In baseball, absolutely and is proven daily in the MLB where no umpire has the cojones to call a pitch even near the "letters" a strike.

In softball, strike are called a little higher than baseball, but without a doubt, the strike zone is wider. And it is not unheard off them getting wider with more noise.

ROTFLMFAOASASP!!!

OK, back at you brother. I think I follow all the way up to the ASASP part.

Here you state the long-term evolution of the "incredible shrinking BB SZ" vs. the "ever expanding SB SZ" and it is based on umpires following the path of least resistance.

To me, it makes umpires more like weather vanes (if they respond to the pull and tug) but I get the psychology and the politics behind it. I'm not sure where you disagree with my critique of the two umpires. I'm describing in the short-term (game by game) what you seemingly just described here long term.

Maybe once upon a time but lately, the MLB strikezone has expanded higher. The belt line is no longer the top of the strikezone for most.

In college softball the entire ball must be below the top boundary of the strike zone (the bottom of the batter's sternum) for the pitch to be a strike. You can download the NCAA rulebook from here: NCAA Softball Rules. Page 160 has the strike zone diagram. So "letter high" pitches should not usually be called strikes in college ball.

I disagree. Softball umpires have been instructed over the years to bring it down, pick it up and spread it out. I don't give a damn what the teams or fans think. I will not disagree that some umpires will react to a catcher framing the ball especially after a few demonstrative pulls making the umpire look bad. By the time the catcher moves that glove, the umpire should already have a call in mind. Some will call a ball as a F.Y.C., but I don't buy into that as that is just one more pitch the umpire needs to be there. Doesn't mean the umpire shouldn't have a discussion with the catcher and maybe the coach between innings.

We agree more than disagree
 

The WA catcher was framing/sticking more than pulling pitches yesterday. The other night the ump should have told her early something along the lines of "that might be a strike if you don't yank it in like that".

My wife, who has no idea if the ball is filled with feathers or inflated, even asked the question "How can that be a strike if the catcher didn't think so?"

now what the heck does the ASASP part mean. :confused:

At least she wasnt asking "How can it be a ball if the catcher thought it was a strike? :cool:

She does know the....
 

philosophy of "it's OK to strike a ball, but NEVER ball a strike" and "call strikes you get home faster". I hear one of those whenever I arrive home later than expected....:) I haven't been able to get her to understand the game is not played with a clock.

Thats because you are working the wrong game.