New umps

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May 13, 2012
599
18
Played in tourny this weekend. It was a showcase, bear in mind not a big name rather local college's playing each other while TB played their games. Now here is the catch, they where using it to train umps. Good side was 3 umps per game mostly. Most were ok didn't see any what the heck calls but did see pitchers struggling all over. Some of it could have been coming from calling tight with college then having not as skilled tb pitchers. Only thing I saw that was a struggle was two different games PU would not give strikes below sternum it had to be right above bellybutton . Ok fair enough pitcher needs to adjust. 3rd game different PU would not give strike at knees, ball had to be above the knee. I quietly questioned him between innings, "your catcher is dropping her glove as she catches it" I'm in 1st base dugout and clearly see height wise drop balls are crossing the plate at knees. I just shrug and go on and tell pitcher to adjust. I will give credit they were fairly consistent with zone even if off some. Umps have to learn just seemed weird doing it at a sbowcase.
 
May 13, 2012
599
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Sorry quincy just sorta.random but sorta is that normal training ground for new umps. Zones were definitely off and there are pitchers there trying to impress colleges. Once again I'll give.credit to consistency but a ball having to be entirely above the knee is a little extreme.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Probably not new umps But experienced umps who haven't done college games before. So they are training on using a 3 ump system, and NCAA rules. If you have never umped in that system I would imagine you need to work on the mechanics of it.
 
Sep 14, 2011
768
18
Glendale, AZ
It seems to me that a showcase is a perfect place to train new umpires...there are no National Tournament berths being awarded, no trophies to be won.....

As to the comment that the catcher was "dropping her glove" on the low pitches...When the catcher is doing that, it makes it difficult for the umpire to continually call that a strike as the appearance is that the ball is low based on the catcher's actions. There is a lot of discussion on this and other boards about things a catcher can do to help her pitcher. From an umpires POV, catchers can make a good pitch look bad more so that making a bad pitch look good. This is a prime example. Work with the catcher to get her to catch and hold the pitch instead of dropping the glove. That will make the strike look like a strike.
 
Jun 23, 2016
47
8
I agree, Ajaywill. Our profession is all about credibility, and on a borderline pitch, it's tough to sell a strike when the catcher has to "do something different" like moving their glove in an exaggerated fashion.
 
May 13, 2012
599
18
Aj and Nc. I understand about glove movement and can see east west movement having a greater impact. I guess I am just under the thought strike/ball is determined as/when the ball crosses the plate. I know that there is a lot of discussion on training and framing pitches and the effects or lack of. Like I said they did OK to good I just saw a lot of pitchers struggling and I know that pitchers have to adjust . In our games total of 4, 2 games zone where pretty normal and 2 were what I felt a little extreme. And I repeat while I considered them off at least they pretty consistent. They were train as there where a couple of people quizzing them during and after.
 
Jun 23, 2016
47
8
Here's a post I made elsewhere on the topic, slightly re-written for consistent terminology and better clarity.

I was calling a very low-level rec league game, and if you've ever seen rec league ball, you know you're lucky to find a catcher who will at least block the ball from hitting the backstop. One particular pitch on a 3-2 count came in at just below the belt, and as the pitch came in, the catcher pivoted her body to her right, reached all the way across her body and caught it. What did I call? What would you call? I'll get to that.

I know a lot of coaches still teach their girls to drag their glove from wherever they caught the ball back to the center of the strike zone. They teach them from 8U and 10U on up, and the habit continues for as long as they're not told otherwise. Personally, I think this is a terrible idea, and here is why.

Let's ignore the topic of pitches that are perfectly across the middle of the plate and belt high - the obvious strikes. Fans can, for the most part, see those clearly. They can see whether it was high/low, and if the catcher is set up normally and doesn't move her glove, it's real obvious that it probably came down the middle. The real question is dragging back the borderline pitch.

What fans and coaches can't see is the inside/outside portion of the pitch. The stands are almost always off to the sides, and even the slightest angle will completely change your perspective on where the ball crossed the plate. Watch a few MLB games with the slightly off-center camera angle from the outfield fence, and you'll see what I mean. So how do the fans and coaches see the pitch? They take cues from the catcher - what did she have to do to catch the ball? Did she drag the ball back? Did she have to scoop it? Did she just catch it and stick the catch?

Absolutely none of these things have anything to do with where the ball crossed the plate, but that's what the fans and coaches see. Therefor, that's what they think happened - if the catcher had to do something different from what was expected, it must be a ball. If she made it look routine, it must be a strike.

And that, my friends, is where the wheels come off the bus for the catchers. When they drag the ball back towards the center of the plate, what they are really telling everyone else is that the ball didn't cross over the plate, and she had to drag it back to make it look better. The more exaggerated the movement, the more it appears to have been outside of the strike zone. So on a borderline pitch, the more exaggerated the movement by the catcher, the more difficult it is for us to call it a strike. Conversely, the less exaggerated the movement, the easier it is to call it a strike. If the catcher just sticks the catch and makes it look natural, it becomes SO much easier to call that borderline pitch a strike.

If I do have a catcher dragging the pitch back like that, I try to tell her, "hey, stop dragging it back. I can't call it when you're making it look like you're dragging it back, so just catch the ball and stick the catch. You'll get it." More often than not, the catcher listens, and her pitcher is now getting those pitches on the outside corner.

Umpiring is all about believability and credibility, and that gets absolutely magnified when we're behind the plate. Calling balls and strikes is the most visible portion of what we do, as well as the most subjective. And again, we're not talking about obvious balls and strikes here, we're only talking about borderline pitches. I've never called an obvious strike a ball just because the catcher had to move, but I've certainly called a ball on borderline pitches where the catcher made exaggerated movements when catching it. I can't sell that crap as a strike, and if I try to call it there, I'm going to catch absolute hell from both sides. My credibility and believability go right out the window.

So back to my story here. What did I call on a 3-2 count where the catcher reached across her body? I rang her up. The catcher had set up on the inside, and when she pivoted, she actually scooted her butt back a little. When the pitch crossed the plate, it was only 3" off the center line of the plate towards the outside, a perfect strike. When the catcher caught the ball, her glove was actually perfectly behind home plate.

But the whole world thought I was the biggest piece of crap for calling that a strike.

Would you have made the same call?

Just food for thought.
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
Here's a post I made elsewhere on the topic, slightly re-written for consistent terminology and better clarity.



Just food for thought.

Yes, if the pitch is in the strike zone you call it a strike, I don't care if the catcher does a back flip and then catches the pitch. A strike should always be called a strike and the fans and coaches perspective should NEVER be a consideration when calling balls and strikes.
 

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