the zone that I thought were too high.

The top of the Little League strike zone is at the armpit.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Jim Porter

The top of the Little League strike zone is at the armpit.

Even so, Jim, if an umpire calls it that high he's doing the game a disservice.


Tim.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Even so, Jim, if an umpire calls it that high he's doing the game a disservice.


Tim.

Bullsh!t. It is what it is. I don't throw away strikes at any level anymore.

I'll be visiting Williamsport during the LLWS. Having grown up an hour from there, I've never been to Williamsport, but this year a good friend is working the LLWS. If he's working the game you're watching, you won't be making fun of him. He works college and HS baseball along with adult ball and LL.

I just finished working my first LL Regional (Seniors, Central Region) and I had a great time. I was DQed from the finals because my state was still alive, but worked a plate on a semifinal game. Plenty of good umpires there.

[PeteBooth]

Jim I did not watch all the Regional finals. I saw 3 Regional finals.

New Mexico / Texas; Indiana / Ohio; and last night Arizona / Cal

The PU's zone in the aforementioned games was BIG. The biggest was in the Arizona / Cal game where the PU was calling pitches approx 8 -12 inches outisde a strike. The ESPN commentators had a tough time in saying "that was borderline" At least from my viewpoint the zone was a large as I have seen in quite some time.

Perhaps with LL instituting a Pitch count rule, the PU's at the Regionals were instructed to be as LIBERAL as possible.

We will have to wait and see how the zone looks come the LLWS but compared to the last year, the zone has indeed been very very liberal and as mentioned perhaps the new pitch count rule has something to do with it.

Pete Booth

[Rcichon]

Watched all Regionals. Saw consistency at the plate in each game.

Santa never missed a call either. I visited one N.E. Regional, he was at 1st. Yep, he has a beard and a big belly. So what. He didn't miss a call that game either.

Only crap I saw was the 'softball strike mechanic'. Yuk.

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

I am curretnly watching the West Regional Final between Arizona and Cal and the PU's zone is as BIG as I have ever seen. He is calling pitches at least a foot outside. How did this guy get a final. If this were the regular season my gut is that the coaches would be all over this guy.

I was eight rows back, dead center, and he wasn't call that far off the dish. Some were questionable, to be sure, but not that bad. His position was rock solid, and timing was right on.

Anyone else catch him changing from a HSM to a traditional mask, and then back during the game? That was odd.