Baited by the coach

[BuggBob]

I was the plate umpire in a tournament this last weekend. F2 would set up completely behind the left-hand batter's box with right hand batters. When I say completely, I mean completely (but still in the catcher's box). Her glove is clearly in the middle the batter's box. F1 throws four perfect pitches that hit the glove perfectly, F2 did not move her glove a micron. I call, "Ball, ball, ball, ball." Coach is going nuts. New batter, same situation, "Ball." The coach is beside himself, "Five times in a row blue? That is impossible." Now the parents are getting into the act as well. Next pitch same old thing, "Ball." The coach calls time and goes out to talk to his visibly upset pitcher. At their conference the all are whispering and looking at me. I think they were waiting for me to break their meeting up to get a dig or two. My partner, a fine outstanding umpire, figures this out too. He looks at me pats his chest with the I got this one look and goes a breaks up the meeting. As the coach leaves he just sneers at me some more. The catcher moves back into a more normal position and her pitcher throw strike after strike. Every once and a while she would go out behind the batter's box again and again I would call it a ball. I did not base my call on the catcher's position, but on where I thought the ball crossed (or did not cross) the plate.

This team is one of the better teams I had seen play, but they could not adjust to my by-the-book strike zone. It seams that in their homeland (Canada) if the pitcher hits the glove with out the catcher moving, it is a strike. No kidding. One of the Arbiters (Canadian umpires) told me so. He also told me what the "HSRS" on their butts means. (In case you didn't know that stands for Helicopter Search and Rescue Service.) The Canadian umpires were great and it was fun to work with guys I would not normally work with.

[wadeintothem]

catchers who set up like that are asking for a ball..

never did really understand catchers who hamstring their pitchers before the pitch is even delivered (with the exception being pitch out situations)

[MichaelVA2000]

Originally Posted by BuggBob

I call, "Ball, ball, ball, ball." Coach is going nuts. New batter, same situation, "Ball." The coach is beside himself, "Five times in a row blue? That is impossible." Now the parents are getting into the act as well. Next pitch same old thing, "Ball." The coach calls time and goes out to talk to his visibly upset pitcher. At their conference the all are whispering and looking at me. I think they were waiting for me to break their meeting up to get a dig or two.

I had a similar situation behind the plate during a Milb game last year. Pitches are coming in well below the knees and I'm not giving him the strike call. Manager's chirping about how that's a major league pitch and it should be a strike all night. After two walks in a row the manager takes his stroll to the mound and stops just at the dirt at the bottom of the mound. Without saying a word to F1 the manager turns towards me and crosses his arms to his chest.

I'm thinking Oh boy the SOB wants to chat. I remove my mask and get about half way to the mound and pull out my lineup cards. Here's the chat:

Me: Skip, you have any changes?

Skip: He!! no I don't have any changes. My a$$ wouldn't have to be out here if you'd do your job back there and call strikes!

Me: Skip, I'm taking that as a no on the changes.

Skip: You're going to make him throw over two hundred pitches in a game where he shouldn't have to throw more than a hundred!

Me: Skip, I'm going back to the plate and put the ball in play. Your a$$ better be in the dugout when that happens.

One batter later there was a pitching change.