- May 10, 2021
- 149
- 43
There has been a great discussion on framing and how it related to getting more strikes called.
My questions to everyone but specifically umpires is:
1. If the catcher grabs a low pitch palms up have you been trained to call this a ball? If they frame by turning their wrist and get the glove on top are you more likely to call a strike? Or does it have no bearing on your call.
2. When the catcher stands up out of the crouch early on any pitch and possible blocks you view? Does this influence your calls?
3. In younger games if the catcher is set up too far behind the dish and balls close the knees are hitting the dirt before the catch? Any influence here or are you calling strikes with pitches in the dirt?
4. The catcher sets up outside in the river and the pitcher sticks the glove - are you influenced and call it a strike even though its off the plate?
5. Finally the marginal pitch dropped by the catcher. Does the drop have influence?
Many items NOT in the rulebook here. My mentors have always stressed staying out of trouble and that includes calling marginal low palm up pitches balls, any pitch in the dirt a ball, most pitches that a catcher comes out of the crouch a ball, giving pitches off the plate when the catchers glove does not move and finally calling dropped pitches balls with the exception of right down the middle.
This is an honest real conversation and part of the game.
Few coaches argue a called ball in the dirt, a dropped pitch or a pitch right to the glove. End an inning with a strike call in the dirt and see where that gets you.
Any words of wisdom or other catcher's actions that may influence your zone??
My questions to everyone but specifically umpires is:
1. If the catcher grabs a low pitch palms up have you been trained to call this a ball? If they frame by turning their wrist and get the glove on top are you more likely to call a strike? Or does it have no bearing on your call.
2. When the catcher stands up out of the crouch early on any pitch and possible blocks you view? Does this influence your calls?
3. In younger games if the catcher is set up too far behind the dish and balls close the knees are hitting the dirt before the catch? Any influence here or are you calling strikes with pitches in the dirt?
4. The catcher sets up outside in the river and the pitcher sticks the glove - are you influenced and call it a strike even though its off the plate?
5. Finally the marginal pitch dropped by the catcher. Does the drop have influence?
Many items NOT in the rulebook here. My mentors have always stressed staying out of trouble and that includes calling marginal low palm up pitches balls, any pitch in the dirt a ball, most pitches that a catcher comes out of the crouch a ball, giving pitches off the plate when the catchers glove does not move and finally calling dropped pitches balls with the exception of right down the middle.
This is an honest real conversation and part of the game.
Few coaches argue a called ball in the dirt, a dropped pitch or a pitch right to the glove. End an inning with a strike call in the dirt and see where that gets you.
Any words of wisdom or other catcher's actions that may influence your zone??