Umpires: Call a STRIKE ZONE

[marriard]

Had it again this weekend - had some umps with good zones in seeding and then in brackets we got a couple of umpires who just wouldn't give low, inside or out and movement pitches just confused him. So that left waist high fast balls.

Not only does it hurt pitchers but it hurts batters as well. As coaches we are trying to teach girls how to hit and when to hit especially in the younger age groups. If you don't need to swing unless it is down the middle at waist high then some coaches will just tell their players not to. Cost us at least one bracket game this weekend and possibly two since we are teach our players to hit balls they can handle in the zone. If the low outside pitch in the zone or the high inside pitch in the zone is NEVER going to be called then some girls are never going to be able to hit it when it is.

Ah well - that was our last tournament in 10U. Maybe the umpires that get the 12U games will do a better job.

 

[3'sDad]

We had it also this weekend @ 16U. Game 1 crew was very good. Game 2 blue behind the plate was awful. Strikes were belt high down the middle and low inside - nothing else. In addition the other team had 3 slappers; who were 4' out of the box when they made contact....he couldn't see they were out of the box and told our coach "I'll watch for it". Called another hit ball fair that was 2' foul as it was "Fair in the air".....the ball hit in foul territory and wasn't touched prior to reaching 1st base and continued hooking foul.

What made it precious was DD's college pitcher cousin was there to see her pitch/play. Pitchers know what are strikes and what aren't. The faces DD was making at the blind blue behind the dish were of Youtube quality after she would throw a drop curve at the thigh over the outside 1/3 a ball. He wouldn't even call a belt high cahnge up a strike if it was over the outside half of the plate. He should have been emabrrassed to take the money he was that bad - but he wasn't & he did.

Classic - just classic.

 

[EP Dad]

Its disheartening to see my DD, and all pitchers who work their butts off to hit corners in a game only to be called balls. Usually they end up throwing down the middle, which goes against what they were taught by their PC's.

Ditto.

It's starting to make me angry watching softball and unable to enjoy it. If the rules aren't going to be followed by the umpires what exactly is the point?

 

[fastpitchdad8]

Ditto.

It's starting to make me angry watching softball and unable to enjoy it. If the rules aren't going to be followed by the umpires what exactly is the point?

ditto.....

 

[Greenmonsters]

No doubt its extremely maddening for a pitcher to come across an umpire who has a postage-stamp sized zone (and conversely for batters when the strike zone encompasses anything ankles to chin between the chalk lines). However instead of focussing on the fact that home plate is 17 inches wide and the umpire is legally blind, its infinitely more productive when they can adopt the mindset that home plate is but a general reference point and they need to pitch to the umpire's strike zone (or, if larger, the batter's swing zone). If a pitcher can find and hit targets at the very edges of that zone, they'll achieve the maximum success possible (albeit limited with a tiny zone) regardless of whether the umpire's zone is the size of a match box or a sheet of plywood. IME, the pitcher/team that better understands and commands the umpire's strike zone has a significant advantage. After all, why would you ever throw the ball over the plate if you didn't have to?

 

[EP Dad]

No doubt its extremely maddening for a pitcher to come across an umpire who has a postage-stamp sized zone (and conversely for batters when the strike zone encompasses anything ankles to chin between the chalk lines). However instead of focussing on the fact that home plate is 17 inches wide and the umpire is legally blind, its infinitely more productive when they can adopt the mindset that home plate is but a general reference point and they need to pitch to the umpire's strike zone (or, if larger, the batter's swing zone). If a pitcher can find and hit targets at the very edges of that zone, they'll achieve the maximum success possible (albeit limited with a tiny zone) regardless of whether the umpire's zone is the size of a match box or a sheet of plywood. IME, the pitcher/team that better understands and commands the umpire's strike zone has a significant advantage. After all, why would you ever throw the ball over the plate if you didn't have to?

Yes. But, when the strike zone is the size of a postage stamp and the batters know it and never swing the only recourse for the pitcher is to hit the umpires zone. And, SMACK, there goes the ball to the (or over) the fence.

It's not having to throw over the plate that is driving us nuts. It's having to throw over the middle of the plate.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Yes. But, when the strike zone is the size of a postage stamp and the batters know it and never swing the only recourse for the pitcher is to hit the umpires zone. And, SMACK, there goes the ball to the (or over) the fence.

It's not having to throw over the plate that is driving us nuts. It's having to throw over the middle of the plate.

It sucks to be a pitcher in those type of games, but it's the same for the other team. Woe is me goes home and the team that deals with it best advances.

 

[cmspock]

Played last night in our league's end of the season 12u rec tournament. Plate ump calls strikes left and right against our team that the catcher was scooping out of the dirt. My pitcher (DD, so maybe I'm partial) couldn't get those same calls and our catcher didn't have to scoop anything, they were caught in her glove. Nothing on the inside corner either. The pitches couldn't have been too far in because the batters weren't tightening their knees up or pulling back. Just standing there.

I don't think he gave DD a strike that was below mid thigh. Extremely frustrating for her especially since we are working on a drop pitch and hitting the corners and anything she threw down the middle was hit to the OF.

Our won't blame the ump for us losing, because my team was flat and sleepy, but he certainly didn't help matters any.

 

[marriard]

It sucks to be a pitcher in those type of games, but it's the same for the other team. Woe is me goes home and the team that deals with it best advances.

I don't want to tell my 10U (or now 12U) team to NOT SWING. Because that is the best way to deal with it if you are out to win - only swing at mid-plate meatballs or just walk runs in all game long. And I don't want to ask my pitcher to throw fastballs down-the-middle. She doesn't want to make it easy on the batter to whack her to (or over) the fence because the umpire can't call a strike.

That isn't the game. That is just stupid.

 

[3'sDad]

In DD's case on Saturday, the opposing coach was very game savvy and had her players move all the way up in the box so the could hit the screwball (low inside - the only corner given for a strike) into fair territory. Good adjutment on her part, so DD had to throw more change ups to keep the batters honest.

Its tough when the pitcher knows to throw screwball inside, drop curve outside to keep a batter of guard and one of your weapons is rendered impotent by the non-playing 3rd party.