MrUmpire,

I've never even been.

Do tell. It would seem you are suggesting it's taught "differently" now?

JM

At school it's still the same. It might even be the same at PBUC "finishing school".

But evaluators, in the past two years, have been telling working MiLB umpires to gain distance and angle; and that distance is as important and at times,more important as the angle.

They are playing a perception game. No calls from 60-90 feet away. Get close on first plays...even to the cut out and then worry about second plays.

Managers don't believe umpires make as accurate calls from long distance, regardless of the angle.

I've heard the same thing...they want the base umpires moving almost on the pitch to where a play could occur to gain distance. I'd imagine it's more of an issue in the two man system of course.

MrUmpire.

Gotcha'. Thanks. Interesting.

When I was first properly taught I had virtually no experience.

When I sought his counsel, a mutual acquaintance of ours suggested that would be a good thing, because I would not have ingrained habits to break.

When they explained "angle over distance", it made a lot of sense, though it was "counterintuitive" to me in the sense I'd never thought of it before.

My subsequent experience has only reinforced my conviction that the principle is sound. While I always TRY to achieve the optimum in both, when there is a "compromise" required, I always try to favor angle.

Until MY "boss" suggests he prefers the facade of "closeness" to the superior view of "angle", I'll continue to do so.

On the second point you raise....

When I have "self evaluated", there have been a number of occasions where I feel I may have "compromised" my position on an initial play, which I KNEW was going to happen, in order to put myself in a better position for a subsequent play that MIGHT happen.

One of the "areas for improvement" I'm focused on this year. I think a lot of it has to do with "reading" the play properly, and developing a better feel for the "probabilities" at the level of play I'm working that day.

JM