Must be a new season

[Robmoz]

Originally Posted by Dexter555

Mitt question has been answered.

At 12U there's a high probability of a catcher too far back, and a high probability of strikes hitting the dirt because of it. (At the higher levels, there's more velocity/flatter pitches, so fewer in the dirt even if F2 is back). Fundamentally I rarely call a pitch in the dirt a strike. At younger ages in instructional league ball, I'm telling the catcher to move up and often his coach. Tournaments and older ages I'm staying quiet unless asked, and the too deep catcher will cost his pitcher some strikes.

Too far back? Again I reference the size of the catcher's box (agreed, often not even marked on most fields) so how far is TOO FAR for you?...you even acknowledge that a strike can hit the dirt but yet you still say you won't call it a strike, why not? You want to send a message the the HC but by not calling it you are really giving the batter a huge advantage....that is not right at any level.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Robmoz

Too far back? Again I reference the size of the catcher's box (agreed, often not even marked on most fields) so how far is TOO FAR for you?...you even acknowledge that a strike can hit the dirt but yet you still say you won't call it a strike, why not? You want to send a message the the HC but by not calling it you are really giving the batter a huge advantage....that is not right at any level.

I dunno...I may not have much experience in this strike-calling thing, but if I call a pitch in the dirt a strike, I'm probably not going to be working much anymore.

[Dexter555]

Originally Posted by Robmoz

Too far back? Again I reference the size of the catcher's box (agreed, often not even marked on most fields) so how far is TOO FAR for you?...you even acknowledge that a strike can hit the dirt but yet you still say you won't call it a strike, why not? You want to send a message the the HC but by not calling it you are really giving the batter a huge advantage....that is not right at any level.

"Too far" is far enough that a potential strike in the bottom of the zone can hit the dirt before the mitt. Why won't I call it a strike? If I am fully convinced it was a strike, I'll call it. But I can't remember ever hearing it from a DC for not calling a pitch in the dirt a strike. It's a near certainty to hear from the OC if you call it a strike. And while I don't let potential coach "feedback" influence my calls, I tend to look at that the result as decent calibration/validation.

As for "giving the batter a huge advantage?" Hardly. The very bottom of the zone, and any decent coach will see it and correct his catcher. When I coached Legion ball, if I felt we weren't getting the bottom of the zone, I blamed the catcher far more often than the ump.

[nopachunts]

I was doing a HS Varsity game and the only negative feedback I heard was on a 12/6 curve ball that the F2 didn't get his mitt under and the pitch hit the dirt. The pitch was a strike all the way but the 1B coach said it hit the dirt.