Never Heard This One Before

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

But if F2 is inside and has to reach all the way to the corner and the ball tips off his glove, -- that's probably going to be a ball (even if it caught the corner) in NCAA and pro ball.

And some umpires won't call that a strike even if the catcher is able to catch it.

It's really a self-preservation kind of thing, if you believe in that, that has gained some acceptance. A pitch won't appear to be in the zone when the catcher can't catch it, or has to reach way over to do so. Many umpires will call it a ball, and will very likely not hear anything from the defense. If they call it a strike, they WILL hear it from the offense.