Terrible Umpires, IMO, need to work the concessions.

[DOG310]

Holy Cow! I think you must umpire a lot of our high school games. This is what we face on a weekly basis, one team has a pitcher that is decent, the other has a girl who can't find the plate.

So, the solution is two different strike zones????? Perhaps that is why we had an opposing coach yell at the umpire "hey blue, what the heck? We're the home team"

Just call it by the book!!

Strike zones depend upon the skill level of the players and is designed to get batters to swing at hitable
pitches.
(Any coach who argues a called pitch is shut down very quickly with a warning before things get out of hand while everyone else is ignored)
I have done 10U tournaments where the talent level was phenomenal and I was able to call a text book strike zone.
Many things can influence my call-- how the pitch is received, batter jumping out of the box, etc. but this only applies at the higher levels.
Believe me, calling these types of games are an umpire's dream because we can actually do our job properly.
Conversely I have done B level Varsity games where the "pitcher" could not hit the plate with her fork.
Trust me--umpires like to call strikes because it makes the game go faster and a lot more interesting.
At the lower levels I was taught to open up the corners a lot more--one ball on the inside and a ball and a half on the outside.
And maybe a tad more outside for a kid who is really struggling.
I also allow lower pitches to be called strikes as well as some higher pitches that slightly loop in.
The idea, again, is to get the kids swinging to avoid a walk a thong and to avoid killing a
kid's arm/concentration by squeezing him/her.
And at a very low level I sometimes go, "Nose to toes and New York to California" although that is, thankfully, rare.
I have found that most coaches at the lower/novice levels appreciate a big strike zone as long as it goes both ways.

 

[WHEREAMI]

on 1, we had the infield in, close pool game, so we were working on play at the plate. and on 4, yes, it was VERY SARCASTICALLY LOUD, but after I didn't the call! And yes, I know, I acted a little extreme, which is why I walked away. The game was a single elimination with the #1 seed.

 

[WHEREAMI]

Yes, many people do not understand that.
Plus the fact that sometimes we just screw up-- but that is something everyone knows.

yes they screw up, but an ump that admits it, goes a LONG WAY with me. just last nite had two infield fly's, and the ump doesn't call either one. we run into each other on the first, they score 2 runs, the next one we get a double play. Ump said , coach , yes it shoud have been, i missed it. i was cool.

 

[MT 73]

What does being the home team mean?
No, there is not two strike zones--both pitchers get the same but I will admit there is a tendency to squeeze the good one.
An expanded strike zone is geared to the lower age groups--8U-12U but at the Varsity/Travel level a rule book zone is used.
At that level the girls are expected to know how to play and if they cannot--well..that is why we have mercy and time limits.

 

[Eric F]

No, there is not two strike zones--both pitchers get the same but I will admit there is a tendency to squeeze the good one.

Which is it? You say there aren't two strike zones, but you will squeeze one if that pitcher is better. That doesn't sound like the same strike zone to me. It also sounds like manipulation that has a very real possibility of affecting the outcome of the game. Ridiculous.

Call the strike zone. Be consistent. It isn't your job to "help".

 

[Swim Coach]

This is rather frustrating as a coach and a pitcher's father. I've noticed on more than one occasion where my DD has gotten rung up on a pitch at the shoulders but can't buy a strike at the belly button when she's in the circle, presumably because she's a better pitcher than her counterpart? I know better than to argue balls and strikes but there's not much to say when I tell a kid to not chase that pitch up at their nose only to have that called a strike on the next pitch.

I get the part about wanting to move the game along and have a better game. Not a fan of creating a competitive game or giving a better team a loss to make the game more enjoyable to the umpire. While it might make the game better for blue, it doesn't for the participants, and isn't that why we are there?

 

[bmakj]

I think the umpires do and should broaden the zones depending on age and level of ball. typically in rec here (10u is where I have most experience, 8u is coach pitch), at beginning of season, pitchers are all over the place. If text book strike zone is used, lots of girls will simply never swing the bat, they know they will get on base with a walk. broaden it to shoulders to just below knees, and an extra ball to each side of plate, and the girls learn they cannot assume a walk (at that level, I see lots of full count walks and strikeouts, just not very consistent ptching). at end of season, pitchers get better, but if batters have learned to look for a walk instead of a hit. so text book strike zone results in walk fests early, and lots of strikeouts looking late in the season. does no one any good.

it absolutely needs to be the same for both teams though. however, umpires are human, and human tendency is to give advantage (even when subconcious) to 'underdog", this happens mostly on borderline calls. pitcher who has struggled to find zone all night long will probably get the strike, offense that has struggled all night to get on base will probably get a ball, on the same location. generally, for this to be happening, it is doubtful outcome of game is in question.

 

[Swim Coach]

Our rec league used to have a rule at 10U if you took a strike, you lost your balls. It was a good rule but sadly some teams had it changed to a regular count then the coach comes in to pitch after ball 4. Result is teams that have decent hitters rarely swing, hoping for a walk and to be able they hit a meatball off their coach. Very counterproductive.

As a side note, hearing parents and coaches scream "Don't lose your balls" on 3-0 never ceases to be funny. Take a 3-0 strike and it's 0-1.

 

[MT 73]

I think the umpires do and should broaden the zones depending on age and level of ball. typically in rec here (10u is where I have most experience, 8u is coach pitch), at beginning of season, pitchers are all over the place. If text book strike zone is used, lots of girls will simply never swing the bat, they know they will get on base with a walk. broaden it to shoulders to just below knees, and an extra ball to each side of plate, and the girls learn they cannot assume a walk (at that level, I see lots of full count walks and strikeouts, just not very consistent ptching). at end of season, pitchers get better, but if batters have learned to look for a walk instead of a hit. so text book strike zone results in walk fests early, and lots of strikeouts looking late in the season. does no one any good.

it absolutely needs to be the same for both teams though. however, umpires are human, and human tendency is to give advantage (even when subconcious) to 'underdog", this happens mostly on borderline calls. pitcher who has struggled to find zone all night long will probably get the strike, offense that has struggled all night to get on base will probably get a ball, on the same location. generally, for this to be happening, it is doubtful outcome of game is in question.

Like it or not this is how umpires operate.
Some do it better/fairer than others but it is what it is.
At least those who go through a professional training school.
To repeat we were advised to open up on the corners as opposed to height and to make sure the pitch was hittable.
We were also taught to call it both ways per game so both sides get the same zone.
As a side note, the older the players the tighter the strike zone gets
I invite others here to take up umpiring if they feel they can do a better job of it.
That's how I got started and I learned real fast how ignorant of the game I was.

 

[SBmom8992]

At least those who go through a professional training school.
To repeat we were advised to open up on the corners as opposed to height and to make sure the pitch was hittable.
We were also taught to call it both ways per game so both sides get the same zone.

Apparently the umps at our tournament did not go to the same high level umpire school you did. Probably more along the lines of the Stevie Wonder School of Umpiring.