Strike Zone

[Doug Romrell]

Another thing about this big-badge syndrome ump was this....

It's fall league with drop dead at 60 minutes. We had just finished batting, 2 minutes left on the clock and we had lost the game. I said to him, "We're done." Why? Because we had a game immediately after and needed to warm up cold pitchers. He told me that we couldn't be done because there were 2 minutes remaining. I'm thinking "WHAT?" By the time we take the field and finish our throw-around/pitcher warm-up, there would be less than 30 seconds. Well, I obliged him. Got two pitches in, THEN THE GAME WAS OVER.

 

[Cannonball]

Doug, you are never ever going to get one of these guys to admit that there are many serving as umpires who are doing it for the money and nothing else. I'll leave off the comments about having to do it for the money. Sure there are coaches as well who are not qualified. Most coaches admit that those coaches are out there.

The rest deleted by me as my remarks are not positive in nature about Umpires and incompetence.

Edited to add:

My "Brother in law" is one and he knows what I think about him.

 

[Doug Romrell]

No, they weren't calling it for me or the other coach, whom I know well. He (the other coach) and I chuckled about the pathetic strike zone after the game. We both would prefer the strike zone be called with full corners. Neither of us liked all the walks our batters got.

No, I knew my "chirping" at the umpire wasn't going to help. In fact, as I would expect of this knucklehead, his strike zone tightened up further following my "chirping." I'm sure you think that's okay as well.

 

[Doug Romrell]

Cannonball,

You hit it on the bull's eye!

Contrary to what some of these umpire-worshipers think, incompetence is probably no less common among umpires than it is among coaches. Incompetence exists all around us, umpires included.

 

[Doug Romrell]

There are many great umpires out there, but umpires are definitely not all created equal in their abilities to judge. As you all can well tell now, I think I'm more upset with this attitude that there can't be such a thing as an incompetent umpire. Pure nonsense!

 

[WaSpeed02]

The worst incompetence in umpiring that I've seen in this area always involves some young teenager who is relatively inexperienced. I realize they've got to get some experience under their belt some time, but my complaint is that there ought to be some minimum hours/games met umpiring rec ball games before they are allowed to ump travel ball tournaments. Not only is the game being played at a higher level, which is accompanied by a higher level of responsibility for the ump, but it also being financed by parents that pay a hell of a lot more money than your average rec parent. If we're footing the bill, then we ought to be able to demand competent, trained umps.

That being said, last year, of all the umps I saw, there were only 2 that were clearly incompetent, and the coaches of several teams addressed the UIC with their concerns and had things changed both times.

 

[SCDad]

Complaining about the Strike Zone is a complete waste of time, energy, and is not how to make your DD great.

Focus the same amount of energy figuring out what the strike zone actually is for a particular umpire. Focus on manipulating the umpire by friendly means to have the strike zone moved your way, and you find a way to WIN!!!!

I have watched many a game with folks who bitch and moan at an umpire for a particular pitch. Sometimes they get the call, and seem happy. then. during a crucial part of the game, the call goes against them, and they LOSE.

The umpires are human beings, they have memories. Treat them like crap ... and you lose. Treat them well, maneuver them, be respectful, and you win.

It simply astounds me of the many, many, folks who have absolutely no clue on how to win ... and ultimately how human nature affects the end result. The game is played, and officiated by human beings. Once you figure this out at a higher level than most the posters here, then you figure out how to win games.

 

[MTR]

MTR

"Why would an umpire not call a legitimate strike a strike?"

You tell me! Why DON'T all umpires call the same strike zone, since you seem to think they are all identical in their abilities?

They don't because of you. Well, not you personally, but constant complaining about what should or shouldn't be a strike or out or IP or whatever. Too many coaches believe complaining is part of the game and their job. And a lot of local umpires want to be part of the game and don't want to deal people complaining to or at them.

I know they all don't have identical abilities, but some are known as GAGA. People keep on telling them how to do their job. To avoid that constant harassment, they adjust and it eventually comes down to everything being a perfect pitch or it is a ball. It's absolutely terrible in some cases.

But I tire of hearing complaints from people who are one-dimensional. All you really know is what you perceive. There is no one in a better position to make the call than the umpire and that includes the catcher. Whether they think so or not, many if not most coaches are biased in their assessment of the umpire. For a few years, I reviewed HS coaches' rating of umpires and for three years, I picked the winner of every game based solely on the evaluations.

The higher, or lower for that matter, inside corner is not a real hittable pitch unless the batter is willing to give up the outside strike. That is why umpires are trained to compress the height of the strike zone, but widen it. That allows the pitcher the same size area to throw a strike, but bring those strikes into a more hittable zone. This is nothing new. It has been instructed in that manner for more than 25 years of which I'm aware.

Are umpire's perfect? Hell, no, but most that I know are doing the best they can in what is a no-win situation for them

 

[CJ D]

I have, in many, many cases bit my tongue in the dugout when a pitch I KNEW was a strike was called a ball simply because I knew it couldn't help to say anything. Only to go to one of my parents who flat out tells it like it is (even if it was his DD on the mound) between innings and ask him where a pitch was....more than 90% of the time if I had to guess, I was correct in not saying anything. The pitch was, in fact, a ball. I will say though, that I am fortunate to have him. Because every other parent will tell me it was a strike. Lol.

But do have a question for the umpires....we played a buddy's team a few weeks back. We batted first. I'm on third watching girls take pitches that I was cringing at. They were being called balls. In their half at the plate he came to tell me that the corners were not being called. Sure enough. Both of our catchers agreed that the girls were hitting them, but not getting the calls. We had to throw them right down the middle. Buddy asked the pu between innings about it. He told him that the strike zone is round, not square. Is this what you are talking about mtr? I've never heard it put that way by an umpire before.

 

[Doug Romrell]

Funny thing, MTR, contrary to what you might think, if you were to ask the umpires I have associated with in games, I'll bet you that 95 percent of them would tell you that I'm not one of those constantly "chirping" coaches. But when I see a true injustice that isn't just one or two incidences, I'm probably going to ask the umpire a question. I believe I have the right to ask.

I stick with my position that there are, in fact, incompetent umpires out there who don't come close to calling the strike zone as it is defined. I will also agree that there are SOME coaches out there that bark at umpires about anything and everything. They are equally annoying.