- Jun 18, 2023
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well, technically Opie _is_ Mike.. ;-)Opie is hanging out with Mike....
Umps calling strikes above batter's head
- Thread starter CoachCeetar
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- Apr 28, 2023
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We had this problem a few times. I might be repeating things as there’s too much to read here, so sorry if so. But, we move kids in the box constantly, that’s always our first move. As long as the ump is consistent, that’s all you can ask for. Huge thing we teach our girls is every ump has their own strike zone, so try to learn it ASAP. We tell them to watch the first hitters and see what he’s calling before they’re up (which means we tell them because good ####### luck.)
If it’s ridiculous sometimes you’re just SOL, but the one thing we have had SOME success with (aka maybe 1/4) is having a quick talk with opposing coach and ump. I’m assuming you can’t challenge the ump. So what we do is call the other coach to discuss/clarify the agreed strike zone. Make it a convo with the other coach, don’t attack the ump or make it seem like they’ve messed up, and make friends with both before first pitch.
If it’s ridiculous sometimes you’re just SOL, but the one thing we have had SOME success with (aka maybe 1/4) is having a quick talk with opposing coach and ump. I’m assuming you can’t challenge the ump. So what we do is call the other coach to discuss/clarify the agreed strike zone. Make it a convo with the other coach, don’t attack the ump or make it seem like they’ve messed up, and make friends with both before first pitch.
As an umpire, if coach(es) ask me what my strike zone will be for the game (which only happens at young/low level games), the canned answer is "I will call a skill/age appropriate strike zone", or "if I see a strike I will call a strike". I will not tell you "shoulders to knees" or "two balls off the plate". That is asking for trouble.
- Jun 18, 2023
- 396
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I think there's some expectation of a wider/taller strike zone at lower levels, coupled with the idea that we're trying to teach these kids to swing and you can bump up some of these pitchers' strike % by a bit by calling it generously, but that very often gets out of hand. I wonder if we should simply redefine it as "could the batter have made reasonable forward contact on that?" Then it's a strike.
- May 13, 2023
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Revisit this perspective ~
- Jun 8, 2016
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Revisit?
- Jun 18, 2023
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I mean even the "best" umpires at the major league level are frequently wrong and high susceptible to situation and framing, it's not something that's every going to be resolved at these lower levels. Doesn't make it less frustrating or easy to adjust to.
Our local rec league has umps for all levels. My son did it for a couple summers before he started doing travel games. He would come home after "umping" 7 year olds doing coach pitch, and wonder why he was even there. Wasn't calling balls/strikes. Hardly ever an actual play at a base. But it was $25 in his pocket.
I work with one of the guys that run the league. He said they have umps at those games for 2 reasons. It's a decent paying job for under 16 year old kids, many of them also being on older age rec or local travel teams. Also, it's very basic training to hopefully get kids into wanting to ump.
MLB umps average about 94% correct on balls/strikes. Wouldn't really say frequently. Hitters average about 25% hits... Sidenote: Home plate ump in the Angels vs Tigers game yesterday saw 122 taken pitches. Made the correct call on 121 of them. One strike right at the lower corner he called a ball.
In general, we all need to learn to deal with whatever the umps strike zone is for a given game. If balls in the players eyes are strikes that day, the batters better start tomahawking them the best they can. Or, strike out looking, and then complain about the umps.
One of my daughters who plays has always been much shorter than average height. I have a whole reel for our personal amusement of pitches that clear her head that are called strikes. It still happens to her in college, though much less frequently. I would say at some point this affliction turned her in to a more aggressive hitter.
