Dear Catcher.. from your freindly umpire

[marriard]

Been an interesting few weeks... after working a lot of HS, some college and some HS travel, I helped out locally on on some 10U/12/14U games the last couple of weekends.

So... first, piece of advice for those younger catchers. Get with the https://www.catchingcamp.com or similar to learn to properly catch. Not only will you make a better catcher, but a lot of the below gets addressed.

First.. some things that WILL help you out.

1) Introduce yourself to the umpire. Say Hello. Shake their hand. The good umpires will talk to you as needed through the game.
2) Good umpires wont tell a coach where a pitch was when asked, but they may tell you. And they are telling you so you can tell the coach... So when the umpire tells you it is inside and it WAS inside you tell your coach "It was inside"... if you disagree you can tell your coach 'They said it was inside' . But you still say it was inside. Great catchers will answer their coaches asking an umpire for location before the umpire even says anything if it was clearly a ball
3) if your coach asks YOU where it was "I am not sure" is fine - so is "it was close" but if it was clearly inside, say "It was inside". Even if you think it was a strike and they missed it - don't say "It was a strike".
4) Block on wild pitches with no one on. Not because coach is yelling at you to - after all there is no one on so no one is going anywhere - but because you are stopping the ball from possibly hitting the umpire.

Technique:
1) DON'T Set up in the RIVER for an INSIDE PITCH. You have a choice on how you set up - the umpire really doesn't. We set up in the inside slot. If you are also in the slot you are blocking my view of the strike zone. That means NO CALLED INSIDE STRIKES and probably less close outside strikes because I CAN'T SEE THE ZONE BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE WAY. I will do my best to adjust - but at best I have an angle that is not ideal or normal. If I don't see the ball catch the plate because you are in the way, it is going to be a ball.
2) Don't set up WAY outside and ever expect a strike call. You have exposed the umpire DIRECTLY to the pitcher and that is not fun - frankly the person I am most relying on to protect me has abandoned me. I don't have a glove. I can't catch the ball. I am also taught to stay in there to make the strike/ball call so dodging a pitch is not my normal reaction. Also many of these pitchers are wild, so while it is nice that your coach called for an outside pitch, they miss a lot. And doing this is bad technique anyway.
3) When you yank the ball into the zone because some coach calls it 'framing', don't act all surprised when the umpire calls it a ball. You know what you did.

A good umpire will NOT talk to you or you coach about your technique during the game. They are not a coach. I will talk to a coach after the game about it. "Love your catcher, but if she sets up in the river and blocks my view, you are not going to get inside strike calls."

 

[softgabby]

Been an interesting few weeks... after working a lot of HS, some college and some HS travel, I helped out locally on on some 10U/12/14U games the last couple of weekends.

So... first, piece of advice. Get with the https://www.catchingcamp.com or similar to learn to properly catch. Not only will you make a better catcher, but a lot of the below gets addressed.

First.. some things that WILL help you out.

1) Introduce yourself to the umpire. Say Hello. Shake their hand. The good umpires will talk to you as needed through the game.
2) Good umpires wont tell a coach where a pitch was when asked, but they may tell you. And they are telling you so you can tell the coach... So when the umpire tells you it is inside and it WAS inside you tell your coach "It was inside"... if you disagree you can tell your coach 'They said it was inside' . But you still say it was inside. Great catchers will answer their coaches asking an umpire for location before the umpire even says anything if it was clearly a ball
3) if your coach asks YOU where it was "I am not sure" is fine - so is "it was close" but if it was clearly inside, say "It was inside". Even if you think it was a strike and they missed it - don't say "It was a strike".
4) Block on wild pitches with no one on. Not because coach is yelling at you to - after all there is no one on so no one is going anywhere - but because you are stopping the ball from possibly hitting the umpire.

Technique:
1) DON'T Set up in the RIVER for an INSIDE PITCH. You have a choice on how you set up - the umpire really doesn't. We set up in the inside slot. If you are also in the slot you are blocking my view of the strike zone. That means NO CALLED INSIDE STRIKES and probably less close outside strikes because I CAN'T SEE THE ZONE BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE WAY. I will do my best to adjust - but at best I have an angle that is not ideal or normal. If I don't see the ball catch the plate because you are in the way, it is going to be a ball.
2) Don't set up WAY outside and ever expect a strike call. You have exposed the umpire DIRECTLY to the pitcher and that is not fun - frankly the person I am most relying on to protect me has abandoned me. I don't have a glove. I can't catch the ball. I am also taught to stay in there to make the strike/ball call so dodging a pitch is not my normal reaction. Also many of these pitchers are wild, so while it is nice that your coach called for an outside pitch, they miss a lot. And doing this is bad technique anyway.
3) When you yank the ball into the zone because some coach calls it 'framing', don't act all surprised when the umpire calls it a ball. You know what you did.

A good umpire will NOT talk to you or you coach about your technique during the game. They are not a coach. I will talk to a coach after the game about it. "Love your catcher, but if she sets up in the river and blocks my view, you are not going to get inside strike calls."

This is good stuff and should be required reading for all catchers. Sometimes in the heat of the moment during a game, I forget about some of these things. It happens during the heat of competition. But, I try to do as many of these things as possible.

 

[Tatonka]

Good little read....and all important stuff.

 

[texasheat]

this caught my eye -- "Don't set up WAY outside and ever expect a strike call."

So umpires exact revenge on teams for their catcher's actions?

 

[GoGamecocks]

As a catcher's dad, this is fantastic stuff. My daughter has been to two Catchers Camp sessions, and Jay Weaver tells them that they should introduce themselves to the umpire and ask how s/he would like to be addressed. Jay says that it is surprising how often the umpire gives his/her first name.

I've got a couple of questions for you:

1) What are your thoughts about a catcher asking for an appeal on a checked swing? Obviously some batters check up more than others, but is there a point where you just get sick of it>

2) I'm also very curious about your thoughts about the catcher's position in relation to the batter. My daughter tends to creep as close to the batter as she can get away with (she used to get popped for interference once or twice per month, but this no loner seems to be an issue). What are your feelings on this? It seems like if you set up directly behind the catcher and the catcher isn't directly behind the plate, you might be "seeing" balls that were in the zone as the crossed the plate but were out of the zone when the hit the catcher's glove.

3) framing - my daughter (who is 15) says she never puts any effort on framing on obvious balls. Are you more likely to call a strike with artful framing?

4) Not catcher related, but I'm curious - when there's a coach appealing a call and you walk out to discuss it with the fielding umpire, is it always 100% neutral, or do you guys say stuff like "Jim and his obstruction appeals. This is the third time in this tournament. Did you see any evidence of obstruction?" Or maybe even "Jim is such an asshat. Give the safe sign."

 

[GoGamecocks]

this caught my eye -- "Don't set up WAY outside and ever expect a strike call."

So umpires exact revenge on teams for their catcher's actions?

I mean - to be clear, a catcher is setting up outside to field the outside pitch. Isn't this usually when they're expecting a swing and a miss and not a called strike?

 

[4 girl's dad]

4) Not catcher related, but I'm curious - when there's a coach appealing a call and you walk out to discuss it with the fielding umpire, is it always 100% neutral, or do you guys say stuff like "Jim and his obstruction appeals. This is the third time in this tournament. Did you see any evidence of obstruction?" Or maybe even "Jim is such an asshat. Give the safe sign."

This is hilarious! I cant wait for the answers.

 

[Gags]

Thank you Marriard.

As others have referenced, can you define "WAY outside" in regards to setting up for an outside pitch?

My daughter's a new pitcher, but throws hard. Unfortunately, accuracy is a work in progress, so I've been having one of my catchers set up an outside target - maybe outer half is a better description. I think I drew a line in the dirt probably 1/2 way between the back tip and the outer edge of the plate, and told her to straddle that.

This is also with my best catcher - thank you for the reminder that I shouldn't be doing this with a lesser-skilled catcher, who might not be able to get to the inside pitch consistently (even if it is just a few more inches of glove movement).

 

[Gags]

this caught my eye -- "Don't set up WAY outside and ever expect a strike call."

So umpires exact revenge on teams for their catcher's actions?

Maybe not revenge - it could be something as simple as "that may have caught the inside corner, but since I had to move out of the way b/c I didn't think the catcher was going to get there in time, I couldn't get a good look at it."

 

[marriard]

1) What are your thoughts about a catcher asking for an appeal on a checked swing? Obviously some batters check up more than others, but is there a point where you just get sick of it>

Unless it is a ridiculous ask, ask. You will tell when it is ridiculous because I won't go to my partner for their call. Don't go fishing.

2) I'm also very curious about your thoughts about the catcher's position in relation to the batter. My daughter tends to creep as close to the batter as she can get away with (she used to get popped for interference once or twice per month, but this no loner seems to be an issue). What are your feelings on this? It seems like if you set up directly behind the catcher and the catcher isn't directly behind the plate, you might be "seeing" balls that were in the zone as the crossed the plate but were out of the zone when the hit the catcher's glove.

Creep up as close as you can in the catchers box. Doesn't bother me at all. I am not direclty behind a catcher who is in good positon anyway. I am off their left shoulder in the slot. The closer they are, the happier I am on honestly. As long as I have a clear view of the zone - and specifically the front of the plate, if the catcher isn't in my way I am not particularly worried about where they are.

3) framing - my daughter (who is 15) says she never puts any effort on framing on obvious balls. Are you more likely to call a strike with artful framing?

There is a LOT of debate on this. Calling strikes is like hitting... it is a strike until the pitch convinces you it is a ball. By the time the catcher has caught it, it is pretty much over. I have decided.

However my opinion is that when a catcher catches it like a strike or does the whole proper glove positioning taught by catching camp and others, it makes my life so much easier calling all corners and close pitches because when I call it a strike, it looks like a well caught strike and it reduces the chatter. A good receiver of the ball makes life better for the umpire by making those close strikes look like strikes to everyone.

A lot of umpires like to delude themselves that all the noise and booing and questioning doesn't effect them at all, but it is just that - a delusion. Hopefully it doesn't effect me too much - I like to believe experience and training have given me a high resistance level... others I can't speak to.

Also one school of thought - and older umpire techniques and advice is 'if the catcher catches it like a strike, call it a strike. If they catch it like ball, call it a ball". This is not my thought process. But it is out there.

Of course, you will also run into less experienced or less trained (or even some just set in their ways) umpires where even bad framing works ALL the time. It is not good they are out there, but they are.

4) Not catcher related, but I'm curious - when there's a coach appealing a call and you walk out to discuss it with the fielding umpire, is it always 100% neutral, or do you guys say stuff like "Jim and his obstruction appeals. This is the third time in this tournament. Did you see any evidence of obstruction?" Or maybe even "Jim is such an asshat. Give the safe sign."

Good umpires don't speak that way on the field because someone will absolutely hear you, but yes of course coaches gain reputations. That wont change how we talk about a single call when we get together. Either I saw it or I didn't. Either the rule was called right or it wasn't.