crowding the plate

[mikeref]

one of my constant struggles when working the dish is how to call pitches when the batter crowds the plate. the batter is leaning over the plate literally blocking my view of the pitcher's delivery. I work the slot dilligently, but when I have the batter on top of the inside line of the batter's box, I sometimes can not pick up the ball clearly until it explodes into the catchers mit. I find this very uncomfortable. I have tried adjusting my position behind the catcher, but the more I adjust, the more irratic my zone becomes. I have found the best way to deal with this without moving out of the slot, is to get as low as I possibly can to see the pitcher's delivery. However I can only go so low! Interested to get other perspectives on this issue and how you may handle this situation. thanks

[tcannizzo]

Originally Posted by mikeref

one of my constant struggles when working the dish is how to call pitches when the batter crowds the plate. the batter is leaning over the plate literally blocking my view of the pitcher's delivery. I work the slot dilligently, but when I have the batter on top of the inside line of the batter's box, I sometimes can not pick up the ball clearly until it explodes into the catchers mit. I find this very uncomfortable. I have tried adjusting my position behind the catcher, but the more I adjust, the more irratic my zone becomes. I have found the best way to deal with this without moving out of the slot, is to get as low as I possibly can to see the pitcher's delivery. However I can only go so low! Interested to get other perspectives on this issue and how you may handle this situation. thanks

Don't adjust!
Don't try to compensate for a reduced field of vision by looking at where the pitch hits the catcher's mitt.
All you need to see is where the pitch comes in over the plate and in the strike zone or not.
You write that you can "only get so low"...well get as low as you are supposed to, and if all you can see is below the batter's elbows, then you have a frame of reference to the strike zone and make your call.

[NCASAUmp]

My $0.02: if the batter is crowding the plate that much that s/he's blocking your view of the pitcher, then it's not your fault if you miss an illegal pitch on the delivery. You can't call what you can't see, and if the OC asks you why you missed it, tell them, "coach, your batter was blocking my view."

And when the pitch comes in, call it as best you can. Maybe that pitcher didn't miss the corner as much as the batter thinks it did.

[BretMan]

I just slide a few inches over toward the plate.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by BretMan

I just slide a few inches over toward the plate.

This is the approach I take as well. I want to track the pitch from the pitcher's hand all the way to the mitt.

Keep in mind that since the batter is the one forcing you out of optimum position, that the benefit of the doubt should go to the pitcher.

I also believe that if the batter is crowding the plate, there is VERY little room for an inside pitch that doesn't hit the batter to be a ball....if you understand what I'm sayin.....

[tcannizzo]

Originally Posted by Andy

This is the approach I take as well. I want to track the pitch from the pitcher's hand all the way to the mitt.

Keep in mind that since the batter is the one forcing you out of optimum position, that the benefit of the doubt should go to the pitcher.

I also believe that if the batter is crowding the plate, there is VERY little room for an inside pitch that doesn't hit the batter to be a ball....if you understand what I'm sayin.....

How about when the batter is crowding and catcher sets up inside.
Slight adjustment is probably what I do as well, but I try to hold as much as possible.

[txtrooper]

I ask the catcher to give me a view of the plate and make an adjustment to get the best view possible.

[Andy]

I will not ask a catcher or any player to adjust position for me.
We need to work around players.

That being said, there is one line I will use with a catcher that wants to keep blocking me...

"Catch...help me call strikes"

[HugoTafurst]

I run across the same situation and play with the similar choices EXCEPT:
I keep in mind that NEITHER the batter (legally) crowding the plate, nor the catcher (legally) setting up inside is any excuse for me to punish by favoring one or the other. (as tempting as it may be )

What I see, I see, What is, is...... I calls em as I sees em

[KJUmp]

mikeref....good post as it's an issue we all have to deal with from time to time.
I follow Bret's approach (with a tendency to set just a bit higher) and for the reason Andy mentioned....wanting to see the pitch from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand.
Like others have mentioned, I just keep my mouth shut and don't ask players to move/adjust for me.

[BretMan]

It is rare for me to ever say anything to a catcher about her positioning. This past weekend I did. Had a catcher who liked to play up close to the plate. I could adjust to that by working a little higher.

But she had a habit of then raising up out of her stance about halfway, just as the pitcher was getting ready to pitch, and totally blocking my view of the plate. When she did that, I had two choices: Either make a quick "on the fly" adjustment to see the plate, or guess a little bit on the pitch location. "Guessing" isn't always as bad as it sounds, because it will at least be an educated guess. I know where I'm set up in relation to the plate...and the plate doesn't move!

My preference is to be in one spot and still while a pitch is delivered and for that one spot to be one where I can see the whole plate.

When this catcher made some comments about inside pitches, I told her that she could set up wherever she wanted to and that I wasn't telling her where to set up or how to play her position. But I did let her know that standing up like that and totally blocking my view wasn't helping her own cause one little bit. She quit doing it after that.

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by BretMan

It is rare for me to ever say anything to a catcher about her positioning. This past weekend I did. Had a catcher who liked to play up close to the plate. I could adjust to that by working a little higher.

But she had a habit of then raising up out of her stance about halfway, just as the pitcher was getting ready to pitch, and totally blocking my view of the plate. When she did that, I had two choices: Either make a quick "on the fly" adjustment to see the plate, or guess a little bit on the pitch location. "Guessing" isn't always as bad as it sounds, because it will at least be an educated guess. I know where I'm set up in relation to the plate...and the plate doesn't move!

My preference is to be in one spot and still while a pitch is delivered and for that one spot to be one where I can see the whole plate.

When this catcher made some comments about inside pitches, I told her that she could set up wherever she wanted to and that I wasn't telling her where to set up or how to play her position. But I did let her know that standing up like that and totally blocking my view wasn't helping her own cause one little bit. She quit doing it after that.

As with everything, there are always exceptions, that's why a lot of times I put those cop out phrases, like "generally" in my answers...
As in "generally" I don't like to tell a player where to play.
There are always exceptions to the rule..
As long as wekeep them in perspective, Things are good.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by mikeref

one of my constant struggles when working the dish is how to call pitches when the batter crowds the plate. the batter is leaning over the plate literally blocking my view of the pitcher's delivery. I work the slot dilligently, but when I have the batter on top of the inside line of the batter's box, I sometimes can not pick up the ball clearly until it explodes into the catchers mit. I find this very uncomfortable. I have tried adjusting my position behind the catcher, but the more I adjust, the more irratic my zone becomes. I have found the best way to deal with this without moving out of the slot, is to get as low as I possibly can to see the pitcher's delivery. However I can only go so low! Interested to get other perspectives on this issue and how you may handle this situation. thanks

Easy. Call strikes.

[justcallmeblue]

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst

I run across the same situation and play with the similar choices EXCEPT:
I keep in mind that NEITHER the batter (legally) crowding the plate, nor the catcher (legally) setting up inside is any excuse for me to punish by favoring one or the other. (as tempting as it may be )

What I see, I see, What is, is...... I calls em as I sees em

Fully agree. . . .I set up in my normal spot regardless, I also want to see that if the batter gets HIT, that she doesnt have a part of her body that prevents the ball from entering the strike zone.

Had a situation in a 12U 0-2 count. Batter was up in the box, crowding the plate and in a low crouch. . .KNEE was over the batters box and just about over the inside part of the plate. She got plunked in the knee (only reason I saw it was because I didnt change my spot). Pitch was def. a strike. Coach wanted to know why I called it a strike and didnt call it HBP. . .I said "ASA. . .Look up Section 7, 'Strike is called' and its somewhere in there coach, dont have the time to look it up for you. . Gimme a batter" After the inning, he apologized.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by justcallmeblue

...Coach wanted to know why I called it a strike and didnt call it HBP. . .I said "ASA. . .Look up Section 7, 'Strike is called' and its somewhere in there coach, dont have the time to look it up for you. . Gimme a batter" After the inning, he apologized.

I would've just said, "Her knee was in the strike zone, coach."