Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Can anyone provide history re why and when the PUs began setting up in the slot position. And for those old timers, was it change you welcomed. Just curious.
Slot Position
- Thread starter Greenmonsters
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- Jun 22, 2008
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I've been working the slot since 1966.
I've only been umpiring about 12 years, so the slot was what I learned from the beginning.
Some advantages:
- Allows the umpire to actually see the plate, the whole plate, much better than being directly behind the catcher. Being right behind the catcher almost guarantees that you'll have a better view of the back of the catcher's head than the plate itself.
Unless...you set up higher to see over the catcher, in which case it distorts your view of the bottom of the strike zone because you're looking downward through it.
- Being a little to the inside and a little bit lower affords the best view of the entire strike zone. It also gives a better perspective of the inside/outside and high/low borders of the zone and the path of the ball. It's hard to explain, but kind of like having a 3-dimensional view versus a 2-dimensional view.
If you're straight back, the up and down break of the pitch is harder to pick up. You see that better if you're kind of looking at it from the side. You might see in and out a little better behind the catcher- but that doesn't do you much good if the catcher is blocking your view of the plate.
- One thing that is often overlooked is that, for the umpire, being in the slot is actually safer. The risk of getting nailed by a foul ball is much less, as illustrated here:
Some advantages:
- Allows the umpire to actually see the plate, the whole plate, much better than being directly behind the catcher. Being right behind the catcher almost guarantees that you'll have a better view of the back of the catcher's head than the plate itself.
Unless...you set up higher to see over the catcher, in which case it distorts your view of the bottom of the strike zone because you're looking downward through it.
- Being a little to the inside and a little bit lower affords the best view of the entire strike zone. It also gives a better perspective of the inside/outside and high/low borders of the zone and the path of the ball. It's hard to explain, but kind of like having a 3-dimensional view versus a 2-dimensional view.
If you're straight back, the up and down break of the pitch is harder to pick up. You see that better if you're kind of looking at it from the side. You might see in and out a little better behind the catcher- but that doesn't do you much good if the catcher is blocking your view of the plate.
- One thing that is often overlooked is that, for the umpire, being in the slot is actually safer. The risk of getting nailed by a foul ball is much less, as illustrated here:
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In baseball, I recall National League umpires working the slot as far back as I remember (and that's pretty far), because most of them used the inside protector. American League umpires used to work above the catcher, higher and more centered, because most of them stuck with the balloon protector. This was one reason that the AL was known as a "high strike" league. All that changed when they changed the umpires to all work for MLB; about 1990.
I go back to 1980 or so with high school softball, and I wasn't ever trained in anything but the slot.
I go back to 1980 or so with high school softball, and I wasn't ever trained in anything but the slot.
- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
- 48
I started with the balloon and worked the slot. Meanwhile, I still see umpires who are too tough to wear a chest protector and insist they are okay. Yeah, that's because they are hiding behind the catcher instead of staying in the slot.
