Calling Balls and Strikes from Behind Pitcher?

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Aug 25, 2019
1,066
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my perspective is one ump just FLAT OUT DOES NOT WORK. The last tourney we played in did the exact opposite, only one behind the plate. All players could leave early on steal, all close calls were outs. It was brutal. No appealing of any kind. We only found out about the 1 ump situation the day before we played. Never again, we will drop if that is the case, it just ruins the game. We thought for sure they would do what you said above and prepared our pitchers/ catchers accordingly.

My team turned more double plays this past weekend than all of last season bc all close calls went to defense. We also were on the losing side of all close calls on offense. I have never seen more frustrated teams in my life at a tournament.
Well then sign up and be an umpire, we can always use many more. Alot of umpires are old timers who don't want to be exposed. There are gonna be more one umpire games in our future, so if this is your attitude about the umpiring situation, please keep your team home, it would make our already difficult jobs a bit easier.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
Well then sign up and be an umpire, we can always use many more. Alot of umpires are old timers who don't want to be exposed. There are gonna be more one umpire games in our future, so if this is your attitude about the umpiring situation, please keep your team home, it would make our already difficult jobs a bit easier.


I'm a new umpire this year (great year to start). I expect that 90% of my assignments will be solo. And around here (western CT), that's pretty much the way it is, with the exception of the last two rounds on Sunday for tournaments.

Not looking forward to 6 feet back in the opposite slot (sounds like a wonderful place to be pelted by foul balls). Also, not super-excited to be starting out not in traditional mechanics. I really hope it doesn't last long.

Here in CT, my first assignments are all next month, but games starting in the state this Saturday (technically could start today). My DD's team starts practice Friday, and purposely is going practice heavy for 2 weeks before starting games July 1.
 
Mar 7, 2016
242
28
Well then sign up and be an umpire, we can always use many more. Alot of umpires are old timers who don't want to be exposed. There are gonna be more one umpire games in our future, so if this is your attitude about the umpiring situation, please keep your team home, it would make our already difficult jobs a bit easier.

LOL I already "sign up" to be a coach.

So what your saying now is because you can not find enough people to umpire a game people/teams should just deal with it? We pay high prices to travel, entry, gate fees to get poor officiating? I fail to see how that is anyone's fault but the tourney directors or associations if they cant staff fields? Before you hop on peoples comments telling them to stay home maybe you should think long and hard about where your pay is actually coming from.... but im sure you can find another part time gig that pays $25/hr ($50/game) or $400/day.
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
LOL I already "sign up" to be a coach.

So what your saying now is because you can not find enough people to umpire a game people/teams should just deal with it? We pay high prices to travel, entry, gate fees to get poor officiating? I fail to see how that is anyone's fault but the tourney directors or associations if they cant staff fields? Before you hop on peoples comments telling them to stay home maybe you should think long and hard about where your pay is actually coming from.... but im sure you can find another part time gig that pays $25/hr ($50/game) or $400/day.
That’s exactly what I’m saying brother, deal with it! And that’s coming from not only a umpire but also a parent who also pays big $ to see DD play.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Confirming what previous posters observed - our catchers were not getting the low strike in the 2 days of games so far. And it wasn't glove swim or anything, just a missed call, IMO. I'm worried the "solution" is to get closer to the plate. Yes - most catchers are way too far back, but that's one thing I try to stay on top of. For now, I'll have to settle with the missed call, rather than risk obstruction / CI, or worse.

Although - one our umpires was a HS baseball player, whose positioning was so poor it blocked the view of our SS. That could explain a few of his inside / outside calls...
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Although - one our umpires was a HS baseball player, whose positioning was so poor it blocked the view of our SS. That could explain a few of his inside / outside calls...
Please move!
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Umps behind 2nd base, out of the way. How about installing a couple of bright colored plugs at the corner of the plate. You know like those plastic feathery plugs that stick out the dirt so you can find where the bases go. They are very pliable and would not cause the ball to deflect funny. Just trying to think outside the box.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
We pay high prices to travel, entry, gate fees to get poor officiating? I fail to see how that is anyone's fault but the tourney directors or associations if they cant staff fields?

While flash’s comments were a bit ... opinionated ... I do want to address two things you said SES ... You pay high prices to travel, entry, and gate fees to support a tournament. Unless you are paying the umpires yourself, we don’t see anything more or less regardless of what comes out of your pocket. Like you said, take that up with the TD.

As for how that is anybody’s fault other than the TDs and associations ... there is an across the board shortage of sports officials of all ilk. That isn’t the fault of TDs or associations. That is the fault of the people who have made the culture of youth sports such that people have no interest in calling games. It isn’t that the tournament got cheap or is saving money/profiting ... it is literally a shortage of bodies, let alone good quality bodies, to work games.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
OK, back to the subject at hand ...

Standing behind the pitcher gives you ”the TV view” of the strike zone. So, next time you are watching a game on TV and think you know the strike zone, think back to that ump you had standing behind the pitcher.

I posted a video a while back of how an umpire sees the strike zone ... standing behind the pitcher destroys everything we are taught and every tool we have. You are going from a framed view of the zone (THAT is framing!) with a great 3D diagonal looking down, across, and out over the plate ... to standing 50 feet away, looking on a virtually flat plane, and really only having 2 dimensions you can see.

My opinion of standing behind the pitcher? I’ll come back to umpiring when we can do it right.
 

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