Pitcher's Umpire

[KCRC]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Isn't that why they put them white lines on the inside of the batters box? If its between those lines it's a strike right???

Lurker on basketball board. My wife and I are coaching our daughter's 10U Fall League. We are on game 6 of the season yesterday. The crew announced to my wife during the pre-game meeting that they would be using the "extended strike zone". That term was not brought up during any of the previous games. One of our batters strikes out looking in the first inning on a ball that appeared off the plate (the catcher had to lunge out to catch it). After the inning, I asked if the ball caught the corner. The PU's response was, "it was within the white line?" I think she was referring to the batter's box line.

As a softball novice, let me ask... Is this typical? We've been really concentrating this fall in teaching our batters pitch selection, swing at strikes and don't swing at balls. A very difficult skill to learn for these young girls. Should we just table that skill for a few years and just have the batters swing at everything reasonable? Is that the expectation for young girl's softball?

Thanks in advance.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by KCRC

Lurker on basketball board. My wife and I are coaching our daughter's 10U Fall League. We are on game 6 of the season yesterday. The crew announced to my wife during the pre-game meeting that they would be using the "extended strike zone". That term was not brought up during any of the previous games. One of our batters strikes out looking in the first inning on a ball that appeared off the plate (the catcher had to lunge out to catch it). After the inning, I asked if the ball caught the corner. The PU's response was, "it was within the white line?" I think she was referring to the batter's box line.

As a softball novice, let me ask... Is this typical? We've been really concentrating this fall in teaching our batters pitch selection, swing at strikes and don't swing at balls. A very difficult skill to learn for these young girls. Should we just table that skill for a few years and just have the batters swing at everything reasonable? Is that the expectation for young girl's softball?

Thanks in advance.

Not really typical. A lot of umps will "stretch" the zone to some degree when it is obvious the pitcher(s) are not good enough. Unfortunately, some umps start with bias toward younger players; which causes what you describe. Very unusual for an ump to admit doing "extended"; but in the long run possibly helpful to the young batters to know it is not a real strike.

Personally, I don't try to stretch unless a game is absolutely hopeless and approaching curfew. And I am terrible at doing it, so I end up with an inconsistent mess.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

... And I am terrible at doing it, so I end up with an inconsistent mess.

Yeah, I will expand the zone with really bad pitching, but then I have a big problem with consistency.

But with really little kids, you can't widen the zone much to the outside.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by KCRC

Lurker on basketball board. My wife and I are coaching our daughter's 10U Fall League.
As a softball novice, let me ask... Is this typical?

In most places, Fall league is much more developmental than Spring. Also... 10U is more developmental than higher ages.

So ... yes. I might never say "extended strike zone", but I have said, "Tell them to swing their bats".

I did one of these games and at the plate conference both coaches informed me that their regular starting pitchers were out and the backups had very little experience - asking me to widen the zone. I said... "chalk to chalk, nose to knees - that work for you guys?" And they agreed. Very first pitch of the game was nose high --- STRIKE! Set the tone, and the girls swung their bats.

No one learns from a walkathon.