Sending a "message"

[Toadman15241]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Many skippers and players don't "get it" and it just confirms in their mind that the umpire is incompetent when he calls a cockshot a ball, or down and out a strike.

I think that I've only used it once. A new catcher was in the game and showed his displeasure at 2 close pitches I balled. I told him to knock it off, but he did it again. Next pitch was right down broadway and I balled it. It worked.

The only reason I felt comfortable doing it was that Jim Leyland was on the coaching staff (his son was on the team). The manager started to complain, but Leyland cut him off. It was obvious that he was explaining what had just happend.