"Not even in T-Ball!"
 

A short time ago I started a thread about the "perfect assignment" and stated that I had one. Well....

Last time out (Men's Slow Pitch, Rec league at best) during my first game. I get a runner coming home and a catcher standing in the base path, directly in front of home plate, waiting on a throw. I make the obvious (to me) call and then the hilarity begins.

Defensive team comes unglued, fans come to the backstop to argue.

My favorite argument from a fan was... "I've seen a lot bad calls but I've never even seen that in T-ball!" Thank gawd and GOD I was facing the other way when he said it because I couldn't help but smile.

Had the same team the next game and managed to earn the "Worst umpire ever" award.

Keep up the good work!! ;) :D

Distinction without a difference.

Sounds to me like
 

it should be "distink-tion" without a difference. I'm sure we've all been the worst ever.

Are you saying I have to re-earn the title?

I did my first slow pitch coed locally recently. I really shouldn't have. I had just had a tooth pulled the day before and I realized that I dreaded that less than doing this game.

During the game I was struggling with figuring out where the heck to stand and struggling with that screwy strike zone. One team was squawking. I finally looked at them and said,

"Look! There's no training for calling this strike zone, so suck it up and take what you get!"

I felt bad afterwards. Like I said, I probably should have recovered more before taking the game.

Rita

What screwy strike zone? The coed strike zone is no different than a men's or women's strike zone.

It's nothing like fast pitch or baseball.

Rita

Actually, it is pretty damn close, just using the back shoulder instead of the front. And, BTW, the mechanics for SP are the same as FP

Really? How is that? At least here, the catcher can be anywhere because they are afraid of the ball. One the other day set up about 12 feet back.

They are often standing, or they pop up as the ball comes in. There is no consistency on where I can stand to judge the pitch.

The pitching and catching are just horrible.

Rita

You still set up the same. If the catcher stands up. align your inside foot to the point of the plate and keep it in line or behind the catcher's inside foot. Work the slot, eyes at the top of the strike zone, drop with the start of the pitch.

There used to be some old-school NUS members that would instruct the umpire to take a position where they were comfortable seeing the strike zone and, if the catchers complain, you were to tell the catcher to either move up or shut up.

While that gave the umpire a great view, it didn't/doesn't sit well with today's NUS especially with the stealing. But it isn't much different in you run across a catcher that stays back 6-8 feet.

I'll give it a try.

But I can get better but I seriously doubt they will :eek:

Rita

No argument there.

Are you playing ASA ball? Unless you have some local league rule in writing telling you differently F2 must be inside the catchers box. It may not be drawn on your field but it still exists. It is ten feet deep starting at the back edge of the batters box and as wide as the two batters boxes. F2 can set up anywhere in this area which is, admittedly, a very wide area. If F2 insists on setting up where you must take a less than favorable spot to view the strike zone, so be it. If F2 does not like what I am calling I will tell her I am doing what I can with the view she is allowing me.

Check out page 37 of the ASA book for a diagram of the home plate area and the catcher's box.

The pitches look a lot different but the strike zone is still nearly the same, as previously noted. The mechanics are the same, except when you go set you are not going to get quite as low as fast pitch.

Also, you have to learn to determine the arc (6ft to 10ft in ASA slow pitch, 12ft in Seniors). I am 6ft 4in tall so if the pitch is over my eyes its ok on the low end. The high end is tougher, you have to set a ceiling and then just stick with it during the game. Usually it seems that most slow pitch umpires set a ceiling that is a bit high, perhaps not wanting to guess an illegal pitch. But if you have to look up its probably too high. Get a few close ones called early to set a tone, and set a ceiling, then stick to it. Don't give them 13 feet the whole game then start calling IPs in the 7th inning for 11ft high pitches.

The slow pitch game is a bit different. I admit I like the fast pitch game more than slow pitch but I enjoy slow pitch too. Much more putting the ball into play. Good place to learn base umpire positioning both in 2man and 3man for that reason.

Good luck, and have fun!!

Ernie