New mechanics

[Skahtboi]

I just want to share with you some new mechanics I learned watching the daughter play some slow pitch the other day.

Right arm, palm perpendicular to the ground, making an up and down motion like rubbing something. This means pitch outside, and you must say, "outside." (On a left handed batter, it means pitch inside, and you must say "inside.")

Same motion with the left arm means pitch inside, and you must verbalize "inside." (Just the opposite with left handed batter.)

These next two signals mean essentially the same thing, and can be interchanged. Give a safe sign, and then raise it (sort of like a bird trying to take flight, very slowly) and call "high", for a pitch that is out of the strike zone on the high side. Or, you can run your fingers across your throat, (sort of like a knife weilding murderer cutting your throat) and it means the same thing.

For a pitch that is low, hack your hand into your knee and say "too low."

If the pitch hits the plate, I know you all expect to see the double fist pump. No, not this one. Left hand open, palm up, bring your right closed fist into this, and verbalize "plate."

Also, before game and in between innings, do not use the prescribed mechanics, but rather talk with players and spectators as much as possible. He was so busy talking that a scheduled 6:30 start didn't actually begin until 6:43, and only then when the coaches said something to him. (The coach for "our" team said "we gonna play ball tonight?")

So, now all of you can say you know the latest in slow pitch mechanics. You can thank me later.

[PtotheB]

Thank You So Very Much!!!
I have printed out these nuggets of wisdom, laminated them and put them in my ball bag (worn on the bases and the plate). My apologies in advance for anyone who sees me reading them prior to implementing as I want worse than anything to "Get it RIGHT".
Thanks for your patience and understanding. A big double fist pump to you and yours.

[Dholloway1962]

Doing HS FP 6A Regional final this afternoon. I will incorporate those into my plate game so we can begin making the transition to FP as well.

[NCASAUmp]

Oh crap, I didn't use these mechanics while at my National! I hope I didn't get dinged on my eval for it...

[Dakota]

No disrespect for the slow pitch umpires on this board who do things right, but why is it that the slow pitch game seems to be overrun with this kind of umpiring?

It is rare to see this kind of made up mechanics and running commentary by a plate umpire in the fast pitch games (by my experience, anyway). There are a few around here who insist on calling "inside", "outside", etc., instead of "ball", but that is about as far as it goes.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Dakota

No disrespect for the slow pitch umpires on this board who do things right, but why is it that the slow pitch game seems to be overrun with this kind of umpiring?

It is rare to see this kind of made up mechanics and running commentary by a plate umpire in the fast pitch games (by my experience, anyway). There are a few around here who insist on calling "inside", "outside", etc., instead of "ball", but that is about as far as it goes.

Because SP is so much more recreational, it tends to invite the more "recreational umpire." FP and MP don't tend to be that way for many reasons, including financial (who wants to spend a couple hundred in gear if they aren't really serious about it?).

In other words, there's a bit more of an "anybody can do it" mentality with SP.

And no, no offense was taken. I know exactly what you mean.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Dakota

No disrespect for the slow pitch umpires on this board who do things right, but why is it that the slow pitch game seems to be overrun with this kind of umpiring?

In the beautiful area of Phoenix, AZ, we get to play ball year around. There are so many slowpitch leagues and games around here that I believe the umpiring organizations will take just about anybody that wants to work.

With so many leagues and games available, we also have a glut of "umpires" that call SP solely for the money. If you can work 4-5 nights a week, 3 or 4 games a night and tournaments on the weekends...that's a decent second (or in some cases) primary income.

Darrell is much more involved in SP around here than I am, so I'm sure he could shed some light on this as well.

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by Dakota

No disrespect for the slow pitch umpires on this board who do things right, but why is it that the slow pitch game seems to be overrun with this kind of umpiring?

It is rare to see this kind of made up mechanics and running commentary by a plate umpire in the fast pitch games (by my experience, anyway). There are a few around here who insist on calling "inside", "outside", etc., instead of "ball", but that is about as far as it goes.

If it's beer league, I say go for it!

What ever you do to get you through that night mare is good to go!

Double fist pump with a throat slice and a flying double safe call..

Thats good to go!

For the beer league....Does it really matter?

Of course not. Survival of whatever it takes.

[socalumps]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

I just want to share with you some new mechanics I learned watching the daughter play some slow pitch the other day.

Right arm, palm perpendicular to the ground, making an up and down motion like rubbing something. This means pitch outside, and you must say, "outside." (On a left handed batter, it means pitch inside, and you must say "inside.")

Same motion with the left arm means pitch inside, and you must verbalize "inside." (Just the opposite with left handed batter.)

These next two signals mean essentially the same thing, and can be interchanged. Give a safe sign, and then raise it (sort of like a bird trying to take flight, very slowly) and call "high", for a pitch that is out of the strike zone on the high side. Or, you can run your fingers across your throat, (sort of like a knife weilding murder cutting your throat) and it means the same thing.

For a pitch that is low, hack your hand into your knee and say "too low."

If the pitch hits the plate, I know you all expect to see the double fist pump. No, not this one. Left hand open, palm up, bring your right closed fist into this, and verbalize "plate."

Also, before game and in between innings, do not use the prescribed mechanics, but rather talk with players and spectators as much as possible. He was so busy talking that a scheduled 6:30 start didn't actually begin until 6:43, and only then when the coaches said something to him. (The coach for "our" team said "we gonna play ball tonight?")

So, now all of you can say you know the latest in slow pitch mechanics. You can thank me later.

Sounds like his mechanics were very communicative??

[MichaelVA2000]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

I just want to share with you some new mechanics I learned watching the daughter play some slow pitch the other day.

Right arm, palm perpendicular to the ground, making an up and down motion like rubbing something. This means pitch outside, and you must say, "outside." (On a left handed batter, it means pitch inside, and you must say "inside.")

Same motion with the left arm means pitch inside, and you must verbalize "inside." (Just the opposite with left handed batter.)

These next two signals mean essentially the same thing, and can be interchanged. Give a safe sign, and then raise it (sort of like a bird trying to take flight, very slowly) and call "high", for a pitch that is out of the strike zone on the high side. Or, you can run your fingers across your throat, (sort of like a knife weilding murderer cutting your throat) and it means the same thing.

For a pitch that is low, hack your hand into your knee and say "too low."

If the pitch hits the plate, I know you all expect to see the double fist pump. No, not this one. Left hand open, palm up, bring your right closed fist into this, and verbalize "plate."

Also, before game and in between innings, do not use the prescribed mechanics, but rather talk with players and spectators as much as possible. He was so busy talking that a scheduled 6:30 start didn't actually begin until 6:43, and only then when the coaches said something to him. (The coach for "our" team said "we gonna play ball tonight?")

So, now all of you can say you know the latest in slow pitch mechanics. You can thank me later.

If he does fast pitch and wears his ball bag while umpiring the bases, I may have worked with him during the PONY Nationals in Ohio last year.

[SRW]

Scott,
What was the furthest he moved away from the plate during a call at second base? I want to make sure that my field movements match the degree of my pitch calling....

[BretMan]

If you like these advanced mechanics, you'll love what is apparently the new softball umpire uniform requirements- or, at least, the uniform worn by a recent partner I had in a men's fastpitch tourney.

This guy was on the bases and wearing a ball bag! But there was more to it than that. He wore his shirt UNTUCKED, then fastened the ball bag around his waist with a thin, elastic belt, so his shirt was cinched at the waist with about 12" below that blousing out like a tunic.

Now, he did also demonstrate some mechanics that must have been super-secret advanced stuff. Like positioning himself right on the foul line behind third base with a runner on second.

But my favorite was when we had a check swing appeal. I step out from behind the plate, point to my partner and ask, "Did he go?". All I get is a deer-in-the-headlights blank stare until, finally, he seems to realize we're waiting on his input. Then he just says, "I don't know", and shrugs his shoulders!

[PtotheB]

Originally Posted by BretMan

But my favorite was when we had a check swing appeal. I step out from behind the plate, point to my partner and ask, "Did he go?". All I get is a deer-in-the-headlights blank stare until, finally, he seems to realize we're waiting on his input. Then he just says, "I don't know", and shrugs his shoulders!

I'm sure that went over like a turd in a punchbowl.

[BretMan]

Just to expedite things and keep the game moving I quickly said, "That's a ball", gave the count and got back behind the plate. Surprisingly, nobody really said anything, other than the catcher. All he said was something along the lines of, "What was that?", and I said, "He didn't overrule me, so it's still a ball". He seemed to have bought it- not another peep.

Which, when you think about it, does kind of work out the right way. If a base umpire is not sure he saw a swing, he should not call the strike. Believe me, this partner wasn't sure of much!

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by SRW

Scott,
What was the furthest he moved away from the plate during a call at second base? I want to make sure that my field movements match the degree of my pitch calling....

8 to 10 feet is plenty.

If you have several games, you can probably just stay stationary behind the plate.