See Me Umpire

[canadaump6]

I've got a video up of me making some calls behind the plate. I'd like to get as much feedback as possible. A few questions:

1) Should I say "one ball, one strike" when giving the count or "one and one"? Is either okay?
2) Should I be quieter on my "ball" calls?
3) Was I working far enough from the catcher?
4) How was the timing?
5) How was my use of the eyes?

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vztdbMGo8CQ

[Emperor Ump]

Canadaump,

You can post your video embedded into the forum at www.umpire-empire.com. And get the feedback your looking for.

[waltjp]

He could easily post a link here but it's obvious that he wants to limit who has access to the video.

[bossman72]

i'll check it out, canada

[canadaump6]

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vztdbMGo8CQ

Please send a PM with any suggestions, or better yet if you've got a Youtube account send me an email there as it won't have the word limit.

[Jurassic Referee]

Is that ever......cute.

[johnnyg08]

Okay, I'll offer some feedback...I'll also say that others will disagree with portions of my post...as with almost every aspect of umpiring, it comes down to being loose, having fun, and being mechanically sound.

So...

1) Should I say "one ball, one strike" when giving the count or "one and one"? Is either okay? "one, one" is fine, everybody knows that you say balls then strikes. You don't want the reputation of a smitty.
2) Should I be quieter on my "ball" calls? No, in fact, some will say to be louder on "close ball calls" some will say, a ball is a ball and a strike is a strike, I say them both the same. Personally, I use both...but remain consistent per game.
3) Was I working far enough from the catcher? looked okay, but it shouldn't be the same every single time, this will change per batter and per the size of your catchers
4) How was the timing? Timing was good.
5) How was my use of the eyes? Couldn't see your eyes, but your head seems to hold pretty still.
6) Your stance looked a tad wide, I try to split the catcher with my lead foot. But if you can see the low, outside pitch from where you are...why change.

[RPatrino]

Here's my 2 cents
1) Should I say "one ball, one strike" when giving the count or "one and one"? Is either okay? I say one ball, one strike. Most of the guys I work with do the same thing.
2) Should I be quieter on my "ball" calls? No, the volumn on the 'ball' call should be loud enough for the catcher, batter and pitcher to hear. Your strike call has to be louder and more emphatic then the 'ball' call
3) Was I working far enough from the catcher? Looked to me like you worked as far back at the book case would allow. Given that you set up very low, being back further would have hindered your view of the zone.
4) How was the timing? To me, it looked like you were rushing a bit, but these training situations are always a bit artificial. You can be sure, though, that if you rush in a cage drill with no pressure, you will really rush when the heat is on.
5) How was my use of the eyes? Couldn't tell from the video.

One other upgrade I would offer is, don't put your hands behind your back. It looks very unprofessional and it could effect your balance. My personal preference is the Gerry Davis system, which provides a very stable platform from which to call strikes.

[BigUmp56]

Why not just post the link rather than deal with all the PM's? I'd like to see it, as I'm sure others will who don't really want to go the PM route......


Tim.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Why not just post the link rather than deal with all the PM's? I'd like to see it, as I'm sure others will who don't really want to go the PM route......


Tim.

He posted the link in post # 5.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Bob,

1) Should I say "one ball, one strike" when giving the count or "one and one"? Is either okay? Either is okay. I mix it up, depending on the situation.
2) Should I be quieter on my "ball" calls? No, you were just fine. Don't scream "ball," as others have said, loud enough for the pitcher is fine.
3) Was I working far enough from the catcher? You were fine.
4) How was the timing?It did not seem contrived, so it appeared you tracked the ball properly to the glove. Too bad the catcher couldn't catch some of those strikes .
5) How was my use of the eyes? I couldn't see, but the timing seemed genuine, so it was probably good.

I echo what Mr. Umpire said. You don't want to hide the arm behind the catcher and leave the slot arm exposed. Looks dumb. Tucking both arms or just the slot arm looks better, and I have seen many MLB umpires doing it, so there's no shame in it. Just don't ever put the arm behind your back, or you will look like the proverbial speed skater.

It would have been nicer to see you on a field and add one more guy to play the batter, but other than that one thing, it looked pretty good. Of course it is no substitute for the real thing, where we can take into account your other game management skills, but as far as cage work, not bad at all.

[ozzy6900]

Height above the catcher is not bad. Be careful not to get much lower. I'd rather see you raise up a couple of inches. You are tall so let that work for you. Other than the first pitch, very little movement once you are set (that's good). Feet are spread a bit far but you are tall so, as long as you are comfortable, it's okay.

Relax your arms when you are in the set. Your cup will stop the ball better than your hand - it looks like your are using your hand as the first defense. If you keep your arms relaxed, it won't hurt so bad if you get drilled. I usually suggest to keep the elbows resting on the thighs for tall guys like you.

I suggest that you lower you arm a bit when pointing the strike. You are bent at the elbow almost 45 degrees. It looks too amateurish Just point straight out to the side. It looks better to others and you'll find it easier to deal with if you run into extra innings (that arm gets heavy after 9 innings).

I cannot see your eyes so I cannot help you in that department. As far as vocalization, you're okay. Always make the strike call louder than the ball call. I agree with "2 balls, 2 strikes" or Two & Two" - never twenty two. I teach "down on the ball, up on the strike" and you are fine there. I also agree with Steve in that a field video may be even better.

All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

How's that for a video evaluation from a prick?

[tiger49]

Should I say "one ball, one strike" when giving the count....Yes (Canadian Standard) Also make sure you show them at the same time as well...It appears that a couple of times you show balls then the strikes.

Should I be quieter on my "ball" calls? No. Also learn to call balls and strikes by the number. Ball One, Ball Two...Strike One, Strike Two etc. Once again Canadian Standard, as well what is taught at Jim's.

Was I working far enough from the catcher? Distance wise I didn't see much of a problem however your head height was a little low and on the left side you seemed to be less in the slot than you were on the right side. Hands would also be vice versa from the left side, you kept your hands the same on either the right or left sides.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by tiger49

Also learn to call balls and strikes by the number. Ball One, Ball Two...Strike One, Strike Two etc. Once again Canadian Standard, as well what is taught at Jim's.

If this is a Canadian thing, so be it, but it is one of many things used at Jim's for drill purposes. It is dropped by most as soon as clinic/school/classic is over, just like the mechanic of calling time at the end of the plate drill.

[canadaump6]

Thank you for the comments guys. I was told by another umpire that the pro schools teach putting the batter-side forearm in front of the waist, and putting the hand that is behind the catcher to the side of the knee, with the thumb tucking underneath the shin guard. Would this be a better alternative to putting the hand behind the back?

I also like hearing that I made the calls a bit too quick, because I am often told that I take too long to make my call.

I will likely have some videos of live-game action up by May, which should make things a bit easier to observe.