Strike Zone...

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by Matt

No, they don't. Strikes umpires end up being irrelevant after a couple innings because the batters start swinging. Ball umpires are noticed the whole game as everyone watches borderline pitches.

I have to agree. It has been my experience that good coaches want their batters swinging, not looking for walks. Calling strikes encourages swinging.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I had a game that featured a team from the bowels of East Los Angeles. Every single hitter went to the plate with a plan. They could push a bunt, hit-and-run, foul off any two-strike pitch ...

That team swung and missed twice in a seven-inning game. And I can't say that anyone over-swung. They swung and contacted virtually every strike and went out of the strike zone rarely. Generally the first strike thrown to a batter was put in play. And the two-strike batting was off-the-charts. There were so many foul balls that they had to go into a second case--pretty rare for H.S.

Zero Ks, and very few called strikes--maybe five or six. It was the damndest thing I have ever seen.

[MajorDave]

Originally Posted by umpduck11

I have to agree. It has been my experience that good coaches want their batters swinging, not looking for walks. Calling strikes encourages swinging.

Preach, brother, preach. The truth will set you free.

I knew this as a coach and it has been confirmed by me as an umpire. Call borderline pitches strikes early and you rarely have to call them late in the game. It is a lot more fun to umpire, watch, coach and play a game when the bats are swinging.