CWS - Plate Ump @ Vandy v. Florida

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

I'm watching Vanderbilt and Florida play and thought my ears deceived me. The PU works the knee and is always in a solid slot position. He has made numerous calls, "Ball, out." I believe he worked the dish for an SC game in the series earlier and did the same thing. He tracks the pitch and allows his head an exagerrated turn left or right (depending on batter stance) as if to show everyone it is outside the strike zone. I've seen a few guys do this and know the crew working the CWS are incredible but I'm still a bit surprised. Around here, some of my partners would get on me for describing the pitch rather than just calling it. Coaches like to bark, "Where was that? It wasn't high/low." I can see where it may placate them by using the call and head move. Any of you use this mechanic?

Not to say you do this Mike, but you brought up a term that I feel amateur umpires use too much. Pitches aren't high or low. They are either up or down.

Up, down, in, out. If you need to answer a question. Don't get caught saying a pitch was high, you won't like what may come back at you.

[outathm]

I too use up, down, in, out. The other words can be mis-understood and lead to a problem - High -Why. Low- No. Up and down do not have anything that sounds like them in reference to pitches.

I too noticed him 'announcing' the game and thought it strange, but over all if that is all we can complain about this crew had done a tremendous job, and I for one think they have.

[jkumpire]

I freely admit I'm old school when it comes to things like this, but I never ever give location of a pitch. Ball is ball, strike is strike. If F2 asks nicely, I'll tell him what I had, if I hear a bench ask for it, I will unobtrusively point up or down, in or out, or give a nod if they offer a location. If a batter asks about location on a pitch, they get the same courtesy.

But they get only one or two answers like that in a game.

Why? My zone is my zone, it's not their zone, and I'm not going to have anyone question it on a regular basis. Nor am I giving a running commentary on where the F1 is or isn't locating a pitch. Let F2 do that on the bench after the inning.

I admit that philosophy was in vogue in the mid-1980's and beyond, and times have changed. But I'm not going to change how I do things when it comes to calling strikes.

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Not to say you do this Mike, but you brought up a term that I feel amateur umpires use too much. Pitches aren't high or low. They are either up or down.

Up, down, in, out. If you need to answer a question. Don't get caught saying a pitch was high, you won't like what may come back at you.

Please read what I wrote again. I specifically said that the coach will ask that of me. Usually, I'll just tell the catcher to show him up, down, in or out and they comply.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Not to say you do this Mike, but you brought up a term that I feel amateur umpires use too much. Pitches aren't high or low. They are either up or down.

Up, down, in, out. If you need to answer a question. Don't get caught saying a pitch was high, you won't like what may come back at you.

I'm curious. What are the negatives for these terms? It seems like semantics to me.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

I'm curious. What are the negatives for these terms? It seems like semantics to me.

"Ball"

"Where was that?"

"High"

"You're high if you think that."

As with any discipline, professional umpire training is fairly well uniform and the trade specific vocabulary is codified. Just like plumbers, doctors an pilots use are trained to use certain words in certain ways that may seem strange to outsiders, umpires are similarly trained.

It is not fatal to not follow that training, but it also isn't folly to stick with it.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

"Ball"

"Where was that?"

"High"

"You're high if you think that."

"Ball"

"Where was that?"

"Up"

"You can stick it UP where the sun don't shine if you think that."

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by yawetag

"Ball"

"Where was that?"

"Up"

"You can stick it UP where the sun don't shine if you think that."

[MD Longhorn]

I will VERY rarely give a location on corner pitches. If coach asks on a normal pitch, "Where was that," I'll tell catch under my breath, "Tell him". On the corner pitches, where they may truly not know if it was down, out, or both, I'll give that to them.

[DG]

The smartest catchers know what to say to coach when asked. They might say something different when they get to dugout, but not in front of the umpire. The dumb ones shake their head and act like it was down the middle, and I just tell them "wrong answer" and move on. Sometimes they learn..

[Rich]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

How about:

"Up."

"Up yours."

Quite frankly, this is a distinction without a difference. Almost as bad as arguing that "rodeo clown" is insulting.

[MikeStrybel]

+1

[Adam]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Quite frankly, this is a distinction without a difference.

It seems like every sport has these, then.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

How about:

"Up."

"Up yours."

Quite frankly, this is a distinction without a difference. Almost as bad as arguing that "rodeo clown" is insulting.

I wouldn't argue.

As I said, it's what is taught by the instructors during cage work atJim Evans Academy and becomes habit to some. Just as I wouldn't criticize those who don't use it, I don't believe those who do are any more deserving of criticism.

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

How about:

"Up."

"Up yours."

"Calm down, Billy Jack."