dropped 3rd strike

[bob jenkins]

It's been discussed ad nauseum over the past several years. I'll stick with my (and it's not just mine) mechanic. And, the play at first (at least that specific play) is different.

[MikeStrybel]

I never said you shouldn't. I simply pointed out the folly of helping a player rather than just making the call. Stick with what serves you best.

Yes, the play at first was different. Unless we are discussing the same play, all references to similar mechanics fall into that category. It happens all of the time here.

[UmpJM]

MikeStrybel,

The problem with the visual/physical mechanic only regarding your judgement of whether or not the catcher legally caught the pitch is that the two people with the most urgent need to know, the batter (-runner) and catcher, can't see your mechanic.

I use what Bob J. and Jim Evans suggest, both a physical and verbal mechanic:

If the catcher does not legally catch the ball, the umpire should signal the strike and then indicate physically and verbally tha the ball was not legally secured. By pointing to the ground and verbally stating "Ball's on the ground!" or "No catch!", the umpire is giving the batter a fair chance to advance and, also, informing the catcher that he may have other obligations to fulfill in order to retire the batter. - Jim Evans, Maximizing the Two_Umpire System

Were a coach come out to complain about my mechanics, I'd laugh in his f... I mean, thank him for his input and send him back to the dugout.

The catcher may know whether or not he caught the pitch, but he has no idea whether you JUDGED he caught it unless you let him know.

JM

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

MikeStrybel,

The problem with the visual/physical mechanic only regarding your judgement of whether or not the catcher legally caught the pitch is that the two people with the most urgent need to know, the batter (-runner) and catcher, can't see your mechanic.

I use what Bob J. and Jim Evans suggest, both a physical and verbal mechanic:



Were a coach come out to complain about my mechanics, I'd laugh in his f... I mean, thank him for his input and send him back to the dugout.

The catcher may know whether or not he caught the pitch, but he has no idea whether you JUDGED he caught it unless you let him know.

JM

Three decades later and never had a catcher that didn't know how to turn his head if he had a doubt. I have seen a few coaches get angry at umpires who alert runners to D3K though. Dance with who brought you, J. I hope all is well.

[Rich]

My verbal is simply, "NO! NO!" Never caused a problem. F2's not seeing the safe signal and why should he turn around and delay from making a play?

I agree with Bob -- stick with what brought you.

[MD Longhorn]

This situation has always frustrated me. For some reason, the easiest and most obvious way for an umpire to quickly and clearly unmuddy this situation is anathema to both baseball and softball PTB.

What in the world would be wrong with simply using the word OUT when we have an out... just like every other time that we have an OUT. For some reason, those loftier than me think it's bad form to tell the batter they are out when they are, indeed, out.

The EASY way to fix this messy nonsense with umpires making signals to people that can't see them (Strybel ... why would signalling safe help any player), or having different calls (catch, no catch, NO NO, "ball on the ground!" (Really!?!?!)) etc is to SIMPLY call batters that are out on a caught 3rd strike OUT! If you don't say OUT, they are not out. Easy. Catcher's batters, etc can hear you say OUT, and can react if you don't. (PS - this would also help in the batter running to first to confuse matters with less than 2 outs and a runner on first - saying OUT clearly clears up this sitch too).

We - the umpires and our various supervisory boards - have made a complete muddy mockery of this whole situation. And it's flat out stupid that the easy fix is not the way to handle it.

Then the only difference we would have is "Strike! Batter's out!" (or strike 3 if you prefer), and simply, "Strike" or "Strike 3" (or "Swing!" on checks, etc).

Why is this the ONLY situation we are afraid to use the word "out"?

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

TWhat in the world would be wrong with simply using the word OUT when we have an out... just like every other time that we have an OUT.

You verbalize "OUT" on every out call you make?

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

The EASY way to fix this messy nonsense with umpires making signals to people that can't see them (Strybel ... why would signalling safe help any player).

I assume that those of us who do are emulating what we see the big boys and our NCAA partners use. It works for us. If you prefer calling "Strike three, batter out." go for it. Do you also alert the batter to a walk by saying, "Ball four, take your base."?

I said it before, use the mechanic that makes you comfortable.

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

My verbal is simply, "NO! NO!" Never caused a problem. F2's not seeing the safe signal and why should he turn around and delay from making a play?

I agree with Bob -- stick with what brought you.

Rich, I wrote that to Bob. I have said it to many others here as well. If your assignor, league, team, etc. demands that you do something different, do it. They pay the way and that's important.