Squeezing the Slot

[Duke]

FED VAR- I've had this happen to me a couple of times this year with a left handed pitcher, a left handed batter and a right handed catcher calling for an inside pitch. The catcher would move into my slot so her glove was lined up on the inside corner, the batter is on the plate and it was impossible to see the pitch leave the pitchers hand. I moved over to the other side of the plate, as if a right handed batter was at the plate, and
called from there. I have heard umps tell the catcher that if they can't see the ball, they can't call strikes and the catcher needs to give them a view. Personally, I feel it is their game and will not tell the catcher to move. I will adjust to allow me to see the strike zone. Of course there are the occaissions when a catcher will pop up in front of the slot just as the pitch is coming in but generally the pitch is high when this happens anyways.