Umpire photo

[SAump]

Usually when I blink, both eyes open and close at the same time. Perhaps this umpire image has some scientific explanation.


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[umpjim]

It looks like an inside pitch. His nose was in the way of his dominant right eye seeing the pitch in close so he closed it and gave the left eye full pathway to the brain. Not sure if I'm being sarcastic or not. As I write it it's starting to make sense.

[Kevin Finnerty]

A blink out of fear of the ball grilling you can flutter a little, and with a shutter speed of 1/1500th of a second or faster, it might have the one eye closing as quickly as a thousandth of a second sooner than the other, and the camera will still freeze it.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

A blink out of fear of the ball grilling you can flutter a little, and with a shutter speed of 1/1500th of a second or faster, it might have the one eye closing as quickly as a thousandth of a second sooner than the other, and the camera will still freeze it.

And it is perfectly normal to blink on pitches coming toward your face. It is not a bad thing, but a natural part of the "fight or flight" mechanism built into our nervous system.

Totally bailing out on these pitches is a whole 'nuther story!

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

And it is perfectly normal to blink on pitches coming toward your face. It is not a bad thing, but a natural part of the "fight or flight" mechanism built into our nervous system.

Totally bailing out on these pitches is a whole 'nuther story!

If you can learn to stop bailing, you can learn to stop blinking.

[zm1283]

As a former catcher, I NEVER bail, but still blink on occasion. It even happens with very good catchers when a pitch is high and inside coming right at my face. I catch myself doing it maybe once a game.

[dash_riprock]

I find it pretty easy to not blink on pitches that are not swung at. It gets harder when the batter swings, especially if the bat is at eye level. ML catchers blink frequently when the batter swings.

[Kevin Finnerty]

That's exactly when I blink: bat at eye level swing.

It's probably a leading reason why some checked swings don't get called. I know that it's the reason on a few of mine.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

That's exactly when I blink: bat at eye level swing.

It's probably a leading reason why some checked swings don't get called. I know that it's the reason on a few of mine.

Yeah, that's usually the case with me. I can track the pitch right up to my mask, but when the batter swings at such a pitch, there sometimes is a blink involved. The human eye blinks naturally every few seconds anyway. I'm way too relaxed back there to consciously think about whether or not I am blinking. I just stay as focused as possible on every pitch.

[DG]

I'm sure I have done it, but I don't think I have ever seen myself blink on a pitch.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by DG

I'm sure I have done it, but I don't think I have ever seen myself blink on a pitch.

So you've never viewed photos of your calls taken with a zoom lens from straight on set at a really fast shutter speed? How very odd....

[JJ]

I think he was winking at the pitcher.

JJ

[justanotherblue]

Originally Posted by JJ

I think he was winking at the pitcher.

JJ

Or maybe U2...