Strike Zone...
 

As a newbie in baseball (going into my 3rd year) I get told that my strike zone is too tight. I keep getting told that if the catcher doesn't have to turn his glove, as if to scoop it, it's a strike no matter how low it is or where it's at. However, if the catcher has to "scoop" to get the ball (as if it bounced) it's a ball.

I've asked multiple umpires in the past about this and the reason behind this is to "speed up the game." I know these are Soph/JV games, but c'mon. Is that really a fair strike zone, and how is that teaching the pitcher to throw strikes?

Use the bottom of the knees. Most decent catchers aren't going to turn their glove down unless it's very low. They want to make the low pitch look like a strike.
Plus if you go lower than the knees everyone can see it. Makes you look bad. If you want to expand, give more inside and outside.

It sounds like you're getting some well-intentioned advice that is just slightly off the mark. A strike no matter how low or where it's at? At the ankles? A foot off the outside corner?

Where the catcher sets up and how he receives the pitch will have the greatest impact on calling borderline pitches- those that are just barely skirting the edges of the strike zone. And those pitches are the ones that will usually cause the most controversy. Everybody can see when a ball is right down the middle. It is those pitches on the edge that will cause you problems.

Here's a link to an article that better explains the concept of "calling the glove". It is similar advice to what you've been given, but goes into a lot more detail and fleshes out the concept beyond "call it a strike no matter where it's at".

The Ten Unwritten Rules of Calling Balls and Strikes

Again, let me emphasis that these techniques are best applied to borderline pitches- the ones that we catch the most grief about. Before you fall back on these principles, you need to develop the basic skills of calling strikes. You first need a good concept of the strike zone, proper timing and consistency before the concept of "calling the glove" ever comes into play.

If "everyone" is telling you this, then your zone likely *is* too tight for the area /level you are working.

While the specific advice you have been given is certainly wrong if taken to an extreme, it can provide some good direction on how to get your zone to be more acceptable.

I've never seen those guidelines/unwritten rules before...they are interesting guidelines. Some of them are more advanced being that if you take them literally they'd likely get you in more trouble.

Calling the mitt on the high bender gets you in trouble if it clearly crosses the batter high. You can see that from the dugout.

If a catcher sets up his mitt in an area directly back of the zone and the pitcher sticks it with a 12-6, I'm getting a strike. Every time...............


Tim.

Ah, the dreaded and beloved.....
 

12-6 curveball. I had three or four pitchers I coached who could throw a true 12-6. They were so nasty. Opposing coaches and players hated them. Some umpires that worked my games would not call a strike when it came through the zone unless the batter swung, which they often did. But it really hacked me off when they didn't call it.

I vowed that if and when I saw a good 12-6 as an umpire I would call it and that I would also call the back door curve ball when it nibbled on the corner.

I have called them, I do call them and I do not tolerate whining and *****ing from coaches and players who fall victim to them. I love good pitching and I call the tough pitches without remorse.

The biggest complaint against umpires working last year's NCAA regionals, super regionals and CWS was that they needed to call more strikes.

I have heard that before and I believe in calling strikes, even on the tough borderline pitches and even when the catcher butchers a good pitch that gets through the zone.

Call it
 

You'll find good catcher's frame the pitch and poor catchers bring everything back to the plate. Don't call the pitch for one team because one team has a good pitch-catch combo and the other doesn't. It will make a difference if one team is feeling squeezed.

Focus, track and call the location of the ball prior to being caught. You give them what you got. If you "miss" a pitch and hear disapproval, you can't fix it. Don't register the harping from a team. Don't fret over the "fairness" issue. Know why they're doing it.

I don't know about that; I track the ball all the way into the mitt before making the judgment, and then I make the call.

Players and coaches tend to make more complaints about strikes umpires than they do balls umpires. That being said, if you are getting complaints about having a strikezone that is too tight, you probably have a strikezone that is far too tight. My assumption is that you are calling balls on pitches that clearly go over the white of the plate, and you're calling balls on pitches at the top of the batter's knees.

In my experience, I've found that the opposite is usually true.

Strikes umpires: hitters mutter and occasionally act churlish and sometimes coaches as well

Balls umpires: pitchers, catchers, infielders, center fielders, coaches, benchwarmers, fans, scorekeepers and of course umpiring partners all complain

Then why was Eric Gregg (God rest his soul) crucified for calling strikes?

And Randy Marsh just gets the comment, tight but consistent K zone.

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.

Because Eric was inconsistent and calling an inappropriately large zone.

There is such a thing as calling too many strikes. It's just harder to do than calling too many balls.

Because Eric Gregg--one of the nicest human beings in the history of the game--was not calling strikes on pitches that were close to being strikes and he was doing so with a rooftop camera busting him.

Re: Guys who call strikes:This is very well put.

All good info. for what it's worth. I have found at the HS, Collegiate, and MiLB level that CONSISTENCY is whats relevant. If your tight zone is established early, than it is defendable. Not that it makes it a correct zone. Be consistent. If you know you are tight, like mentioned before, start with opening up the corners a little bit throughout the whole game. Don't make adjustments mid-game. Your zone will define you as you work your way up. I am known as a pitchers umpire because I tend to reward the CONSISTENTLY hit outside and inside corner. I DO NOT vary on the height of the zone. As mentioned, those pitches can be seen from the dugouts. Good luck and keep working hard.

First off, you've been around by now to have heard that MLB is not the model you want to follow in amateur ball. Best in general to simply ignore what they do.

Second, Gregg umpired in a different era, when umpires distinguished themselves by their distinctive zone. Apart from the fact that his era is over, that behavior is diametrically opposed to what we strive for in amateur ball.

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

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.

Amen to this
 

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.

The strike zone is your baby. Take care of it and see the pitch from the pitcher's hand. If the angle is going down, notice the catcher's glove going down with the pitch, but still keep your eye on the ball.

The top of the zone is when the batter makes a swing, with his back armpit. That is about a good hand width above the belt. The low point is at a straight line at the bottom of the knee cap.

To make that low pitch consistent, the ball CANNOT be angling down. It has to be from the pitcher straight to the catcher.

You hear the word "timing" a lot but that means wait, say strike or ball to yourself before calling the pitch. Be relaxed when the pitch is coming and breath. It want be anything until you call it.

The timing thing means get in front of a mirror and see yourself making the call. The self confidence that you will obtain will be the best start. The rule book is misleading by the picture. The best thing about working the plate is the challenge to see each pitch, and to keep your timing at the same speed.

Hope this might help

The strike zone is your baby. Take care of it and see the pitch from the pitcher's hand. If the angle is going down, notice the catcher's glove going down with the pitch, but still keep your eye on the ball.

The top of the zone is when the batter makes a swing, with his back armpit. That is about a good hand width above the belt. The low point is at a straight line at the bottom of the knee cap.

To make that low pitch consistent, the ball CANNOT be angling down. It has to be from the pitcher straight to the catcher.

You hear the word "timing" a lot but that means wait, say strike or ball to yourself before calling the pitch. Be relaxed when the pitch is coming and breath. It want be anything until you call it.

The timing thing means get in front of a mirror and see yourself making the call. The self confidence that you will obtain will be the best start. The rule book is misleading by the picture. The best thing about working the plate is the challenge to see each pitch, and to keep your timing at the same speed.

Hope this might help

OBR 2.00 "STRIKE ZONE": The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.

FED 2-35 "STRIKE ZONE": The height of the strike zone is determined by the batter's normal batting stance. If the crouches or leans over to make the shoulder line lower, the umpire determines height by what would be the batter's normal stance.

Bolding mine. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the zone determined as the pitch is made, not as the batter makes his swing?

Many hitters dip their back shoulder as they swing.

~Sigh~
 

Not the best of advice here.

This is "false" timing.

If you simply follow the philosophy of Jim Evans ("Timing is the proper use of eyes") the truth will set you free.

If you follow the ball all the way to the catcher's mitt BEFORE you start any part of a strike mechanic your timing will be perfect.

You don't need to say: "One Mississippi, or chew your gum twice, or silently think 'Strike.'"

Just follow school procedure and all will work out.

Regards,

Only to the uninitiated would it mean that. A phony delay adds nothing positive to the execution of calling balls and strikes. It just makes people wait longer for a bad call.

Timing is the proper use of the eyes. Correct timing adds a positive element to calling balls and strikes, not a delay.

If "One-Mississippi" helped one's accuracy, imagine what reciting the Greek Alphabet would do.:D

alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda, mu, nu, xi, omicron, pi, rho, sigma, tau, upsilon, phi, chi, psi, omega...STRIKE!!!

The pause is a built-in buffer that some umpires might need to fully evaluate a borderline call and deliver it without appearing inconsistent. Not everyone here is a master.

Could you elaborate on "timing is the proper use of the eyes"?

Should there not be a consistent amount of time that passes between ball into mitt and call, or can it vary so long as you're not starting to call it before it hits the mitt?

The pause is a rubber crutch. It does not provide time to see or evaluate a pitch. It that wasn't done by the proper use of the eyes, it cannot be done by pausing.

I know a pause was taught for years to amateur umpires, mostly by amateur umpires. Never the less, it is BS.

One does not have to be a master to work correctly. That's another crutch.

Usually at the soph/jv level, you will get as many cathers that don't properly catch as there are pitchers that can't throw strikes. If you enjoy being out there for hours at a time, go for it. Be consistent. Be consistent.

A good catcher will basically confirm the pitch you have seen and tracked into his mit. Most times, the perception that it looked like a strike, is because it was. Call em. Borderline pitches are just as much a strike as a ball. I choose to say the "S" word in just about all those situations.

You may believe that your teaching little Johnnie to throw strikes, but I guarentee you that little Joey is standing there in the box learning how to get on base the easiest way he knows. So if you really want to teach, make sure not to forget about the batter who wants to learn how to hit also.

I personnally believe in the three "S" words to a successful umpiring assignment: Strike, He'Sout and So long coach have a good night.

canadaump6,

I think Jim Evans is wrong - well, his "point" isn't wrong, but how he says it is. Timing is not the "proper use of the eyes" - it's really the "proper use of the brain".

Making a call is a "decision" - which is a thought process. The eyes don't process thoughts, the brain does. The senses, primarily sight and sound, provide the information that the brain needs to process in order to make the decision required for a ruling in a baseball game.

Jim's "point" - which is absolutely correct, is that you have to allow the senses to give the brain ALL the available information it needs to render the decision, BEFORE starting the decision process.

In the case of deciding whether to call a pitch a ball or strike, the most important thing is to allow your eyes to track the pitch from the pitcher's hand all the way to his mitt. Once you have done that, then you start to decide whether the pitch was a ball or strike. Once you've decided, you let everybody else know what your decision was. That's what Jim Evans means when he says "timing is the proper use of the eyes" - or, perhaps I misunderstood him.

This "proper use of the eyes" is probably the single most important skill in being an umpire. It is deceptively simple in concept, and surprisingly difficult to master in practice - at least for me.

I believe that it is important for timing to be "consistent" - especially when calling balls and strikes. The "proper use of the eyes" also tends to result in "consistent" timing from one pitch to the next.

Inserting "artificial" pauses only distracts you from the task at hand - and really has nothing to do with timing.

JM

Okay, Mr. Umpire. I will make sure never to give a broadly based point of view around you.

I'm sure pausing is a broadly based point of view....I see a whole lot of guys at a wide range of levels that have no idea what they are doing.

No, I was presenting a viewpoint that considered others. I do that. I think of others. You think of yourself a lot.

I suppose if I were of such lofty stature as you claim, I might be unable to think of anyone other than myself.

What a relief I am not.

Kevin,

Take a deep breath.

I wonder if you and MrUmpire & LDUB aren't closer to "violent agreement" than you realize.

Earlier, you said,

That is almost correct, but not quite. And, I believe gets to the heart of the matter.

ALL umpires need a "buffer" to call a pitch - but not just "borderline" pitches, every single pitch. But, the "pause" is not something you "do", it's the natural result of "proper use of the eyes".

When you don't use your eyes properly, you tend to call the "easy" pitches too quickly, the "nut-cutters" too slowly and indecisively, and you miss "easy" pitches that turned out to be not so "easy" as you had anticipated before the ball reached the plate.

As MrUmpire eloquently stated earlier with regard to inserting an artificial "pause",

It most certainly is.

However, with proper use of the eyes, there will definitely tend to be a consistent "pause" between the pitch reaching the catcher and the umpire calling the pitch. Every pitch, not just "borderline" pitches.

JM

Hey, a broad-minded guy!

Nice change of pace. Thanks, JM.

canadaump6,

BTFOOM.

But, even if it does, it really doesn't matter. Because it would be milliseconds at the most, and would not be perceivable to anyone.

Oddly, when you track the pitch correctly with your eyes, the "borderline" pitches are almost as easy to call as a pitch that's in the dirt before it reaches the plate.

When you don't track it properly, those "borderline" pitches can be very difficult to call, and you might have a "moment of indecision" - which could produce a noticeable "delay" in your call.

I find the concept very simple to understand, and it makes perfect sense to me. I am also very frustrated with my inability to do it on every pitch in every game I work. I think I'm getting better, but I'm not as far along as I'd like to be. It's harder to do than it sounds.

JM

The "broadness" of the point was not at issue. The inaccuracy was.

Not sure what alot of the hubub is here. Timing is essential to calling a consistent zone. As mentioned earlier the obvious strike doesn't really require good timing. HOWEVER, by evaluating the borderline pitch, I feel a few more strikes can be given in a game. There have been a few times I have needed to slow down a bit to get that borderline pitch depending on the level I was working. I don't care about the backlash I will get here but the level you are doing will determine your zone. I cannot give the 2 ball outside pitch in a D1 game but I better give it in a HS Var game or I will only invite a walkathon. Just my dos pesos.

:rolleyes:

With the proper use of the eyes, you will find that there are fewer borderline pitches.

Jim isn't wrong here. What he is discussing are physical mechanics....proper ones v. those that provide no assistance to getting calls correct. It begins with the eyes. He elaborates on what the eyes should be doing, where they move to, where they stay fixed, what they need to focus on, whether one is discussing plate or base calls.

The brain portion, while you may feel improperly so, is, I believe, is properly not discussed.

Would you include it in every discussion in which it plays a part...that is, then EVERY discussion? Of course not. Use the eyes properly, and for those smart enough to tie their plate shoes, the brain will follow.

Don't over think this. As Jim says, this isn't rocket science. Train your eyes to work properly and you will see what you need to see in the amount of time you need to see it.