Outside Corner

[mcrowder]

I had similar comments early in my career, so I had a fellow blue video me calling pitches at a practice, from behind the pitcher, and then also from high in the bleachers behind me.

I then watched it - it was helpful. I grant that this view is not ideal, but it did show me that I was a bit loose in the middle of the outside zone and too tight at the bottom of the outside zone. Can't hurt.

[VanStanza]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

How does working the slot affect the view one has of the outside corner? Because I work the slot and have been very happy with my outside corner; anything that touches it I call a strike, even if only a fraction of the ball nicks it. But today a partner of mine told me I call pitches that are a foot and a half off the outside corner of the plate. This is scary and frustrating to me because although I am a bit more generous on the outside part of the plate, it is never nearly that bad. My rule of thumb is that if I see dirt between the ball and the black of the plate, it's not a strike. Apparently I am seeing things because what looks like a good pitch is actually a foot and a half off the plate. How does working the slot change the perception of the outside pitch?

It is also worth noting the concept of the "dominant eye theory". Many people have a dominant eye. For umpires, the result is that a pitch that appears to be the same for both a RH batter and LH batter, may in fact, be not. For example, I have a dominant right eye. As a result, I have to be careful for LH batters, as, pitches that I believe to be on the corner, are in fact, off the plate.

You can test to see if you have a dominant eye. Find a fixed object on the wall that is 10-15 feet away from you (a light switch is good). Extend your arm and cover the switch with your thumb. Now, cover each eye, one at a time. If you have a dominant eye, the switch will appear to magically move a foot or two when an eye is covered up. The eye that is looking at the switch when it moves is your dominant eye.

As described above, if your right eye is the dominant one, be careful with LH batters, and vice versa.

To combat the dominant eye's misleading view of the outside corner, you must watch the pitch all the way to the mitt with both eyes. This may sound stupid, because all umpires think they do this, but seriously, many don't.

Good luck.

[GarthB]

I think you got that backwards. The eye in which the switch is still covered would be the dominant eye. The eye that see the switch move would not.

Try this one:

Extend both hands forward of your body and place the hands together making a small triangle (approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch per side) between your thumbs and the first knuckle.

With both eyes open, look through the triangle and center something such as a doorknob or light switch in the triangle.

Close your left eye. If the object remains in view, you are right eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the left, then you are left eye dominant.


To validate the first test, look through the triangle and center the object again with both eyes open.

Close your right eye. If the object remains in view, you are left eye dominant.

[Mountaineer]

Holy Crap! I'm all dizzy now!

[RPatrino]

This little test doesn't work when you have permanent double vision...I mean everything is moving.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

This little test doesn't work when you have permanent double vision...I mean everything is moving.

ETOH abusers, move to the front of the line.

[fitump56]

Originally Posted by Interested Ump

If he's holding that glove any time longer than a flash 18" off, we're going to have a conversation.

Heh, yeppers the ole' "brush the plate, chatty watty with catchy".

"I hope you're hand is frozen in ice b/c if it's not, then I expect you to hold every single pitch as long as you did that one."