CWS - Plate Ump @ Vandy v. Florida

[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.