Calling Balls and Strikes
 

It is refreshing to be able to hear the calls of the MLB Umpires in the playoffs.

ASA teaches us to say Ball or Strike and nothing more.

Nice to know that is how the Pros do it, too.

Well Jim, as far as I am concerned, we are all considered "pros" where umpiring is concerned. We all take money for the job, and hopefully all of us feel a certain dedication to the profession.

I would be very interested in hearing how many of you call balls when umpiring.

Is it common practice to not say anything now? I would like to think that everyone in my association calls both balls and strikes.

I announce ball or strike on every pitch not offered at by the batter in every game I umpire.

I do all the time...

ASA Rule 7 Section 5. A BALL IS CALLED BY THE UMPIRE

ASA Umpire Manual, "Balls", Pg. 214

I don't say Balls very often on the field, but I verbalize every pitch that is not swung at.:rolleyes:

Every pitch has to be something

and should be verbally announced.

My point was that it is either a ball or a strike when the batter does not offer.
It is not a Ball-DEEP or whatever.

If they ask why then the answer is it is a ball because it was not a strike.

However, all bets are off in co-ed with a nice looking catcher.

I call it everytime that the pitch is out of the strike zone and the batter doesn't offer at it. It is called "proper mechanics."

Unless offered at by the batter. :D

i do ... sometimes its barely loud enough for me & the catcher to hear like the ball a foot over the batters head ... but i call it

Ball 1 thru Ball 4 get a call of "Ball" about loud enough for the catcher and batter to hear.

If asked, I will tell the catcher and/or coach where the pitch missed, high, low, etc. If asked repeatedly, there will be a little longer discussion taking place.

Every one, no matter how obvious, is verbalized. It is doing what is expected of every plate umpire. If the pitcher threw a pitch, the plate umpire has a responsibility to call it either a ball or a strike. At worst, it is an exercise to maintain timing.

Contrary to some others who have posted, I verbalize all balls loud enough for the infield, base coaches, and even my base umpire to hear; I believe they all have an interest in the correct ball and strike count. Maybe I will get asked "what's the count" just a few less times? As a base umpire, I expect my plate umpire to verbalize all balls loud enough for me to hear, and know the count.

Steve, I wish you could have heard one of the local league pitchers this past Monday night. This twit kept asking me what the count was after he had thrown only one pitch to each of the batter's he asked about. Needless to say I had to have a little chat with him at the end of the half inning...and he allegedly "didn't mean to"...

I wanted to shoot him after the third one.

Assuming this is adult slow pitch.

Him: "What's the count, blue?"

Me: "One ball since the last time you asked", or, if a 1-1 league,
"One ball from the starting count."

When his teammates get done laughing at him, and he gets done trying to glare at me, maybe he will get the point.

To those of you who know me as a die-hard fast pitch only umpire, I have umpired some men's and coed slow pitch this past week (16 games so far) to help out a colleague who had a string of umpire scheduling issues, at a program that I used to schedule the umpires for, way back. It's been 7 years or so since I have done any real competitive slowpitch (see ancedote below), so I want to state that I have enjoyed it, although I also remember why I mostly gave it up (well, the obvious, plus that my group splintered off from another group, based on a desire of that splinter to do only fastpitch). All in all, a pleasant reminder that it isn't devil worship, just a different game that I enjoy a bit less, overall.

The anecdote is that I have called a handful (10 or 20) of slowpitch games in recent years, but ...... It is a "noncompetitive" (their term) lawyers league that plays an entire season with 40 teams or so without umpires. They get to a single elimination end of season tournament, and, starting around the quarterfinals, decide they want "an umpire". The guy who runs the league coaches a travel team, so he calls me. As far as I am concerned, it is the greatest gig in the world, but not really calling slowpitch. Because, 1) they don't want balls and strikes called (they just wait and hit the pitches they want), 2) just fair/foul, safe/out, and rules if needed, 3) 1:15 time limit, 4) it is sort-of coed, must have two women batting in the first ten and two playing defensively every inning, 5) it is a beer league, 6) they supply me with beer during the game, too, 7) the coed's serve the beer (smart on their part), and 8) it's $40 a game, cash!! What a great time; just not really calling slowpitch.

:D Yeah, but do they have liability insurance that will cover you when some putz hits a foul ball that knocks the can of beer out of your hand and you smack him up alongside the head for wasting beer?:D

Don't need to smack him upside the head, just call another strike on him! :p :D If he asks how you can justify a strike for it, tell him the beer strike rule! :rolleyes: :p :D