I agree and really dont understand it. Really havnt noticed it more offense or defense. Just seems to run true. Could just be us perceiving it a certain way. Offense "no way that's a strike she wouldn't have moved". Defense "that ball is really moving today, did you she her jump".
Strike zone question
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I agree and really dont understand it. Really havnt noticed it more offense or defense. Just seems to run true. Could just be us perceiving it a certain way. Offense "no way that's a strike she wouldn't have moved". Defense "that ball is really moving today, did you she her jump".
Older players - they are now crowding the plate more than ever. Some have their bodies in the strike zone. If the pitcher wants the plate back, they throw to inside corner and the batter moves back. Pitch is in the strike zone...it's a strike.
Younger players - you never know what you get from them. Some are a bit scared of anything on the inside portion of the plate; some haven't learned to deal with the pitch that is breaking. Just because they "jump" away doesn't mean it is about to hit them and the ball is out of the strike zone.
The good umpires are not affected by such batter movement. The eyes are tracking the pitch and the call is made where the pitch is.
Remember, the plate may be 17 inches wide, but ANY portion of the ball crossing the plate is a strike if within the height definitions...that can be a wide plate.
Younger players - you never know what you get from them. Some are a bit scared of anything on the inside portion of the plate; some haven't learned to deal with the pitch that is breaking. Just because they "jump" away doesn't mean it is about to hit them and the ball is out of the strike zone.
The good umpires are not affected by such batter movement. The eyes are tracking the pitch and the call is made where the pitch is.
Remember, the plate may be 17 inches wide, but ANY portion of the ball crossing the plate is a strike if within the height definitions...that can be a wide plate.
It's a fact of life that umpires are human and may (I said "may") be subject to subconscious cues from the hitter. If the hitter has weak, passive, or disinterested body language, it is human nature to expand the zone.
Hitters need to be aware of this fact that the way you present yourself and your body language affects the pitcher's confidence, possibly the way the coach calling pitches against you perceives you, and most often also whether or not the umpire sub-consciously perceives you as a competent batter.
Coaches need to know this stuff and help explain to hitters who come back complaining of a called looking strikeout that the hitter sold it, no need for the catcher to even sell the pitch.
Umps should be aware that they may tend to expand or contract the zone, even if only very slightly, depending on subtle factors, and attempt to be as self-aware and impartial as possible.
Hitters need to be aware of this fact that the way you present yourself and your body language affects the pitcher's confidence, possibly the way the coach calling pitches against you perceives you, and most often also whether or not the umpire sub-consciously perceives you as a competent batter.
Coaches need to know this stuff and help explain to hitters who come back complaining of a called looking strikeout that the hitter sold it, no need for the catcher to even sell the pitch.
Umps should be aware that they may tend to expand or contract the zone, even if only very slightly, depending on subtle factors, and attempt to be as self-aware and impartial as possible.
ALWAYS????? When my DD was playing 14U there was a little rivalry we had with a local team whose
coach had the girls crowd the plate to be able to hit the outside pitch. Coach was a loud mouth jacka#**
whose intent was to intimidate pitchers from throwing inside. In bracket play I called nothing but inside pitches.
IN the early innings she hit 2 batters in the knee, both times the PU called dead ball strike as the girls knee
was determined to be in strike zone. Coach went bonkers and was thrown out-batters stopped crowding
and we eliminated them from tournament.
The moral here is learn the PU strike zone, if batters crowd and PU likes to call strikes a full ball width inside
some teams will not like the result. Good pitchers take advantage and pound the part of the zone that is most effective.
Too many times, the 'jumping back' is more showboating than reality. My advice, take a seat behind the backstop and QUIETLY
watch the action unfold
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