Was it a Strike?
 

Just wondering how often you guys have batters ask you if a pitch they swung at was a strike? Also how do you respond? Does it depend on age/level of play? What about the attitude of the player? Actual pitch location (close vs. way off the plate)? Are there any other factors?

I ask this because it seems that more batters are asking this question this year than in years past. It typically only comes up on strike out pitches. At the lower levels I'm pretty okay with letting the batter know as it is part of the learning process. As players advance though, I feel they should have a good idea of the strike zone and that by answering it could be seen as "coaching". Also if there has been alot of disgust at my strike zone and players start making the "I'm sure that would have been a strike comments" in the process of asking me, then I'm not giving much of a response at all except to eject if it goes to far. For the most part, however, I do try to be cordial with the players when they are looking for this type of info, but I don't think its my place to be putting on a strike zone clinic for every batter that strikes out.

"As soon as you swung, I stopped caring where the pitch was."

I answer honestly, "I don't know." Unless the pitch was in the dirt or a foot over the batter's head I just don't know.

That is the only answer I use!

I answer "Yes" 99.5% of the time. If they think it was a strike, they'll keep swinging.

I have always just been honest about it and said "yes it was" or "No".

I don't what the big deal is here. Why would a player that just swung and miss a pitch ask with sarcasim if it was a strike or not. I think your reading too much into this.

As long as the questions were reasonable and courteous, I responded accordingly. Not once, was it ever a problem.

I'm not seeing why anyone wouldn't answer the question honestly.

"Yup. Caught the outside corner."

"Nope, just a hair high."

Hell, that batter is conceding that you have a better eye than he does. It doesn't get any better than that guys. No reason to be a knucklehead about it. And don't even think about giving a flip answer to the opposing catcher.

Hmmm,,,
 

"I don't what the big deal is here."

jicecone:

I think you are taking some of these comments as a negative statement.

I did not know that others are very similar to me on this specific question.

As Waltjp noted I would only know if the pitch was not a strike if it was an obvious ball.

Honest, this is nothing to do with attitude. It has everything to do with short term memory (for me). Once a batter swings my thoughts change so quickly and so completely I really have no memory of that pitch.


Regards,

My reply was only to the original poster that even suggested "ejection" for something that I have never seen taken as anything but a simple request for information.

How each official responds is their personal choice.

A swing and a miss, and you dont know if the pitch was a strike/ball?? Either you prefer not to answer, or actually dont know (?), in either case, I think that answer might make an umpire look somewhat foolish/inexperienced. I just answer yes/no, and leave it at that...

Batters ask me once in while, and I've never had a problem answering honestly. Nothing negative has ever come of it. In fact, I've had first basemen, after failing to scoop a throw in the dirt, ask, "Did we have him?" Never had a problem with that one, either.

Of course, there are times when my focus shifted and I can't remember the pitch, and I just say so. In four decades, this has never been any kind of issue.

I'm with Tim - it's short term memory. Occasionally, I remember, or have a clue - if so, no problem with giving batter an honest answer. I've never had a problem.

I wonder if this more frequent asking is due to more MLB batters asking - I think I've noticed more of them asking the umpire than in years past.

On a swing and a miss there's no need for me to judge the pitch. The batter has already made my judgment moot.

Give them an honest answer. Although sometimes I don't remember because I'm focusing on the game.

Yes it was a strike. Always. If it was close enough to ask, and close enough to swing, that's good enough for me.

You guys are taking their question literally, and by the letter. What they are meaning to ask is really whether or not the pitch was in the "official" strike zone, or if they chased a pitch that would have otherwise been called a ball.

In an adult league, I gave an honest answer. In HS down, the pitch was always in the strike zone. They had to explain why they swung when they returned to the bench.

Bob

in a recent game--batter takes pitch for called STRIKE 2.

him: 'where was THAT?'

me: 'in the strike zone'

I'm not saying that the pitch needs to be "judged". I'm commenting on the fact that you didnt know if it wouldve been a ball/strike if no swing by batter. Again, how can that be? Why wouldnt one know, since the catcher caught the ball? How hard is that?

What walt is trying to say is that once the batter swings his attention is not to the details of where the ball crossed the plate, or where it was caught - it doesn't matter any more. He's saying that the batter has allowed him to pay attention to other details, like did it touch the bat, did he hit the catcher's mitt...whatever, but where it crossed is not important.

He's not saying he doesn't know what the pitch would have been. He's saying that once the batter swings he no longer concentrates on where the ball is in the zone (or out), so he doesn't make that judgment, he doesn't register "that was a strike" as he would had the better not swung.

When I'm asked, I answer. I don't have a problem with that. I don't have a probelm with walt's reply either, or anyone else's for that matter - except the OP reference to an EJ for asking - that's way over the top.

At least 4 other posters agreed with my answer - and yet you have issue with what I had to say. I'm not saying I'm right or wrong on this but to single me out makes no sense at all.

I don't have to know if the pitch was a ball or a strike. The batter took that decision out of my hands.

I think most of us have played enough ball to understand why the question.

Were just negotiating the response!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

I give them an honest answer. And I always have an honest opinion based on the pitch. I don't have short term memory loss.

With regard to the ejection issue that I brought into the discussion, it comes from a situation I had this spring, where one team was displaying quite a bit of disgust with my strike zone. They started off fairly mild (the facial expressions, the shaking of the head), it grew a little by the 3rd (glares directed at me, occasional "you've got to be kidding me), and in the 4th grows to some decent chirping from the bench. After the 4th, I attempted some preventative officiating and let the coach whose team was complaining know that his teams dislike of my calls was closing in on a line that shouldn't be crossed (basically a warning to cut it out). Well, in the 5th, the 1st batter stikes out looking, second batter steps in and says before the first pitch "I guess I better start swinging now", takes a ball way outside and says "I really thought that was a strike". I gave him a quick warning and he then proceeds to swing at the next 3 pitches striking out on slider down and way outside. As he is heading back to the bench he yells back at me "Was that going to be a strike too?" and before I can answer gives the hand wave suggesting he doesn't care what I have to say. Considering I had warned the coach and then warned the player in question, who then showed me up by the way he asked the question, I dumped him. His coach had no complaints at all. This is what I'm talking about, not dumping players just for asking, that's fine by me.

This is a different situation than what you mentioned in the OP. The OP questioned the batter asking where the pitch was. It read that you would EJ if they asked too often. I think the inclusion of the EJ comment was out of context and lead readers to believe you were being OOO.

In the sitch above, I wouldn't have let it get to the fourth inning - I would have issued a warning with the glares and "are you kidding comments." After that - dump the next cocky prick that even looks at you cross-eyed. Then you could have dumped your EJ player on his first comment.

"I guess I better start swinging now"
"Nope, but it's good advice for your substitute...Coach I need a batter, this player's no longer in this game."

After re-reading my OP, I agree that I probably didn't give a good example of why I would eject a player for asking the question. In regards to letting it go as long as it did, I didn't think anything had really come close to the line until it started coming from the bench where it was obvious to all that they were challenging my calls. Otherwise everything was very minor in my opinion.

Have you said wht age group/level these kids are? I missed it if you did.

In regards to reaching the line...that line isn't very far away for a 12 year old, but HS varsity might have some more room. What I mean is one look from a 12 yo and I've got the warning issued to the coach - I'm not taking any disrespect from a kid of that age, period.

"Looked purdy good."

In the 3rd, tell the coach you will tolerate no more comments about balls and strikes. Don't wait till the 4th to tell him comments are "closing in on a line that shouldn't be crossed."

How many times are you going to warn someone?

Don't "basically" do anything. Give a warning. After you said what you did, if someone pops off from the dugout, what are you going to say...."Now you are CLOSER to that line."

If (when) it gets to the point you think it should stop, warn the coach or the bench or whomever, and don't take anymore.

Preventative umpiring is great in some situations, but it shouldn't take the place of your sack.

When a player asks if the pitch he swung at was a strike, he's not trying to be a smart aleck, he is looking to improve his idea of the strike zone. They have been asking this question in the majors for a long time now, and occassionaly players ask me "was that a strike?" I will tell them the truth. If I am sure the pitch was a strike I tell them yes, if not, I tell them no. If it was a really close pitch, and they foul it off, I may say something like, "pretty close pitch, good thing I didn't have to call it," and laugh. That usually gets a chuckle out of the hitter, and it's all good.

If anyone else wants to do it their own way, great. It isn't questioning the umpire to ask where a pitch was if it was swung at.

Now try to ask me if a called strike was a strike and see what happens.:D

I've seen catchers get pissed when umpires answer that question. They may have found they can get a particular batter to go for one a little outside and low and they want him to be swinging at that.

Why tell the batter he's swinging at what otherwise would be a ball? It seems to me that's the coach's job.

When I'm asked, I replay it in my head, out loud, "Let's see pitch comes in, batter swings and misses...yep, that's a strike."

Good point, I never thought of it that way. I guess I'm lucky I never had a catcher let me take one direct for doing that.

That's usually when you break out the "ask your coach, he seems to have a better view from the dugout than I do here, hmmm?" ;)

Or "Ask your Dad. He's been operating the K-zone for ESPN since the first pitch.":cool: