Well, it wasn't an EJ
 

Summer league: college players, some ex-pros, guys just looking to get some at-bats. Verry little grumbling in general. One night, hotshot D1 college batter drew a line past the outside corner after my strike call to make it a full count. I dummy up and put the incident in the hard drive.

Then St. Chylak, the patron of all umpires, intervened. The pitcher (now my buddy for life) threw the next one right down Broadway, maybe 3-4 inches above the belt. The line-drawer took the pitch. Thanks again, Nestor.

My usual strike-three ring-up is short and sweet. I drew this one out like I was Kiri Te Kanawa doing Carmen at the Met. Batter-rattus was a good 5-6 feet down the line toward 1B when I finally finished my aria. He turned toward me, mouth majestically agape. I beat him to the punch.

"Draw a line up there, Meat," I said.

Not a word from him, his coaches or teammates for the rest of the game.

As the Shakers say, sometimes things turn around until they come out right.

Ace in CT

That's a heartwarming story of grace and redemption, Ace. Thank you. :)

Nice! Very Nice!

Nice. That's one for the books. :D

"Draw a line up there, Meat."

I'll have to use that. Very clever. Very.

I am not a believer in the FYC, but the anecdote of a batter drawing a line and the umpire telling him "You just drew your strike zone for the rest of the game" does make me chuckle.

Did you follow it up with "rose goes in the front, big guy?"

I have tossed a couple of guys for drawing a line, and, based on youth, let a couple off the hook and remain in the game (after their stern, eye-opening warning). One of the guys I let stay came out later in the game to pitch. I stood behind the catcher while he loosened up and said, incredulously, "He's a pitcher?" The catcher said, "Yeah, can you believe that? [the way he shows up umpires]" So, as he's catching each warm-up pitch, every one that was even near a corner or a high spot, he says, "That's a ball." It was like he was telling me to go ahead and squeeze the little a------. He did this five times in eight pitches. It was hilarious.

Truth be told, I did not originate the line. A friend who used to do organized ball gave it to me.

ummmmm, a better question....

why AREN'T you calling it? (assuming you aren't from this posed question and your "thank you" response later in the thread.)

The STRIKE ZONE is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap.

I was only quoting

3-4 inches above the belt is a strike by the book and I will get that one every time. Heck, 3-4 baseballs above the belt is a strike by the book, but we don't see that very often.

Im not a baseball ump, but used to play, and I can strongly say I feel you were 100% out of line. So what if the batter wrongly thinks he can take as much time as he wants. Give he as must time as granted in the rule book, then assess the penalty as prescribed in the rule book. I dont know the rules but Im willing to bet a substantial amount of $$ that the penalty for voicing an opinion on a rule that is wrong is not an objectionable offense.

Obviously the guy thought your strike call was too generous, but so what, are you gonna toss every pitcher that doesnt get a borderline pitch and walks off the mound and mutters something (a la carlos zambrano)

No ****.

Used to play, huh? I can't imagine why you're still not playing...:rolleyes:

You lose. 9.01(d).

You need to buy a tape measure. Three or four baseballs above the belt is the armpit. That hasn't been a strike by the book in a loooooooong time.

A little more than the height of one baseball above the top of the uniform pants is a strike by the book. That's the midpoint described in the rule.