- Jun 18, 2023
- 399
- 63
well, technically Opie _is_ Mike.. ;-)Opie is hanging out with Mike....
well, technically Opie _is_ Mike.. ;-)Opie is hanging out with Mike....
If it’s ridiculous sometimes you’re just SOL, but the one thing we have had SOME success with (aka maybe 1/4) is having a quick talk with opposing coach and ump. I’m assuming you can’t challenge the ump. So what we do is call the other coach to discuss/clarify the agreed strike zone. Make it a convo with the other coach, don’t attack the ump or make it seem like they’ve messed up, and make friends with both before first pitch.
As an umpire, if coach(es) ask me what my strike zone will be for the game (which only happens at young/low level games), the canned answer is "I will call a skill/age appropriate strike zone", or "if I see a strike I will call a strike". I will not tell you "shoulders to knees" or "two balls off the plate". That is asking for trouble.
Revisit?
Our local rec league has umps for all levels. My son did it for a couple summers before he started doing travel games. He would come home after "umping" 7 year olds doing coach pitch, and wonder why he was even there. Wasn't calling balls/strikes. Hardly ever an actual play at a base. But it was $25 in his pocket.My honest advice may have been laughed off as sarcasm or a joke, but it was serious: YOU DON'T NEED UMPIRES AT THAT LEVEL. Play without them. Then you don't have to take your focus off the game to worry about it.
MLB umps average about 94% correct on balls/strikes. Wouldn't really say frequently. Hitters average about 25% hits... Sidenote: Home plate ump in the Angels vs Tigers game yesterday saw 122 taken pitches. Made the correct call on 121 of them. One strike right at the lower corner he called a ball.I mean even the "best" umpires at the major league level are frequently wrong and high susceptible to situation and framing, it's not something that's every going to be resolved at these lower levels. Doesn't make it less frustrating or easy to adjust to.