Strike Zone - How to call

[gsf23]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

I'll give you an example that pops to mind.. Marissa Drewery who just signed with Cal Bears from the Sorcerers/Oakdale HS who I have umpired a few times.

That girl works it low inside and outside.

You'll see it on TV I'm sure. She is already virtually unhittable and its pretty rare to even see a hit. If I gave her that low inside by having a loose zone, that doesnt mean you suddenly have batter that can hit, it just means shes going to pitch in that unhittable super low inside spot all day.

And what is wrong with that? Why punish her for being a damn good pitcher and being able to hit her spots? If teams are whining then they aren't very well coached or good.

One of the first ever fastpitch games I did I had a great pitcher working. She was throwing a great tailing fastball that was starting inside, almost at the batters and tailing back late over the plate, usually just above the knees. I was calling the pitch all day and the hitters weren't happy about it. I had the sighs, the jumping back as the ball crossed the plate, the throwing the head back after I rung em up, everything. About the fifth inning after I rung up about the seventh batter looking on the same pitch I hear to coach shout out "jesus christ" and I see him starting to walk to the plate. (he was coaching third) He gets about halfway to home, stops and then yells at his dugout, "He's been calling that pitch all damn day, start HITTING it!" The sixth inning, they made the adjustment and started swinging and hitting the pitch. That's what GOOD teams do, not sit there whining about a loose zone.

I guess I have always been of the opinion of if a pitcher can hit that low and in spot, or low and away spot, why should I take that away from them just because it is a tough pitch to hit?

(forgot to mention this was a college play-off game)