Hey Guys n' Gals,

Well, I had my 1st review (Slowpitch) this past Sunday and got the results today. I'm a little baffled, however, at one comment made about my plate mechanics while the pitch is being delivered. I haven't had a chance to discuss this with him or my UIC but would love your input here.

Here's his comment: Set position - See Rule pg. 208. This is upright or slightly leaning foward. Mark (that's me) moves & crouches down as the pitch comes in. He needs to just get a set position.


My problem with his evaluation is the fact that I got my mechs directly off the video with Henry Pollard (I think that's his name, right?). He points out that you should remain standing as the pitch is beginning in order to better call illegal pitches, and as the pitch comes in, crouch down to make the call.

So, as I sit here getting ready to go work some games tonight I'm stuck thinking, "Who do I listen too? This part time umpire/reviewer, or Henry Pollard?"

Frustrating to say the least. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and give Henry "Mr Umpire" Pollard the benefit of the doubt and continue to follow his lead. At least until I clear this up with my UIC.


Thanks for listening, I needed to vent and again would love your input.

[Edited by Alameda on Aug 2nd, 2005 at 07:39 PM]

you STAND until you see the legality of the pitch..and THEN you crouch to see it through the zone....

Yea, I went back and reread the entire rule book regarding plate mechanics and it agrees with me. The guy who evaluated me is getting very, very up there in years (80 maybe?). I plan on politely and professionally discussing this with my UIC.

Might be time to get a new Assoc evaluator.

It seems to me the crouch or bend was dropped from slow pitch mechanincs a few years ago.

Only out of Laziness.....

Well I'm pretty disenchanted with my Assoc. None of the Vets have uniform mechanics. Half of them don't huslte. Most of them just stand there at the plate and never lean in or anything on the pitches.

I'm moving a few states over next spring. Hope they will take me in there and have some pride in their work.

Until then, I'll just suck it up and do what I was taught and not what I see.

This place, right here, is a Godsend for those of us stuck in situations like this.

So for that, TYVM admins!!!


P.S. My rant is over! =)

[Edited by Alameda on Aug 3rd, 2005 at 03:28 PM]

Yes sir, I'll agree with that.

Seems to me the "set" position demonstrated on pages 208 & 211 of the ASA book show the umpire in a crouch. All the mechanics refer to "drop to the set" position.

Don't know where anyone would think it was "dropped". The best position for seeing strikes in SP is looking up through the strike zone.

You're gonna love the extended version of the comment then Mike.

"Mark (again me) moves and crouches down as the pitch comes in; he is looking up at the pitch; all of this is neither good or necessary - just get a comfortable position in the slot and let the pitch come! Moving gives the impression the plate umpire is "all over the place" with his zone."


Can I come work for you Mike? :(

I was referring to what I remembered from some clinic or umpire meeting, not my decision or any other umps. With me, laziness does not happen, so skip that factor. And I agree the "best position for seeing strikes in SP is looking up through the strike zone". Again, my comment was about an instruction, not my choice.

I do what azbigdawg says, and I get the same kind of review. But like Alameda says, even the vets aren't a good example.

The vets I have to watch just pretty much stand there, upright, half-slotted, and make the call from that perspective.

Sorry, but I need to line my eyes up with the batter's shoulder. This also reminds F1 that the height of the zone depends on the height of the batter (my set crouch is REALLY low for short hitters!).

Sigh. I have to find what I'm comfortable with. The guys writing my evaluation aren't calling my game for me: I am. They can have any impression they want. Maybe I'll learn the upright sighting of the zone next year. Certainly not this one.

Seem awfully defensive lately. Did anyone refer directly to you?

No one said you were lazy.

I wasnt calling anyone in the post lazy.....but the machanics have gone from the proper crouch to an umpire standing there and guessing whether the ball is in the zone or not...it LOOKS lazy to do it that way....it IS lazy to do it that way...

I agree completely with your statement.
I no longer work the same volume of slowpitch that I have in the past but I regularly see veteran umpires with many National Championships under their belts who never make any effort to look "throgh" the strike zone.
Deep, short, and lots of hand signals are also in evidence.
About the only time they change to doing it correctly is when a "new" umpire comes along or when they know the UIC is looking to see who needs to go to a National.

sigh..........laziness reigns at times.

OK, I guess I have been more frustrated lately and end up sounding defensive. Sorry, everyone.

I realize that azbigdawg wasn't calling me lazy individually, but at the time I took it to mean those, including me, who changed posture did it out of laziness, rather than what I/they thought was instruction. Of course, some are always lazy, always stood straight up and have never been in fair ground as PU. OK, I guess that's defensive too.