why is the hammer strike taking over?
 

Does anyone know why the hammer is being used more widely in baseball? I'm an old school guy and I feel that strikes should be exclusively signaled with the point and the hammer should be reserved exclusively for outs. And besides, doesn't everyone remember the doug eddings controversy?

And btw, does anyone know why Tim McClelland has switched to the box stance and hammer on called strikes? I've seen footage of him last decade and I liked his kneeling stance and point to the side for called strikes (he'd actually turn left for lefty batters and turn right for righty batters) much better than his current stance...

The same reason black and polo blue are the primary colors of most associations. The same reason beanie caps are nearly extinct. The same reason charcoal gray pants are becoming the norm. Times change, styles change.

I personally like the hammer for called strikes, and the point (with head still facing the pitcher) on swinging strikes.

I think the hammer causes confusion and that is why I do not use it. I do not see that I ever will. Then again I do not live in a place where that thing is dictated either.

Peace

What he said. So I guess all I can add is love and chicken grease.

What is confusing about the hammer in general?

Why is this such an issue? If you don't like using the hammer, don't. I doubt anyone will care much.

I was taught the hammer in 1989. Hardly just now taking over. I don't recall ever having a complaint about being confused.

I think the hammer hardly ever looks lazy...where the point can appear lazy if you're not sharp every time.

Not an authority on this subject, but I think it has somethingto do with a MLB supervisor or two liking it over the point. From there it has trickled down to almost every corner of our little world. However, I am sticking with my head turned point, at least for now, I like it and so do my supervisors, on me at least.

I attended a HS mechanics clinic in NJ and officials are being told taught to use the hammer. The reason explained at the clinic is that most umpires turn their heads to the side, taking their eyes off of the ball, when they point.

That's the reason I heard it's recomended for 2 man mechanics.

IMO Here is the Real Reason
 

Across everything else in our society, people in authority want uniformity. They want everyone to be a clone, to do everything the same way, so that we will always make the same call the same way.

Since the SB people have been sold a bill of goods, that there is a perfect mechanic and this is how you do it, it won't be too long until the baseball people try to do the same thing.

When I went to pro school many years ago, they taught us the hammer too, but then they taught us all kinds of things that nobody in their right mind would want to see in a game. They were teaching to the lowest common denominator because there were experienced umpires and raw rookies in the class, and they wanted to impress certain ideas in mechanics as right.

Then when the hired people went to UDP camp, they were told to dump a lot of the extra stuff they were taught at Harry's, and the idea was "get it right", and get in the right position to get it right. they did not care what your strike call was, just get it right.


Now it seems that we all have to do everything the same way, as the CCA manual instructs. Do it our way or else. I am very low on the college totem pole, so if they want things done a certain way I will do them with a smile and a yessir, since I want to umpire lots of college baseball. But that does not mean I agree with the mechanics used. For example, I worked with a great guy the other day, and he told me that I had a strange way of starting play after a dead ball: I said "play" and pointed with my left hand, not my right. We were also taught at school to point with the RH for a LH batter when he swings on a check, and the LH when a righty does it. I guess now since the back of the CCA manual has it the other way, I am now wrong instead of different. I hope an evaluator does not grade me down if he sees me with my out of date/out of fashion mechanics. It bothers me.

It is not a good situation, as far as I am concerned.

1. Those days are over. PBUC does care.
2. Somethings are the same. PBUC is still dumping a lot of what Harry's teaches.

You are giving an "out" signal when you do not have an out. Things like a dropped third strike or a steal home can have all kinds of misinterpretations of such a signal. Signals should be used to communicate something without saying a word. And the Eddings situation was a perfect example. Eddings had to use a non-sanctioned signal to communicate a swing that no one really knew what it meant but Eddings at the time.

Peace

I use the exact opposite: I give a sharp, crisp point on called strikes, with a casual Tim Tschida-style semi-hammer for swinging strikes, more as an afterthought, since everyone in the house knows it was a swing.

On check-swing "yes, he went" strikes, I point with the hand of the batter's box of the hitter, and then give a sharp hammer to go with the verbal.

On uncaught 3rd strikes with a BR situation, I do not give a hammer in this case. I point to the side several times, and everyone gets the idea. Never has anyone questioned the status of the BR whenever I did it this way.

Called strike - Crisp turn & point to right for RHB, left for LHB with verbal.

Exception: R1, F2 coming out of the crouch for a throw down - Face forward and point to the right - all batters.

Swinging Strike - Casual point to right for RHB, left for LHB

Called 3rd Strike - Face forward, right hand extended then "ripping the book".

Third Strike Not Caught - Pumping point to right for all batters while keeping eyes on the ball.


As far as training new umpires, I train with what is required by the Association at the time. Right now, they want all the recruits to us the hammer and face forward, so be it.

That contorversy has nothing to do with using the hammer or the point and everything to do with not making a clear "no catch" (or "balls on the ground") call *after* the strike.

Really Confused
 

Now I am really confused as to what is right. I guess from these posts it depends on your local association. Two years ago when I stated we were taught the Hammer for all strikes, called, swinging and dropped 3rd strike. The swinging strike is a more casual hammer no verbal, called third strike is a sharp hammer with verbal and dropped third strike is a sharp hammer no verbal. But out of 45 umps there are only two of us that use the Hammer. Everyone else uses the point with turning head. I just want to be able to communicate clearly to the players and coaches. But I can see with diverse styles and mechanics players and coaches have to adapt to the umpires.

If you're not directed to do a specific mechanic by your assn' try them all and see what works for you.

I was taught not to change my called or swinging 3rd strike mechanic on an uncaught 3rd strike. Just add a "no catch" mechanic, if relevant.

Tim's knees were bothering him, from so many years of working from a knee. The box allows him to make his calls even slower than ever, and every announcer in baseball hates when he calls games, as they have no idea what the pitch is.

I was taught to use the same call for swinging and called strikes, so if you use the point for called strikes, use it for swinging strikes as well. Same for the hammer.

I use the hammer for everything. On a dropped third strike, I'll give the left-handed point to show that I have a swing, then give the "safe" signal to show that I don't have a catch.

Speaking of the safe signal, I have a good story. On Friday, I had a bases loaded situation. Two outs and two strikes on the batter. He strikes out on a curveball in the dirt. F2 blocks it and I give the safe signal as the batter takes off for first. F2 picks it up and steps on home plate for the force. Some loudmouth from the batting team right behind me starts jawing about "Well why would you call him safe then out...Ye can't do that!" After the inning, I casually walk near him and quickly explain that it's a safe signal because there was no catch on the third strike. He shut up pretty quickly.

I was trained by a guy who told me to adopt a style that has me facing the diamond. I adopted the Pulli Punch for called strikes, and the delayed, casual hammer for swinging strikes. I never look away or turn away, even on punch outs. Once, I had a turn-and-step-and-point-at-the-first-base-dugout partner, and the catcher made a quick throw back to the pitcher that got through and rolled toward the second baseman. While my partner was recovering from his elaborate strike call, a runner from third was about to slide into home as the second baseman scooped and fired on the run. My partner barely saw the play, which was pretty close, and of course, he got it wrong because it exploded on him. I've never even considered using the point since that play.

I use the Frank Drebin strike. A few twists and turns with a little moonwalk thrown in.

:D

IMO, it needs to be accompanied by a verbal indication because the two players most involved in the play (F2 and BR) are facing away from the plate umpire.

F2 will know that it wasn't caught and most H.S. catchers will instinctively tag the batter if they know it hit the ground. Just speaking from experience as a former catcher.

Good point though, as the batter doesn't always know, made evident by the fact that a lot of them start walking back to the dugout while all the coaches and teammates are yelling at him to run.

Here's the Drebin strike call....

YouTube - Naked Gun - Strike - I Love LA

Hilarious...:D

Agree 100%; some people (even coaches if you can believe it!) seem to get confused when I signal/call a strike three and then signal the "safe" sign for a D3K. "Did Blue change his mind or something?"

Verbalizing "No Catch, No Catch" confirms what I am signalling and removes all doubt.

I think the kids should be coached to do what they're supposed to do and be taught by their coach to understand baseball and not depend on the umpire to tell them what to do.

I did all of "what you're supposed to do" on a D3K on a play this year and had the batter/runner run to 1B and F2 throw to F3 and I had R1/R2 < 2 outs.

I am a softball person as well as a baseball person. I do not feel this way at all. The only thing the softball authorities want is for an umpire's signals to communicate a clear meaning to everyone watching. That is why softball umpires appear to be deliberate with their signals. No softball organization demands that every umpire do the mechanics exactly as written. Every softball umpire I have worked with signals differently, but the meaning is clear, just like a baseball umpire with good signals. I just wanted to explain here why softball does what it does.

As for baseball, I use a different hammer there because (surprise) it's a different game, and I think it's still obvious I'm calling a strike. I also want to keep my eyes on the field. But as with lots of other things in baseball, I think you should do what works for you. It's not a big deal to me as long as I can tell what the call is.

Sounds like softball mechanics.

You can still turn your head and point without doing a complete Dutch Rennert style call, like your fancy partner, and still not miss anything on the field. It's called peripheral vision.

The association I joined this year has trained us to use the hammer. It took me several times with the pitching machine to get used to it, but I haven't gone back to the point since. In fact, tonight was my first game with the league I've been with for a few years -- and my first time using the hammer. I thought about going to the point for their games, but I found the hammer works for me.

How elaborate was his call? I'd guess the play would have taken at least 5 seconds or so to get to the explosion, which seems odd that he couldn't have been finished by then.

Five seconds is a very long time.

The PU started to step and look away as the catcher was releasing the ball. It skipped past the pitcher and rolled to the second baseman, who was moving in for the back-up. The guy started to get back to the plate and was startled and out of position and blew the call.

If a runner took five seconds to run 80 feet, that would make him slower than ... me, for instance. This guy was a rabbit.