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  #1 (permalink)  
Old Wed Aug 30, 2000, 12:22am
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quote:
Originally posted by PeteBooth:
While I realize that our calls (for kids that do not shave) need to be signalled and verbalized IMO there is a limit.

Pete Booth



I agree with Mark to an extent: The third strike should receive extra emphasis, if only to communicate to the kid that he's done for that at bat.

But I have seen an umpire hop around in a T-Ball game, yelling "Strike 6!" (Or whatever.)

You're doing it mostly right, Pete. During my career I generally started my "showboating" with plays in the Pony Division of Pony League (13-14). Down here those guys are all shaving and many of them are raising kids.

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Old Wed Aug 30, 2000, 12:37am
rex rex is offline
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Well pull out the tar and feathers cause I disagree.


Everyone is thinking about the poor little guy that was caught looking, Poor little guy just stood there we shouldn't make him feel bad. Tisk Tisk.

Hay guys there's another little guy the same age trying as hard as he can to get that white rock into an area about the size of a donut hole. (Well I'll bet that's what he thinks our strike zone is)

If the kid with the stick gets a hit everybody behind the chain link lets him know he did a good job. Where as the kid on the mound will get (maybe) a "nice pitch Joey".

The man (person) behind the plate is the only one that can tell him he made a really good pitch. When I have a nonshaver that is able to throw more than heat everybody knows it was a great pitch. And that goes for any called strikes not just the third one.

When they start shaving every other day or two I mellow out. Buy the time they get to the should shave twice a day stage you'd think my hero Joe Brinkman was behind the plate. At that age the man on the mound doesn't need any help with his ego.

I guess this comes from what I was taught along time ago. "We're not there (behind the plate) to judge how well the batter is doing. We're to judge how well the pitcher is doing."


rex
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Old Wed Aug 30, 2000, 12:53am
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I guess this comes from what I was taught along time ago. "We're not there (behind the plate) to judge how well the batter is doing. We're to judge how well the pitcher is doing.

Rex I realize you disagree and will not try to change your mind but again these are 12 yr. old kids where it is not uncommon for a good pitcher to have 10 - 13 strike outs per game.

I do not know which umpire started the chain pulling or other types of "showboating" but in a game between 2 equal teams called 3rd strikes are rare - that's probably the main reason for the emphasis ans selling of the call.

In LL majors - a good pitcher especially in the regular season will have many strike-outs
with pitches right down the middle of the plate. At age 12 a kid with good heat and any type of curve will have may strike-outs.

Personally I can't see pulling the chain or something similiar 12 - 13 times a game. To me it loses it's intended effectiveness. Your not "selling" a call when you do it on a regular basis.

Just my take as we all have our opinions

Pete Booth

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Old Wed Aug 30, 2000, 08:57am
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I would guess we have our own idiosynctasies
regarding a called strike 3 on a batter. My comment here lies with divisions of baseball and would like to know your thoughts to make me a better umpire.

To use Papa C's phrase - 1st for kids that do not shave
Here I simply say strike 3 - no emphatic gestures. I watched the LL World Series and what really got me was the way the PU would pump out (emphatically) a 12 yr. old kid on a called strike 3.

While I realize that our calls (for kids that do not shave) need to be signalled and verbalized IMO there is a limit.

The pressure is really on these kids and pumping them out emphatically to me serves no purpose. The kid feels bad enough and now we have the PU pulling the chain or something similiar indicating a called 3rd strike.

Now kids that do shave - That's a "horse of a different color" This is where I use the emphatic pulling of the chain etc. on a called 3rd strike. To me the kids in the older divisions appreciate this more as in most instances the called 3rd strike is on a real good pitch that hits the corner or a great hook that freezes the batter.

So gentlemen I would like to hear from you concerning the mechanics of a called third strike as it relates to both kids that do not shave and those that do.

As always Thanks


Pete Booth
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Old Wed Aug 30, 2000, 10:51am
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All called 3rd strikes are calls that should be "sold" (at least to a certain extent). The mechanic is not designed to put on a show or to embarass the batter. I agree it should be "toned down" the younger the player.

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Mark
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Old Wed Aug 30, 2000, 11:09am
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quote:
Originally posted by PeteBooth:
I would guess we have our own idiosynctasies
regarding a called strike 3 on a batter. My comment here lies with divisions of baseball and would like to know your thoughts to make me a better umpire.

To use Papa C's phrase - 1st for kids that do not shave
Here I simply say strike 3 - no emphatic gestures. I watched the LL World Series and what really got me was the way the PU would pump out (emphatically) a 12 yr. old kid on a called strike 3.

While I realize that our calls (for kids that do not shave) need to be signalled and verbalized IMO there is a limit.

The pressure is really on these kids and pumping them out emphatically to me serves no purpose. The kid feels bad enough and now we have the PU pulling the chain or something similiar indicating a called 3rd strike.

Now kids that do shave - That's a "horse of a different color" This is where I use the emphatic pulling of the chain etc. on a called 3rd strike. To me the kids in the older divisions appreciate this more as in most instances the called 3rd strike is on a real good pitch that hits the corner or a great hook that freezes the batter.

So gentlemen I would like to hear from you concerning the mechanics of a called third strike as it relates to both kids that do not shave and those that do.

As always Thanks


Pete Booth



I agree also. In frosh ball, I wouldn't be as emphatic as in a varsity game.
Bob

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Old Wed Aug 30, 2000, 02:20pm
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while I am a member of the "ring 'em up" crowd, I do tone down the volume of my verbal call for 9-10 yr olds.....starting at 11-12 I try and keep my strike 3 mechanic the same for every batter from that age through High School...only time I differed was at a tournament this summer for 11-12's....great pitcher, great location...struck out the side in the first 3 innings..........starting about the fourth inning, I was just ringing them up with one hand and saying stike 3.......6 innings ...16 strikeouts.......the score of the game?? his team squeeked out a win 4-3......catcher dropped about every called 3rd strike....isnt youth ball grand?
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Old Thu Aug 31, 2000, 06:19pm
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I may tone down the volume a tad if I'm doing a 9/10 regular season game but otherwise, my called strike 3 mechanic is the same. I've actually found that after having umpires who are generally less experienced, less vocal and/or potted plants, the kids are excited to see you walk on the field again to do one of their games. Then like to see someone w/ a showing an effort and an interest in their game and they percieve your normal mechanics as just that. I do agree though w/ Johnny not so good I'll be even less vocal and the mechanic will be a bit smaller though.

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Old Thu Aug 31, 2000, 10:52pm
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Awww, these guys doing the LLWS knew that the cameras were on them, so I think the showboating was emphasized more so since they were on national TV. Not to mention the fact that 42,000 people were watching them as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if these same umpires are less emphatic in LL games with 20 moms and dads in the bleachers.
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Old Fri Sep 01, 2000, 02:12am
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dave Hensley:
[B]10 or more K's per game is not all that common in the typical LL majors game, but yeah you could see such a game with a good pitcher.

But they're never ALL backwards K's. After the first one or two called strike three's, even a totally outmatched team will still start taking their hacks.

I don't automatically tone down my called three mechanic just because I'm doing, say, a 12 yearold LL majors game. I will, however, ease up when it's obvious the kid at the plate is the unskilled, uncoordinated kid that spends most of his time on the bench. If I have to ring that kid up, I find myself doing it in a more muted fashion.

But if the pitcher/batter matchup seems to be a fair fight, I'm *into* it, and if the at-bat ends up in a called three, I'm ringing it with my standard mechanic, which is a simple yet emphatic "THREE" with a chainsaw.

I didn't see a *called* strike three mechanic in the LLWS that I objected to. I did see a couple of umpires verbalize swinging strike three's, which is, by my training, a rather serious umpiring faux paus.

What's wrong with verbalizing "Strike three"? As long as you don't also say "He's out". or "You're out"? The pros verbalize, I always have, and I see nothing wrong.
Bob

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Old Sat Sep 02, 2000, 08:53am
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave Hensley:
What's wrong with verbalizing "Strike three"? As long as you don't also say "He's out". or "You're out"? The pros verbalize, I always have, and I see nothing wrong.

The pros verbalize "Strike Three" on a *swinging* strike? I don't think so. They signal, very casually usually, but there's no verbal. You would verbalize on a checked swing, either "Yes, he went!" or "Ball, no he didn't go!" but when the batter swings, everybody knows it's a strike. The standard of practice at the youth and adult amateur levels I work, and the pro umpires I"ve observed, is to signal but not verbalize a swinging strike.



*******************************************

Dave:

I verbalize a swinging strike. ONly loud enough for the catcher hear. The only reason is so that he knows I saw it and that it was a strike. While it may be obvious to everybody else, I have seen the PU miss an obvious swing before.

Blaine
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