Gray Area Strikes

[tip184]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

An adult league catcher argued with me while he was at bat about a 3-0 pitch that was in the "gray area" and I of course called it a strike. He started biatchin' about how it was a ball, and I told him "I'm not a ball umpire, I'm a strike umpire...nobody walks but the mailman, Hoss." He didn't like the next pitch I called either. Tough. I'd rather deal with that than to hear that my zone is the size of a shoebox and have my games last 4 hours. I usually averaged 1:25 to 1:45 in decently pitched games. Swingee the batee!



Easier for who, you, or the hundreds of people you're pissing off?

I never said I was a "ball" umpire. I said that ball umpires tend to take less heat over balls and strikes than "strikes" umpires do.

1:25 to 1:45 for how many innings? That seems really fast (7 innings normally takes 2 hours for me), but maybe these were some good adult leagues.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by tip184

1:25 to 1:45 for how many innings? That seems really fast (7 innings normally takes 2 hours for me), but maybe these were some good adult leagues.

Heh, heh............ maybe you need to call more strikes!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by tip184

I never said I was a "ball" umpire. I said that ball umpires tend to take less heat over balls and strikes than "strikes" umpires do.

1:25 to 1:45 for how many innings? That seems really fast (7 innings normally takes 2 hours for me), but maybe these were some good adult leagues.

I'm sorry...I didn't mean to mislead you. I was combining an anecdote from an adult league game and giving you my HS varsity game average. Oh God, I can't get an adult game (they are 9 innings here) done in less than 2:15. And these ARE the good adult leagues, complete with former MLB players that live here. Most of the other adult leagues here, you're looking at 3 hours or more, no matter if you call every pitch a strike. Terrible ball in many NABA and MSBL leagues. There are a few elite ones though, and they were always a pleasure to work.

[RPatrino]

Well, the way I see it, if you don't call strikes, you deserve yourself. Nobody, and I mean nobody likes 4 hour games, with walk after walk. If thats your thing, good luck to you. I pity the players, your partners and the fans. I also suspect that you will not get much past the JV level.

[tballump]

Originally Posted by Aging_Arbiter

I'm sorry..........did I pick a bad day to join this forum??

No, great to have you. But, if you cannot stand getting your chops busted every once and a while, this forum may not be to your liking. Sometimes you might just have to agree to disagree. If you would like, you can just lurk and learn to your hearts content.

[Umpmazza]

I agree with Steve here.... i know my zone is not small... Knees to just below the letters on the shirt or right about the elbows.. i will call a ball that is right on the edge of the plate hell maybe even just off as well... so my zone is a little bit bigger...but I rarely hear arguing..if your consistent they wont complain... But yes Adult games that are 9 inning take a while.