Bigger Strike Zone

[JefferMC]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

It's the PLATE, not the area of the strike zone.

Huh? I'm sorry, but I really don't understand what you just said.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

No such comment ever made. The interpretation is to eliminate parts of the defined zone which provide difficulty to any batter.

Really?? How about:

Originally Posted by WMB

The reason for the oval shape is to take away the high inside/high outside, and the low inside/low outside pitches. As Irish noted above, those are not hittable pitches.

Okay, I paraphrased, but I think "takes corners away from it because it's hard to hit the ball there" is a pretty good interpretation.

You [Mike] have consistantly refered back to a square, as does the NFHS Manual. So, from whence do we get "pear shape", "stop sign shape", or "oval?"

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Do you think you've stumbled onto something new here? Well, go ahead and do it. Give us the change you would recommend and remember, whatever you come up with, there must be defined standard, focal points to be used by the umpire.

This point is ceeded. The world is imperfect; there are rules/laws and the application of them differs. Why should softball be any different?!

[IRISHMAFIA]

It's the PLATE, not the area of the strike zone.

Huh? I'm sorry, but I really don't understand what you just said.

The "good corner" refers to the vertical column above the plate.

No such comment ever made. The interpretation is to eliminate parts of the defined zone which provide difficulty to any batter.

Really?? How about:

The reason for the oval shape is to take away the high inside/high outside, and the low inside/low outside pitches. As Irish noted above, those are not hittable pitches.

No, YOU said the an umpire made that statement. I clearly pointed out that the Umpire Manual instructs the umpire to do that, not just something an umpire states as a specific deviation for his/her strike zone.

Unless the batter is 27" from the armpits to the knees, it is not possible to have a "square". It used to be presented as a Cheverolet logo. A few years back, the visual of a balloon being compressed a little at the top and bottom. This would cause the sides to expand out giving a more accurate shape of the strike zone the higher ups want called.

[bkbjones]

While I long ago called the dead horse to be displayed on this thread, I will respond since my "stop sign" strike zone has been a bone of contention.

My zone is shaped like a strike zone because of several factors. But I'll be go-to-hell damned if I care whether or not a batter can hit a pitch.

The top of the zone and bottom of the zone are well defined for every batter. Hell, everyone can see that from the dugout, the left field corner on a right handed batter...even Helen Keller can see those points.

Now, those who have seen me know that the entire freakin ball better be above the knee or below the top of the zone.

Now, why is it shaped like a stop sign? One word: survivability.

This poster says his daughter is a pitcher. Well, my stop sign strike zone you have taken to task is damned well a pitcher's strike zone. It's wide, and when I am having a good day and well hydrated and have remembered to put my mask on the right way the son-of-agun is 25 inches wide. I even give as much inside as I do outside.

If I have to compromise at all it is with the width. I do not compromise at the bottom at any time, which has more than once bothered a pitcher and even another umpire or two along the way.

But it all comes down to survivability, in many forms. I could go on and on about that and would be happy to address that, as would many others I'm sure. But I'm on vacation right now and about to hit the sack. But I will defend my damned old stop sign strike zone any time any where...and would be delighted to hear that others use it too. It's not for everyone - I understand that some have an 18-inch-wide rectangular zone, and some have 28-inch wide trapezoids. But I'll not let my zone be defiled.

[IRISHMAFIA]

The strike zone is a minimum of 27" wide on many, if not most, softball fields. Why would any umpire want to shrink that?

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

The strike zone is a minimum of 27" wide on many, if not most, softball fields. Why would any umpire want to shrink that?

25, 27, I'm not counting. I just know it's the width of the ball inside and outside. Maybe I was thinking about my 10u zone.