What are Umps Seeing?

[Bucketrider]

First of all, I am as the name implies, a man who spends countless hours on the bucket catching my 12yo TB Pitcher daughter. I have no idea how fast she pitches, only that she pops my glove and is getting to the point of starting to sting my hand. I have taken to using a pitch counter on games to keep track of both total pitches and her strike percentage. After this weekend I have no idea as to what the strike zone is. Since most of the girls around here learned the curve-ball as the second pitch, she and I have focused on the inside fastball. She knows it does not always have to be over the plate as it is more a set up, but still remains within a ball of the green zone on the Shutt Plate. This weekend I watched my dd, or the opponents pitchers throw three pitches without the catchers moving to the same spot and three different calls! Yes it is possible, he called a foul ball on a dropped third strike that never touched a bat!

I understand and have taught her to adjust to Blues zone, which changes from ump to ump, and association to association. How do you deal with a zone that Blue cannot even keep consistent within himself? I even heard others walk by the field and joke about the calls! My dd is a pretty level kid and didn't let it effect her much, but for the first time I saw her laugh as she walked off the field after the first inning and said to her coach, "My gosh did you see that zone?!?, What does he want?".

I have said this before, I really believe that the amount of TB teams has had the undesirable effect of having the alphabets getting more and more umps that really should spend their time fishing as the pace seems to be better for them. You can with some effort teach someone the rules and interpretation, but you cannot make them an Ump. I have seen USSSA run an Umpire clinic prior to sanctioning and they actually seemed to work on showing the new blues the zone, I wish this was the standard for all.

Guess it is just part of the game now, and I feel better having had my little rant.

 

[Lozza]

Pitches that look the same, aren't always the same. Sometimes they miss them, sometimes they just don't think it hit the corner.

I firmly believe that every softball player should do at least one plate a year. It's damn hard to do plate and you can cop so much abuse.

 

[coachdan]

I agree wiht Lozza calling balls and strikes it a tough job. I called a scrimmage game for our team and its a split second decision that has to be made on the spot.

Most organization use there lease experienced umps with the younger age groups where the game is a bit slower and there is more time to look at the pitches and make that call.

Umping behind the plate is a very hard job and I don't want any part of it.......

 

[Comp]

Im not going to say there arent umps out there that are bad, because there are a certain amount that as you said should be out fishing rather than calling games. But, the view from the stands or behind the backstop is completely different than it is from directly behind the plate. And, parents do have a tendency to be a little partial to their own kid. Calling a game a couple of weeks ago, father of pitcher is obviously standing behind me video taping his daughter and yelling out things to her. Stuff like, that was a beautiful drop, oh, great curve kid, way to get her with the rise. Only problem was, never saw any one of her pitches move an inch. Every one of them was nothing more than a fastball. Will give her credit though, she could locate them.

 

[FPMark]

I can only speak from my experiance, but I have noticed around here, that umps in 12U were very hesitant to call the inside corner. They were much more forgiving on the outside corner. I always had our hitters move in on the plate to gaurd the outside, and not worry about the inside so much because of this. I think they try to discourage inside pitches to keep hitters from being hit by the pitch. I say this because now, in 14U, the same umps will call inside pitches with girls bailing out of the way.

That being said, the best way to get a favorable stike zone is to make the batters swing early in the game. Showcase pitches over the meat of the plate with change of speed or movement, and make them them put the ball in play. Then as the game goes on, start working out to the corners. It's easier to find the corners by starting over the plate and working out than to start off the plate and work in.

 

[Jojo]

I had an umpire friend that once was umping a game between rival 14u teams. Game was tied and in the last inning of the game. Home team had bases loaded with hitter on a full count. Hitter had been holding the bat just getting strikes and balls calls, trying to mentally intimidate the pitcher, and get the winning run scored without chance of a put out.

As the last pitch was being pitch, you could cut the air with a knife--you could just feel the tension everywhere.

I asked my friend after the game---what was going through your mind on that last pitch? He said I was praying that the pitch went over my head or into the dirt, because anything else not as obvious was going to be a bad call by me.
He prayer was answered as the last pitch was low outside in the dirt.

 

[starsnuffer]

Good pitchers get the batters to swing at balls. IF the strike zone is really bad, then you might have to switch tactics from trying to get called strikes to trying to get the batters to swing, and trying to force ground balls to make the outs.

-W

 

[dbias]

Having caught thousands of pitches from my DD during pitching I know a strike when i see it. I have been complimented on my work behind the plate and the league officals have definitely noticed the lack of wailing and nashing of teeth by both sides during my games, and it kills me to see others botch the thing up so bad. I often give the catcher pointers, for both sides, on how to establish the corners. It is not rocket science and a lot of it is setting a good tone with both teams and sets of coaches as to my expectations.

 

[FPMark]

Having caught thousands of pitches from my DD during pitching I know a strike when i see it. I have been complimented on my work behind the plate and the league officals have definitely noticed the lack of wailing and nashing of teeth by both sides during my games, and it kills me to see others botch the thing up so bad.

I often give the catcher pointers, for both sides, on how to establish the corners.

It is not rocket science and a lot of it is setting a good tone with both teams and sets of coaches as to my expectations.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of pointers do you give?

 

[Sparky Guy]

Having caught thousands of pitches from my DD during pitching I know a strike when i see it. I have been complimented on my work behind the plate and the league officals have definitely noticed the lack of wailing and nashing of teeth by both sides during my games, and it kills me to see others botch the thing up so bad. I often give the catcher pointers, for both sides, on how to establish the corners. It is not rocket science and a lot of it is setting a good tone with both teams and sets of coaches as to my expectations.

I had an umpire friend tell me he hears less moaning and complaining when he calls strikes.

I wish there was a practical way to grade umpire plate work in youth sports. I have seen some umps who have absolutely no business being behind the plate. When both teams are barking at the ump you know you have a bad one. On the other end I've seen umpires
who a very consistent from the 1st pitch to the last pitch of the game. The sanctioning bodies need to tap into these guys to teach the art of calling balls and strikes, and it is an art.