The Official Forum  

Go Back   The Official Forum > Baseball

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #16 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 09:52am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 1,107
Quote:
Originally Posted by MD Longhorn View Post
I can't imagine ANY catcher wants the umpire's hands on him while he's trying to field a 90+ mph moving pitch.
I wouldn't do it myself, but it's not bad. You forget about it after the first few pitches.

(I was a catcher through college)
Reply With Quote
  #17 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 10:23am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: NY
Posts: 1,428
Quote:
Originally Posted by briancurtin View Post
I wouldn't do it myself, but it's not bad. You forget about it after the first few pitches.

(I was a catcher through college)
I think you are an anomaly, Brian. I have asked a lot of college catchers about this, and just about all of them said they hate being touched by the umpire, although none of them said they would object to it.
Reply With Quote
  #18 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 11:25am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Plymouth, MN
Posts: 741
Send a message via Yahoo to MNBlue
What is the advantage of being that close and/or putting your hands on the catcher?
__________________
Mark

NFHS, NCAA, NAFA
"If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?" Anton Chigurh - "No Country for Old Men"
Reply With Quote
  #19 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 12:44pm
In Time Out
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 25
Quote:
Originally Posted by briancurtin View Post
I wouldn't do it myself, but it's not bad. You forget about it after the first few pitches.

(I was a catcher through college)

You must have sat the bench then, because I've caught quite few games myself, and this stuff wouldn't fly with me.
Reply With Quote
  #20 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 12:46pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,716
Quote:
Originally Posted by MNBlue View Post
What is the advantage of being that close and/or putting your hands on the catcher?
Obviously the advantage is what has worked for him, in the +-10 yrs as a MLB Umpire. Although I would never subscribe to a stance like that, it is the thing that makes him comfortable behind the plate and enables him to do a good job with his strike zone.

I used to have a much lower crouch before my knees started to go bad and then I had to adjust. I used to feel that if I was looking at about the same height as the catcher was I had the best view. After two surgeries and a renewed stance, (Gerry Davis) I think I have have a better view and bigger zone.

Now as far as putting your hands on the catcher, I never liked it when I caught and would never do it to another catcher. A few times I asked the umpire not to do it because it bothered me and they always respected my wishes.
Reply With Quote
  #21 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 01:19pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Plymouth, MN
Posts: 741
Send a message via Yahoo to MNBlue
Quote:
Originally Posted by jicecone View Post
Obviously the advantage is what has worked for him, in the +-10 yrs as a MLB Umpire. Although I would never subscribe to a stance like that, it is the thing that makes him comfortable behind the plate and enables him to do a good job with his strike zone.
That's my question. Is it helping him lock in to his stance? Is it guiding him to the set height he wants? Is it guiding him to the distance behind the catcher that he wants?
__________________
Mark

NFHS, NCAA, NAFA
"If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?" Anton Chigurh - "No Country for Old Men"
Reply With Quote
  #22 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 02:44pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,716
Quote:
Originally Posted by MNBlue View Post
That's my question. Is it helping him lock in to his stance? Is it guiding him to the set height he wants? Is it guiding him to the distance behind the catcher that he wants?
Sorry I can't answer for him.
Reply With Quote
  #23 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 03:38pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: West of Atlanta, GA
Posts: 381
Quote:
Originally Posted by MNBlue View Post
That's my question. Is it helping him lock in to his stance? Is it guiding him to the set height he wants? Is it guiding him to the distance behind the catcher that he wants?
Any of this is possible. Some even say it helps to know where the catcher is going as well b/c they feel the shift.

If any ever did it, as a catcher, I never even noticed. As long as they didn't hinder me (and none did), I had other things to worry about.
__________________
Question everything until you get an irrefutable or understandable answer...Don't settle for "That's Just the Way it is"
Reply With Quote
  #24 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 03:50pm
APG APG is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,889
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Meyer View Post
You must have sat the bench then, because I've caught quite few games myself, and this stuff wouldn't fly with me.
This statement makes absolutely no sense at all.
__________________
Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some, given a chance to climb, they refuse. They cling to the realm, or the gods, or love. Illusions.

Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.

Reply With Quote
  #25 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 04:30pm
In Time Out
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 25
Quote:
Originally Posted by APG View Post
This statement makes absolutely no sense at all.
Why not?
Reply With Quote
  #26 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 05:42pm
Stop staring at me swan.
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2,974
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manny A View Post
This is Phil Cuzzi, and he's been using this close-in stance for a while. Here's another one of him with Orioles catcher Matt Wieters (sorry for the large size).



I'm sure Phil has no problem opening the gate and not interfering with a catcher's throw.

Personally, I would never get that close.
That is a fantastic shot...how did you get a hold of that?
__________________
It's like Deja Vu all over again
Reply With Quote
  #27 (permalink)  
Old Thu Oct 11, 2012, 07:46pm
APG APG is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 5,889
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Meyer View Post
Why not?
Sorry...read you initial post incorrectly.
__________________
Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some, given a chance to climb, they refuse. They cling to the realm, or the gods, or love. Illusions.

Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.

Reply With Quote
  #28 (permalink)  
Old Fri Oct 12, 2012, 07:01am
Stirrer of the Pot
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Lowcountry, SC
Posts: 2,380
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnyg08 View Post
That is a fantastic shot...how did you get a hold of that?
I just did a Google Images search for Phil Cuzzi.
__________________
"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
Reply With Quote
  #29 (permalink)  
Old Fri Oct 12, 2012, 07:47am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 18,016
Quote:
Originally Posted by APG View Post
This statement makes absolutely no sense at all.
it makes sense if you know his history.
Reply With Quote
  #30 (permalink)  
Old Fri Oct 12, 2012, 08:21am
Adam's Avatar
Keeper of the HAMMER
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: MST
Posts: 27,190
It may make sense, but it was borderline.
__________________
Sprinkles are for winners.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Help me kind gentlepersons! referee99 Softball 1 Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:30am
Another kind of streak Rich Basketball 11 Sat Feb 13, 2010 06:57pm
Kind of a weird one stick Basketball 18 Sat Feb 25, 2006 02:10pm
One of a kind challenge!! MJT Football 12 Tue Jan 04, 2005 01:14pm
kind of funny Junker Basketball 5 Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:01am


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:15am.



Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0 RC1