Saw a post on Ezteams re black lines.. and remembered this occurance at my ASA Mechanics and Rules thingy a little while back...

27 inches.. thats the strike zone...

4 in for ball .. L/R = 8
+
1 inch per black line X 2 =2
+
17 inches for the plate.. == 27 Inches wide

I remember smiling to myself thinking.. ole Irishmike would be going into cardiac arrest.

Thoughts on the 27 inch strike zone being taught by ASA's elite umpire squardran? Oh and the umpire teaching that WAS ASA elite...literally. Even had the cute little hat and everything.

The elite ump promised all the way through D1 college calling a 27 inch wide zone keeps everyone happy.

Good class though.. but thought I'd toss this out there for response

[Edited by wadeintothem on Feb 16th, 2006 at 03:06 PM]

FTR the games i see at D1 you could tack on another 7 or 8 inches wide on the zone and everyone would be happy..

Oh yeah, he suggested the BBox lines be used as a guage.

Another reason to call a strike on them for wiping out the lines, eh? :)

Haha.. yep, "Hey dont do that you'll mess up my strike zone"

Yep, I've been teaching this for years. You call anything that touches the black lines.

Please note: The 27" isn't the width of the strike zone, but the size of the window a ball may pass through and still be a strike.

Meanwhile, you have guys who insist the entire ball pass through the strike zone. Those are the guys who will not be my partner.

Heck, I seem to have one guy that won't call a strike unless the ball is swung at... and even then, not all the time.

hmm maybe i have you confused with someone else, i thought a pet peeve of yours was considering the black part of the plate. Apparently its not you...

I've seen this idea posted on softball forums every now and then, and it baffles me. What is the basis for wanting the entire ball in the zone? I've never heard the concept associated with baseball, and although the zone is different for the 2 sports, I can't see how it differs in this respect.

Mike

If the batter's box lines are properly drawn and you see them for a couple of
innings, you know that a softball can pass into this area and be a strike.

I use the river, ocean theory. Stays out of lines of BB, then it is in
the river and a strike, goes inside box, "ocean" ball. Lay a softball on
the side of the plate in the blank area between HP and BB lines. Looks
like a strike to me.

Whiskers and Mike you are my men .
That zone you get no crap , maybe a look from a batter but thats all .

I called that zone for 2 top mens teams 1hour 25 4-3 ball game and not a whisper.
Sweet

Are the lines the river or the ocean?
 

If any part of the ball is over the Batter's box line closest to home plate, is that a ball? To state it another way, does the entire ball have to be between the Batter's box line and the plate to be a strike?

Do you give the same strike zone on the outside corner as well?

No, my pet peeve are people who insist the black is not part of the plate. Speaking ASA, that is the interpretation set forth by the national staff. Has been for quite a while.

Well theres someone around here that does.. I never heard that til offforum or ezteams.. my bad, thought it was you.

Re: Are the lines the river or the ocean?
 

<b>NO</b>, it can center the line, but that's cutting it fine.

Do you give the same strike zone on the outside corner as well?

<b>YES</b> In or Out side corners. Honestly, I rarely have problems from
coaches, catchers, cause I call it for both teams and they know it.

At our local clinic for new candidates, our clinicians (who are NYS clinicians) try to teach the newbies to imagine the old Chevy logo as to the shape of the zone...