Which pitches are strikes?
 

A lot of people say they like to call strikes, but would you call the third pitch in this video a strike? Do you reward the catcher's framing on the last one?

YouTube - The 36 Inch Strike Zone

Why would you "reward" that or really anything? The guy knows how to catch a ball correctly, big deal.

When you are setup further out than "cup on the corner" (ie. line up with your cup on the outside corner), I don't even know why you'd bother framing. Well, I guess I do know why, but I don't know why anyone would buy into it.

One of those could have been a strike.

I agree. Never heard the term "cup on the corner" but is that a good way to reference when the catcher is too far for framing to do the pitcher any good?

I like to think it is, but that's just because it works for me. You figure if the guy has his cup on the corner, or more generally the middle of his body, a ball that he catches straight at him is probably right on the corner. To his right (on a lefty) gets the plate. Anything to his left (on a lefty) is a ball. The further out he moves, the less of a chance he has of being anywhere near the zone.

I might even go with the second as a strike....but the third....NO WAY!

Ah, quit your whinning, you looked at three hittable pitches, didn't take the bat off your shoulders once and call yourself a hitter. Sit your butt down.

Actually it was a little outside but, sometimes s**t happens baby.

You're kidding, right?!? Maybe the first, but the second and third pitches, I'd be embarrassed if I was the PU and saw this video of these strike calls.

Like he said.

And I would be more embarrased as a hitter. He didn't complain about the pitches until the third one and I agree it was outside but, by then he should of known she was calling the pitch in that area and taken the dang bat off his shoulder. Any batter that allows three borderline pitches to go by and stand there and look like he can't wait to get back on defense, don't deserve to stand there long.

Like he said.

First of all, I seldom if ever have anything scheduled immediately following a ballgame. So I don't call those strikes.

Secondly ...

Whether you're willing to admit it or not, Kevin, I'm sure you've had your share of gross misses as well. We all have.................

Tim.

You should learn more about batting. And at what point in the game do you advise a batter should "take the bat off his shoulder" on a pitch a foot outside?

Two of those pitches were not "borderline," and their being called a strike is a disgrace to umpiring and as illuminated above, should be an embarrassment to any umpire caught on tape calling it.

I have absolutely never called a pitch that far outside a strike. Never.

You just think you haven't....................


Tim.

Fixed that for ya.

I'm in umpiring for different reasons.

I know from personal experience and coaching experience that one thing for sure, except by accident, I never made contact with a pitch with the bat on my shoulder. Anyone of those pitches could have been taken to the opposite field. Something a good hitter would know. Something a hitter at that level would know. GO WITH THE PITCH and you control your at bat. Don't let the umpire make the decision for you because if I am doing the dish, I will.

Does it get all lonely up there on your high horse?

I don't see what the reason you're in umpiring has to do with making a gross miss on an outside pitch. Please connect the dots for me..............


Tim.

Only maybe for the first pitch? I've got a strike all game on that one, and I don't think anybody would question me. It was over the plate. The second one could be called a strike as well- it is hittable by anybody who can go the other way. The third pitch was outside.

All three were balls
 

I thought a strike had to cover any white portion of the plate. All three of these pitches never hit any white portion of the plate. Most of you state that the first one was or could be called a strike or that if it is hittable it is a strike. Is a hittable ball a strike? It is easy to see from this view but the PU view is a little different. If they are hittable I guess all three are strikes. That is a big hitter with a big bat, I assume the PU thought the same thing, "Just hit the dang thing man"! If it were me and with my lean experience and 50ish eyes I would have 2 balls and 1 stike on the batter, on a good day.

Thank you very much for taking me on a little nostalgic trip.

I'm sorry, but we're not from the same part of the world when it comes to the art of batting. It's a great deal more complex than that.

Yea, yea, yea I forgot, in todays society everyone is a specialist, an expert at "THEIR ART" by the time they are 30. Bored by 40 and burnt out by 50. Don't fool yourself, at 60 I could still out hit a lot of people out there using just the basics. which may just be too complex for you.

Wouldn't need my batting instructor, athletic trainer, physical therapist, phsycologist and agent/lawyer or six pairs of gloves either.

Complex my arse!!!!

I find it incredible that somehow this board survived its first eight years and two months.:D

Maybe the batter thought, hmm I guess that was a strike(or he usually takes the first pitch)

Then, wow...that seemed outside.

Then the last one was preposterous.

You are actually blaming a batter for not arguing balls and strikes?

The batter deserved to be 3-0 or at worst 2-1.

That umpire is awful.

If you call pitches as bad as pitch numbers 2&3 strikes, then you are an awful umpire.

The off-season wasn't always this bad. Oh wait... :eek:

Happy Birthday Baby.

We Be just warming up here. Actually it's been fun.

And maybe the umpire was calling those pitches that way the whole game. Your willing to throw the umpire under the bus because of one batter. Well I am backing the umpire and throwing the batter under the bus.

Oh and by the way, just to set the record straight, I am awfully good, thankyou.

Oh, I see. If an umpire is horrible often, it is better, eh?

You have set your fantasy record in your head straight.

In the real world, if you call those pitches strikes, you are a rotten umpire.

Additional options not discussed:

1) The camera angle was off

2) The zone was appropriate for the league

3) It was a FYC (the batter did appear to be saying something after the second pitch)

4) The umpire just missed it

5) The score was 25 - 0

Wow your expertise in baseball officiating is beyond belief. Not only are you able to determine an officials ability from one at bat, but, you are also a great evaualator of officials over the internet, that you have NEVER seen. You got talent there.

Not sure if I would enjoy working with you though because you would probably be at first base discussing my strike zone and throwing me under the bus, with your new buddy, the base coach. I see where your coming from.

I would at least suggest you take some of Bobs points into consideration though before you are so fast to criticze. Who knows, some day the camera may be watching you. But then again, I forgot your perfect all the time, right.

I'm with Bob on this one. We don't have all the info.

And if a hitter wants to crowd the plate that much, he should be putting at least those first two pitches into left field all day long. The last one appears pretty well off the plate, but I can't call the first two gross misses.

Your own post judges you. You are the one that blamed the batter for a not arguing bad calls and not swinging at a pitch in the other batters box.

I have never seen you umpire. All I am saying is that if anyone calls those pitches strikes, he or she stinks-including you.

No one else here raised that. It looks like it is right on.

Nope, the other batter's box is not a strike.

If it was a FYC, then the umpire stinks.


It seems pretty clear to me and almost every commenter here that you are correct, sir.

Still no excuse for the third pitch and probably not the second.

Don, that is what the COACH should be saying-not the umpire. The umpire should be calling the pitches correctly.

I tell my 9 and 10 year olds to forget about the umpires and swing at the first pretty good pitch. We have had two balls that hit batters in the foot called strikes and three that hit home plate.

Just show them some Vladimir Guerrero tape then. :D:D

I knew I was being too vague. I think MByron got it, though.

(Official Forum is 9 years old this month. My surprise is how we ever made it the first 8 years and 2 months without benefit of the expertise that we've had the last 10 months.)

It was an indie pro league, for whatever that's worth.

Now, this is funny...................


Tim.

Oh, I get it now...it was a shot at Kevin Finnerty. You really were being vague.

I was referring to the kids on my son's team.

Camera angle:
I thought the angle was good. What would be a better angle?

FYC:
If it was, why didn't the umpire not pull the trigger with a bit more aggression on the third pitch?

League:
If it's a professional league, hitters should be able to hit the outside pitch the other way. That being said, the first two were very hittable, and the third could have been fouled off by a good contact hitter.

I think that by working in the slot, we develop a slightly larger outside corner. I think a lot of umpires routinely call the 2nd pitch a strike.

It's tough to tell if the camera is directly overhead or not. If the camera is on the side of the LH batter's box, it will make the pitches in the video look more outside.

Why would it be with more aggression? The few times I've doen this, it was more matter fo fact.

Perhaps, But the width of the zone tends to go down as the level goes up.

My answer to the question of the OP is this: Any pitch I think is a strike is a strike, :D.

MTD, Sr.

Definitely old school. Both pro and college supervisors are working to eliminate the individualized strike zone.

It's a damn shame too. Might as well use robots. Oh wait, they're working on that too!

Some of that new and improved umpire ed-u-a-cation stuff, eh?

Next thing we will need is two home plate umpires speacialists (HPUS'S). One will only call "STRIKE" and the other "BALL". Closes pitches will be decided by the BALLCAM inside the catchers cup.

I also understand that not too far in the future implants will be embedded into each palyer for purposes of defining an electronic strike zone field. (ESZF) (Im am only acronizing because it the new and improved way.)
When the ball touches the established electronic field that is defined by each player and electronic sensors placed at the ends of the plate, the RED light on top of the HPUS's beanie will go off, similar to NHL goal device.

Sorry guys the BEANIE is back.

Ball, strike arguments will be enhanced, (strictly for entertainment purposes) to best of three arm-wrestling matches in between innings.

Oh and most importantly, all umpires will wear PINK shirts because our supervisors will all be woman by then and, well, they show up better on TV. Why Not???????

Lighten up. It was a joke. :D

MTD, Sr.

It is glaringly obvious from your comments why you would not want any evaluation process at all. You favor calling pitches in the other batter's box a strike.

I am in favor of any evaluation of my umpiring that would help me do a better job. I have not done College in a while and never did Div I so, I doubt that I will be seeing any cameras personally but, it is possible that they might help...no way of knowing unless it is tried.

What he said!!

Two thumbs up, a snap, and a whistle!
 

I thought your post was rather amusing, even funny in places...I give it two thumbs up! (it only lets me give one, but use your imagination)