Shrewd Umpire Not About To Be Fooled By Catcher Moving Glove Into Strike Zone

[cshilt]

The following satirical article was copy/pasted from The Onion

Shrewd Umpire Not About To Be Fooled By Catcher Moving Glove Into Strike Zone

SAN FRANCISCO—In a statement issued after Wednesday night's Rockies-Giants contest, home plate umpire Laz Diaz warned all catchers around the league that he is "onto their little game," and is easily able to tell when they slyly move their glove into the strike zone after catching a pitch off the plate. "You catchers seem to think that I was born yesterday," the statement, which called the catchers' tactics "dishonest, immature, and tantamount to cheating," read in part. "Some of you even believe you can fool me by holding your glove there for an extra long time, as if to say, 'See, I'm holding it here like this because it was a strike.' Well, this umpire is not falling for that. Not today, not ever." Diaz further stated that a batter who removes his elbow protector, drops his bat, and begins heading to first base will never coax him into calling ball four.

 

[absdad]

I'm glad my duaghter never got into that habit, that I see so many catchers try to do. I've asked umpires in our tournaments, and online and they all pretty much say the very same thing. Catchingcoach Dave Weaver stresses this very thing. The whole concept of "framing" is just fooey.

 

[Daddy O]

That is why I taught my daughter and her other teammate catchers that if it is a strike hold it there so the ump can get a good look, if it was clearly a ball don't insult their intelligence just throw it back to the pitcher. Seemed to work pretty good for the most part.

 

[jimginas]

Daddy O: EXACTLTY!!!!!!!

If the pitch is clearly a ball, don't insult Blues by pulling balls into the strike zone. They are smart enough to see the catchers glove move. Many people feel that is proper framing, though I argue can be more detrimental to your pitcher in terms of getting borderline strike calls.

** that said and with due respect to the experienced catchers coaches, I would suggest that Framing is NOT PULLING the ball into the strike zone, it is a border line pitch that the catcher keeping her glove from moving in/out of the strikezone, turns/pivots her glove/wrist to KEEP borderline/on the black pitches strikes, VICE some catchers pull borderline strikes OUT of the strikezone as the momentum of the pitch and a catcher's lack of skill has her move her glove to the movement of the pitch and if its moving from a valid strike to the outside of the plate and she catches and CARRIES the pitch to a ball!

 

[absdad]

I had asked a while back on an umpire site about framing. Their thoughts were overwhelmingly against it. For exactly the reasons stated in this thread. You might be able to sneak a marginal pitch once in a while. But mostly you're just going to annoy Blue. If you wanted a strike, you shoulda thrown it over the plate.

 

[jimginas]

and the last thing you want to do is aggrevate blue!

 

[DonnieS]

and the last thing you want to do is aggrevate blue!

Gosh, I wouldnt know. Never done it.

 

[halskinner]

I remember a game, it was either a 12u or 14u game.

Pitch came in a good foot outside the plate. Catcher smagged it and instantly pulled the glove about 2 feet over to the center of the strike zone.

It was a lady blue behind the plate and she called it a ball, then yelled time out. She took off her mask, turned her back to the field and busted out laughing for a good 30 seconds or so.

The blue then turned and walked to the catchers dugout. She asked the coaches who had taught her to frame pitches? The head coach, after a few seconds said "Me". The blue then said "Ya need to work on that more,,, alot more" she then started laughing again. The coach then added, "YYYYUUUUPPP, I kiiiiinda noticed".

Everyone had tears in their eyes in the stands. It was priceless!!

 

[jimginas]

Gosh, I wouldnt know. Never done it.

DonnieS: yup - unfortunately, I have. I think/HOPE experience has taught me some! I've had Blues mad at me for my catcher not catching pitches that repeatedly hit them (he KNEW she was intentionally letting it by-not on MY call, but because she didn't like him), Blues mad because I've thrown out a plate brush to my catcher (THAT didn't go over well!), one year with young girls (12U) I bunted 10 batters in a row left-handed. (We were beating up a on team, and it was a good chance to work bunting from the left-side without running up the score... at least that was my initent.
Blue asked me if I was buunting one of my batters again, I don't him not to ask me that, not his job to know that beforehand..... that didn't go over well either!
There are more moments of stupidity I've had, but you get the poiont!

 

[lefty16]

I umpire as well as catch and have seen that nearly every catcher does this to some degree. I know I do. But what kind of umpire would be insulted by it? It's just a catcher trying to do their best for the team, and any reasonable umpire would see that the catcher moved the glove and therefore not call a strike.