strike three mechanic

[Little Jimmy]

I've been using what I think is a simple and clear strike three mechanic for a few years. For a swinging strike; verbal, arm goes to a 90 degree and then down in a strong hammer in front of my chest. It feels comfortable and it gets the job done. However I recently went to an NSA clinic where the UIC said I should start using a bow and arrow because this situation is "my time to shine". I tried it over some scrimmages this weekend and although I guess I could make the change I like what I already do.

My question for those that do various organizations is what do you use and why. From what I'm reading in the books, ASA, Fed and NSA all seem to be suggesting a version of what I already do. I know that we do what the people who pay us want us to do. Anybody ever asked to change to a more flashy style?

[SC Ump]

Swinging third strike, I just do the normal hammer. No need to get fancy... they know they swung. If it is a half swing, I give a loud "SWING" while pointing, followed by the normal hammer.

On my called strike for 1 or 2, I remain in set position and give a verbal "ha", then stand and give hammer. On a called third strike, I give the "ha" in the set position, but simultaneously, swiftly raise my arm making a fist on the way up.

I have been told by some that I need to go to the "bow-and-arrow" or "start-the-lawn-mower" signal, but I think that shows up the batter more than I should.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by SC Ump
Swinging third strike, I just do the normal hammer. No need to get fancy... they know they swung. If it is a half swing, I give a loud "SWING" while pointing, followed by the normal hammer.

On my called strike for 1 or 2, I remain in set position and give a verbal "ha", then stand and give hammer. On a called third strike, I give the "ha" in the set position, but simultaneously, swiftly raise my arm making a fist on the way up.

I have been told by some that I need to go to the "bow-and-arrow" or "start-the-lawn-mower" signal, but I think that shows up the batter more than I should.

ASA uses "SWING" as a request on a check swing. For the PU calling the swing on a possible check, it is suggested a point toward the batter with a strong "YES" accompanied by a strike signal.

Personally, a good abbreviated punch will suffice for a non-swinging third strike.

[BretMan]

Sometimes I have to wonder about evaluators and the things they come up with. Sure, they are usually senior officials that have been around the block and you have to respect their experience. But is everything they tell us necessarily right? I wonder- who evaluates the evaluators?

Case in point: this past weekend I attended a mechanics clinic. It was a good clinic and lots of fun, even if much of what was presented was stuff I already knew or had done in the same clinic the past few years. Even with all the repetition, if you pay attention you're bound to learn something!

One session included plate work, with live pitching in a batting cage, and the sessions were video taped and critiqued by senior members.

During my cage work, the instructor told me that I was getting set too late and should be getting down in position a little bit sooner.

After the session, the guy that reviewed my tape with me told me that I was getting set too soon!

I wonder which one was right?

Another oddity: during my plate session, the instructor stopped things and made a big deal about moving my head. Yet when viewed on the tape, on the pitch where he said I moved my head you could plainly see that it didn't budge a fraction of an inch!

A couple of pitches later, on a pitch that was low and way outside, you could see my head adjust ever so slightly at the end of the pitch, as it moved to the outer edge of my field of vision.

Then, on the tape, you can hear the instructor say, "That's better"!

I had a couple of other issues with the instructors teaching college mechanics to what was a group of high school umpires. When asked about it after the session, the instructor said that the college mechanic was better and that the high school mechanic "sucked".

And yet, we have had the high school mechanic drilled into us from day one at our association meetings and classes.

So, I wonder: is an evaluator always right? Do they sometimes criticize things just for the sake of being critical and to demonstrate their knowledge, even if their knowledge isn't exactly right? After all, they wouldn't be very good evaluators if the didn't evaluate...something.

[Edited by BretMan on Mar 14th, 2006 at 08:58 AM]

[AtlUmpSteve]

You didn't say if this was a softball clinic or a baseball clinic; not that it matters for your discussion, mind you.

I often feel the same way; and I am a college umpire, who is a state-wide ASA trainer, and a state-wide GHSA (Georgia High School) trainer. At every clinic, camp, or school, you will get a slightly different message, depending on the clinician. We have a set training staff in both organizations, in the effort to teach uniformly, but there are always variations, and personal preferences. To our advantage, many of the same people are on both staffs, and GHSA has adopted ASA softball mechanics (the differences with NFHS are minimal, and many more umpires across the state have had some ASA training). I have been known to say "this is how we teach it", followed by "here is an alternative which works for me and some others".

The head moving is what made me ask about baseball. "Tracking the ball" is taught in ASA to be done by keeping your nose pointing at the ball, a la Pete Rose, and the ball on the outside edge should have your head turn to track the ball across the plate and into the glove. To claim to do that with eye movement and peripheral vision only, when the glove is only 12" behind the plate (with the batter in the very front of the box) is not only phyically and anatomically impossible, but ludicrous. So, I would have absolutely agreed with the second evaluator, who noted you tracking the ball. If the first was referencing a head movement early in the pitch, he might be right, too.

Setting too early versus too late is pretty subjective. It might depend on the pre-pitch motions the pitcher makes, more so than a fixed time. Ideally, you want to be completely set when the ball is released to track it from hand to glove; when you start to set is the variable.

Oh, and another example of differences by clinicians; I was taught by Henry Pollard, then the Deputy Director for ASA, with Merle Butler in attendence to NEVER say YES, as he claimed it was inconclusive, and appeared to suggest we preferred one outcome over the other. He taught "swing" for years as the word to denote an attempt by the batter, and then "swing?" with a questioning tone to request help. And, Mike's Regional UIC, Bob Savoie was also in attendence at that ASA Advanced School when the "Swing?" first became the mechanic in place of "Did s/he go?"

[Skahtboi]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA

ASA uses "SWING" as a request on a check swing. For the PU calling the swing on a possible check, it is suggested a point toward the batter with a strong "YES" accompanied by a strike signal.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AtlUmpSteve

Oh, and another example of differences by clinicians; I was taught by Henry Pollard, then the Deputy Director for ASA, with Merle Butler in attendence to NEVER say YES, as he claimed it was inconclusive, and appeared to suggest we preferred one outcome over the other. He taught "swing" for years as the word to denote an attempt by the batter, and then "swing?" with a questioning tone to request help. And, Mike's Regional UIC, Bob Savoie was also in attendence at that ASA Advanced School when the "Swing?" first became the mechanic in place of "Did s/he go?"

I think that this serves to prove Bret Man's point!

[Andy]

Back to the strike three mechanic:

Swinging strike three - normal hammer, the batter knows they swung and missed and so does everybody else in the park. It's like the routine out call at first. No need to do anything fancy or sell the call, just signal it.

Non-swinging strike three - this is one area of the game where you get to add a little of your personality. Personally, I use what's been called "ripping sheets". The right hand goes up as I bellow "THREEEEEEE", then my hands come together as fists and I pull my right hand back toward me as my left hand thrusts out.

Whatever you do, you want to be more than routine, but less than showy. You also need to be able to keep your attention toward the field in case of a dropped third strike, attempted steal, etc. You still have the rest of the game to officiate.

I have seen umpires do all kinds of dances and gyrations out there on a called strike three that not only took their attention away from the field, but seemed to scream out "Hey, look at me!"

The best advice I can give is to find something that works for you and stick with it.

[BretMan]

AtlUmpSteve,

This was a baseball clinic for my local association. There were about 200 attendees. Most of the instructors were experienced NCAA guys and we even had a few with minor league experience.

Of all the rotten luck, our ASA state clinic was on the exact same day! Logistics made it easier for me to attend the baseball clinic, though I would have loved to be at the ASA one. I think that there are some upcoming ASA regional clinics in Cincinnati (about 120 miles south of me) that I have my eye on going to.

To answer a couple of your points:

I was getting set just as the pitcher started his motion/windup. Seemed about right to me!

On the head moving during a pitch: the times it was detectable it was a very minor adjustment right at the end of the pitch, kind of following the last few feet across the plate and to the catcher's mitt. Up until that last tiny little move my head looked steady.

This was definitely not flinching from the ball or tracking the whole pitch all the way like my head was on a swivel.

On pitches right over the plate, or to the inside (right at you if you're in the slot) there would be no head movement at all. The only time you would see a little movement would be on very low or very outside pitches. Kind of "keeping my nose on the ball" as it went to the outer edges of my peripheral vision- and kind of like the "Pete Rose" tracking you described.

I see this exact same movement, on the exact same pitches, by every home plate umpire I've watched this spring in televised spring training games and the World Baseball Classic. Dozens of umpires in dozens of games, at a higher level that I'll ever reach, and they all do this same tiny move.

Oh...by the way...on a called strike three, I do the "ripping" move that Andy describes above.

[Little Jimmy]

I appreciate the input. To elaborate just a bit, I went to an ASA national clinic last year and both Bob Savoie and Bernie (last name escapes me, sorry) were quite happy with my mechanic. This is my second year doing NSA and I didn't really want to remember one set of plate mechanics for one organization and something else for another.

[CecilOne]

Originally posted by Little Jimmy
I appreciate the input. To elaborate just a bit, I went to an ASA national clinic last year and both Bob Savoie and Bernie (last name escapes me, sorry) were quite happy with my mechanic. This is my second year doing NSA and I didn't really want to remember one set of plate mechanics for one organization and something else for another.

probably Profato

[booker227]

I don't believe that an umpire has the need or right to "showcase" themselves on the diamond. We had our opportunities to shine when and if we played the game. To me, when a fellow official overly gesticulates, gets physical or too loud behind the plate, especially on a called third strike, they look like their celebrating the strike-out. I take a more subdued stand when I'm behind the plate, with my mechanics clean and distinct and my emotions in check. On the bases, the only time I'll punch-up my call is when I sell a close one.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by AtlUmpSteve

Oh, and another example of differences by clinicians; I was taught by Henry Pollard, then the Deputy Director for ASA, with Merle Butler in attendence to NEVER say YES, as he claimed it was inconclusive, and appeared to suggest we preferred one outcome over the other.

Well, don't we prefer one outcome over the other? Also, I don't see much inconclusive when you say "YES" with a point at the bat.

He taught "swing" for years as the word to denote an attempt by the batter, and then "swing?" with a questioning tone to request help. And, Mike's Regional UIC, Bob Savoie was also in attendence at that ASA Advanced School when the "Swing?" first became the mechanic in place of "Did s/he go?"

You know as well as I that every call of Henry's sounds the same regardless of tone!!! I've never had a problem with using more than one word. I don't see the benefit with the exception of those who would give a short dissertation when asking for help.

Remember, I just quoted the book, no one's personal or professional opinion.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by CecilOne

probably Profato

NSA????

Did Mr. Profato know that?

[Little Jimmy]

Irish (Mike),

I know that in some areas NSA and ASA are never to be spoken in the same breath. And I never would play one off the other or even think about mentioning it to Bernie or others in his position. But the reality of things here is that there simply isn't very much ASA youth fastpitch to keep anyone busy. I go to the clinics because they're generally good and I do learn a lot, but unless I want to sit around thinking about fastpitch I need a different outlet.

This is probably better stated in a different thread, but I do grow weary of signing "I am an independent contractor" papers only to have some people think I should work exclusively for them. Rant off.

And by the way I did see the smiley face.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by Little Jimmy
Irish (Mike),

I know that in some areas NSA and ASA are never to be spoken in the same breath. And I never would play one off the other or even think about mentioning it to Bernie or others in his position. But the reality of things here is that there simply isn't very much ASA youth fastpitch to keep anyone busy. I go to the clinics because they're generally good and I do learn a lot, but unless I want to sit around thinking about fastpitch I need a different outlet.

This is probably better stated in a different thread, but I do grow weary of signing "I am an independent contractor" papers only to have some people think I should work exclusively for them. Rant off.

And by the way I did see the smiley face.

At no time did I suggest that you work exclusively for any one organization.

Rant on!

However (bet you knew that was coming), I get tired of training umpires for ASA only to have them go off and help the competition to the point that when I need them, they are not available. And that includes NFHS. In this area, the Fed training exists of "these are the new rule changes and interpretations. Have a good season." Sure, these guys/gals have no problem sucking up FREE clinics and state school to make the $63-65 a game, but when I need them for ASA games, all I hear is, "I only work HS ball" as if they have become too good to go back and help the organization which trained them to get to the point of making the big bucks.

Rant off!

I'm not suggesting you fall into this category, but I hope you can understand the frustration.

[Edited by IRISHMAFIA on Mar 15th, 2006 at 08:00 AM]