Blue's opinion on pitch framing

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by verruckt

That's actually another question... If a pitch is caught, occasionally the PU will have a slight delay before calling it. And I'm sure you've all heard that it's assumed that you're 'deciding' what it should have been. That's why I'm sure a great many catchers will hold the ball, before sending it back. What's with the delay?

It is a timing mechanism to avoid calling a pitch too early.

How bad does it look when an umpire starts verbalizing a call only to have a late swing make contact? "Bal....er, stri....no, no, foul ball!" Yep, bet that instills a lot of confidence in the umpire by the coaches!

Waiting for the ball to get to the glove insures there is no early call.

[argodad]

I like to call strikes. I think most of us do. A good catcher "frames" the borderline pitch by turning the pocket of her mitt toward the strike zone. That makes the pitch look maybe a hair better than it was -- and if I do think it was a strike, that helps me. A bad catcher thinks framing a pitch means moving the glove into the zone. As others have said, this just tells me that she didn't think it was a strike either.

Regarding timing, I think you'll find the better plate umpires have a nice consistent delay from the time the pitch hits the glove until they give their verbal call. That gives us time to make the decision on a borderline pitch without an obvious change in rhythm. If your timing changes, you will hear it from whichever side didn't get the call. My first mentor would tap his thigh twice before making the call. SNAP! ... tap ... tap ... STRIKE! (except he pronounced it "HAAWW!")

[wadeintothem]

Moving a marginal pitch is not framing. Pulling a marginal pitch is taking a pitch the catcher believes to be a ball and trying to trick the umpire into making it a strike.

Another thing it is trying to do is get the crowd and coaching staff to go against the umpire by showing the umpire up.

It doesnt work with proper umpire mechanics... which would including various methods of telling a catcher to stop doing it. ... because we are going to see her move the glove after she believes the pitch is a ball.


I wrote an article on this issues and others for a softball mag site and reprinted it as a post here
HeyBucket.com - View topic - Sell it to that Umpire!

[CecilOne]

I find moving the mitt in after the pitch a bit annoying. I've told a few catchers that it just makes it look like it wasn't a strike. Basically, by then it's too late anyway.

As far as comments above, I agree most with Steve and Larry.

[verruckt]

Wade, that's a great article. Will print that off for my daughter to read. As for "framing", I've heard a few ideas about what it is exactly, but I always considered it to be moving the mitt in the zone to try and present it as (trick the ump) a mediocre pitch, to pass it off as something it wasn't. The brief pause makes total sense, and anything more not necessary.

[Skahtboi]

A catcher who moves the mitt into the strike zone after receiving the pitch has just told me that she didn't think that pitch was a strike. I have no problem with that, as I probably agree with her. However, the danger happens when I see a really close pitch that I am convinced just may be a strike, and then I see that mitt move. That is when the catcher influences me, and once again, I will agree with her that the pitch was indeed a ball.

[luvthegame]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Moving a marginal pitch is not framing. Pulling a marginal pitch is taking a pitch the catcher believes to be a ball and trying to trick the umpire into making it a strike.

Another thing it is trying to do is get the crowd and coaching staff to go against the umpire by showing the umpire up.

It doesnt work with proper umpire mechanics... which would including various methods of telling a catcher to stop doing it. ... because we are going to see her move the glove after she believes the pitch is a ball.


I wrote an article on this issues and others for a softball mag site and reprinted it as a post here
HeyBucket.com - View topic - Sell it to that Umpire!

Great Stuff!!!

[Dutch Alex]

Originally Posted by argodad

... My first mentor would tap his thigh twice before making the call. SNAP! ... tap ... tap ... STRIKE! (except he pronounced it "HAAWW!")

Larry, I think we've had the very same mentor!

[7in60]

For pitches on the corners, if I'm not sure, I tend to call ball/strike based on how far the catcher moves the ball. I find framing most 'helpful' on outside pitches. If it's only a couple inches, the pitch caught a corner, otherwise it didn't. High/low I know as soon as it hits the glove.

[TXFPBlue]

Just finished WADE's advice column to teams on how to deal with umps. That was just plain excellent. I had wanted to address my daughters HS team on that subject but never got a round tuit. Those were exactly the kind of points I wanted to make, but never got them organized well enough to present. That should be must reading for every coach.

[PtotheB]

It is an excellent article. If every coach read it and applied Wade's suggestions I would probably find myself whistling and skipping to and from the fields.
As far as framing goes, I'll usually tell the catcher that they can frame if they want to but it's either a strike or it's not. The only time I think I've been fooled is maybe by some upper level mens pitchers. It doesn't make me mad, heck, my coach used to have me frame when I caught too.

[RadioBlue]

Most of the posters on this thread have hit the nail on the head. What one person calls "framing" a pitch is what I call "pulling" the pitch. There are few people in the park that have the ability to see in/out while all can see up/down. If she has to yank a pitch, I'm probably not going to call it. If a catcher pulls a pitch, I'll ask her not to do that.

I see catchers all the time who feel the need to "pull" a pitch that is on the outer third! Why?? It was already a darn strike! Now, you're making those without a great view of in/out wonder why the heck I'm calling a pitch the catcher had to "pull."

True framing is an artform. If done correctly, might be get a call or three a ballgame. But framing is more of how a pitch is received than what happens after the ball is caught.

To give you an example of what I'm talking about, take your left hand and place it palm facing away with your fingers pointing to the right. Now, reach further to the right just outside the "zone". Without moving your arm, curl your fingers into a fist in sort of a wrapping motion. That could get you a call or two a game.

Also, it's better for a catcher on the outside corner (right-handed batter & catcher) to receive the pitch a little farther away from the body. I see too many catcher who receive the pitch too close to their bodies making good pitches look worse than they truly are.

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by 7in60

For pitches on the corners, if I'm not sure, .....

Never mind

Originally Posted by argodad

SNAP! ... tap ... tap ... STRIKE! (except he pronounced it "HAAWW!")

So your mentor is half donkey?

[argodad]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

So your mentor is half donkey?

I never said which half!