Brett Lawrie throws helmet at Miller

[REFANDUMP]

If I missed pitches that badly, I wouldn't be doing high school or college games. Why MLB allows that, I have no clue. These umpires need to be held to a higher standard. Disgraceful !!!

[CT1]

Originally Posted by REFANDUMP

If I missed pitches that badly, I wouldn't be doing high school or college games. Why MLB allows that, I have no clue. These umpires need to be held to a higher standard. Disgraceful !!!

Does your HS/college group have a union?

[REFANDUMP]

Originally Posted by CT1

Does your HS/college group have a union?

I think you hit the nail on the head. I'd like to work with a wise man such as yourself, assuming you could carry me !!!

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by REFANDUMP

If I missed pitches that badly, I wouldn't be doing high school or college games. Why MLB allows that, I have no clue. These umpires need to be held to a higher standard. Disgraceful !!!

Give me a break. If you did not call the 5th pitch a strike at some point, your games will take much longer at the HS level I can guarantee you that one. That might be the closest you would get in many HS games to the outside corner.

Peace

[REFANDUMP]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Give me a break. If you did not call the 5th pitch a strike at some point, your games will take much longer at the HS level I can guarantee you that one. That might be the closest you would get in many HS games to the outside corner.

Peace

I will give the pitcher the corner. I will not give a pitcher 5 - 6 inches off the plate. It sounds like you're a good, quality official who works at a high level. I'm guessing that you don't either.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by REFANDUMP

I will give the pitcher the corner. I will not give a pitcher 5 - 6 inches off the plate. It sounds like you're a good, quality official who works at a high level. I'm guessing that you don't either.

I have never had a game with a computer tracking my calls either. And that pitch by all accounts was what gets called at the HS and college levels all the time. Half the time in HS if a pitcher can get the ball around the plate you call as many strikes as you can. Let us not get ridiculous and think that we are so good or have so much talent that we would not call that pitch a strike under the right circumstances. If you do, then you are lying to yourself and your ability. Even with my ability, whatever that might be, I still have to do what I can to call strikes or my games will never end.

Peace

[jwwashburn]

Jrutledge, you actually do not think it was likely that the umpire did an FU on that pitch? Of course, none of us know for sure...but, come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

Jrutledge, you actually do not think it was likely that the umpire did an FU on that pitch? Of course, none of us know for sure...but, come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

Jwash,

I did not comment on what the umpire did or did not do. I am commenting only on the actions and I do not care what the umpire did, that did not justify his actions to throw a helmet. Would have been OK for the umpire to punch him in his grill? And unlike some I cannot get into guys heads and know why they do anything unless they tell me or comment on the issue. I have not heard from the umpire or even seen other pitches in that game. I love how guys want to complain about someone, but only show part of the story and then we have to accept your version of what happened.

Peace

[MD Longhorn]

Love how that chart shows pitches coming in at a pinpoint. Let's ignore that the ball has width. Let's also ignore that the ball is not moving on a straight line perferctly parallel to the ground. Let's even further draw a line at the top that is identical for every batter.
That chart isn't worth the kB required to create it.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Even with my ability, whatever that might be, I still have to do what I can to call strikes or my games will never end.

Cheater.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Even with my ability, whatever that might be, I still have to do what I can to call strikes or my games will never end.
Peace

Even at the college level (I only work small college), I aggressively call strikes. I work with some umpires who call coffee can-sized zones (pitches outside corner called balls and forget about the ones at the hollow of the knee -- too much work to get those) and those are the 3+ hour games where everyone gets pissy and the gripes start out low with a gradual crescendo.

Do I go into the other batter's box? Hell, no. But a pitch just off the corner is going to be a strike all day. Inside and outside. Both ways. If you bought coaches a beer and asked them about it, they'd tell you they would rather have an umpire call strikes from the first pitch, I'm sure. I know one or two have said that to me away from the field.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

Even at the college level (I only work small college), I aggressively call strikes. I work with some umpires who call coffee can-sized zones (pitches outside corner called balls and forget about the ones at the hollow of the knee -- too much work to get those) and those are the 3+ hour games where everyone gets pissy and the gripes start out low with a gradual crescendo.

Do I go into the other batter's box? Hell, no. But a pitch just off the corner is going to be a strike all day. Inside and outside. Both ways. If you bought coaches a beer and asked them about it, they'd tell you they would rather have an umpire call strikes from the first pitch, I'm sure. I know one or two have said that to me away from the field.

You do not have to buy them a beer to figure out that coaches do not want to be out there more than we have to be. As long as you call strikes for both teams I have found that coaches get upset with their players watching close pitches. I have even had coaches say to their batters, "He has been calling strikes all game, swing the damn bat." I have rarely had a coach complain at any college level when I called strikes and I have worked D1 before too. It is when I did not call a strike they get upset (even if it is clearly outside, but that is another issue).

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

You do not have to buy them a beer to figure out that coaches do not want to be out there more than we have to be. As long as you call strikes for both teams I have found that coaches get upset with their players watching close pitches. I have even had coaches say to their batters, "He has been calling strikes all game, swing the damn bat." I have rarely had a coach complain at any college level when I called strikes and I have worked D1 before too. It is when I did not call a strike they get upset (even if it is clearly outside, but that is another issue).

Peace

Actually, most coaches will buy the first round. I always get the second. Baseball people are good people to be around for the most part.

You're dead on about calling strikes, though. Makes me shake my head when umpires have a small zone and both teams complain.

[DRJ1960]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

Even at the college level (I only work small college), I aggressively call strikes. I work with some umpires who call coffee can-sized zones (pitches outside corner called balls and forget about the ones at the hollow of the knee -- too much work to get those) and those are the 3+ hour games where everyone gets pissy and the gripes start out low with a gradual crescendo.

Do I go into the other batter's box? Hell, no. But a pitch just off the corner is going to be a strike all day. Inside and outside. Both ways. If you bought coaches a beer and asked them about it, they'd tell you they would rather have an umpire call strikes from the first pitch, I'm sure. I know one or two have said that to me away from the field.

I never pitched any higher than DIII, but I could throw the ball in the strike zone from the time I was 8 years old. On the other hand... I did place it as far out of the zone as the ump would chase.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by DRJ1960

I never pitched any higher than DIII, but I could throw the ball in the strike zone from the time I was 8 years old. On the other hand... I did place it as far out of the zone as the ump would chase.

Absolutely.

I do not care how long my games take. If I did, I would officiate games which are timed. Do some coaches b!tch about my zone? Sure. Usually the ones with pitchers who can't throw strikes. I get at least two games a year in which my strike zone improves radically mid-game--right after a pitching change is made.

At the HS varsity and above, I make them hit the plate. My vertical zone is bigger than most because I DO call the hollow below the knee, and I DO call top of the abdomen.

Many batters work hard to develop a discriminating eye at the plate. They don't deserve to be screwed because pitchers can't throw strikes and umpires see a quick game as some sort of faux badge of honor.

My goal every game is to be neither aggressive nor passive in calling strikes. Contrary to what they teach at clinics at every level, I've never bought into the philosophy that coming up with the right arm on close pitches out of the zone is something to be proud of.