Must be a new season

[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.