Ump calls

[The Man In Blue]

Overall, a very weird day for umps. Anyone else experience anything similar?

You mean old (age) and new (experience) umpires? Or do you mean too many games being played and not enough umpires? Or do you mean expecting an MLB/D1 level umpire for your local 12u league?

I know you are "just venting" but so am I.

All umpires have to start somewhere. We are NOT good when we start. Neither are you as a coach nor are your players. Just like you, we need practice and repetitions. Unlike you, we can't just "go practice." Yes, there are things we can do, and yes, many umpires don't do those things. The surest way to make sure a person doesn't make it as an umpire is to expect perfection every time and to let them know your opinion on every call.

Here is what I want you to do: stop hiring them. They continue to work because they continue to get work. Don't hire them. Although, that also means being willing to not play your game.

Re: pitchers not getting strike calls . . . Pitchers should not be throwing every pitch IN the strike zone. Pitchers should be throwing pitches that, as @Vertigo said, get hitters to swing. If your 12u local pitcher has the movement and control that you state, you shouldn't be needing strikes called.

The strike zone is a reference point. It isn't the end zone in football. It isn't the goal. Not all good pitches are strikes; not all strikes are good pitches; not all balls are bad pitches; and not all bad pitches are balls.

 

[Strike2]

Unfortunately I’d say get used to it. You will see this at all levels, even in college.

Couldn't be more true. Anyone who watched even some of the WCWS asked themselves at least a few times "what's wrong with that". I've sat through a lot of D1 games...right behind Home watching video that lagged by a few seconds...with some of the same umpires who worked the WCWS. There were some tight zones.

 

[RADcatchers]

The strike zone is a reference point. It isn't the end zone in football. It isn't the goal. Not all good pitches are strikes; not all strikes are good pitches; not all balls are bad pitches; and not all bad pitches are balls.

That is probably one of the best sentences ever about the zone!
The strike zone is a reference point.

Certainly there will be those that would like to have it outlined by a laser border. But until machines are doing all the work eyeballing the ball flying in...
I am perfectly fine having a human and their perspective do the best job they can. For me it is part of the sport!

I have enjoyed thoroughly being a catcher!

 

[Vaydoe]

That is probably one of the best sentences ever about the zone!
The strike zone is a reference point.

Certainly there will be those that would like to have it outlined by a laser border. But until machines are doing all the work eyeballing the ball flying in...
I am perfectly fine having a human and their perspective do the best job they can. For me it is part of the sport!

I have enjoyed thoroughly being a catcher!

I could see AI and a camera calling pitches one day lol. 100 accurate and objective.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I've seen my fair share of those "just throw it in the middle" umpires. Very frustrating.

Of course, I'm not sure how to even argue strike zones when umpires blatantly ignore what the strike zone is pervasively across the country. I've seen quite a few umpires on social media admit they know NFHS rules are not waist to knees but admit they call it that way anyway.

If we don't want to follow the ruleset, why not change it instead of umpires seeming to agree to some fake zone?

I think this is a 1000% valid request and something I have long advocated for. The strike zone should NOT be defined the same for all ages. Sure, it does vary by code as players get older (meaning NCAA zone is smaller than NFHS), but within a code it is the same for all ages. When you are a national alphabet who is trying to conquer the softball world, it makes no sense to have the same zone for a 8u as your adult division.

 

[RADcatchers]

I could see AI and a camera calling pitches one day lol. 100 accurate and objective.

Human emotion will still affect the humans watching

 

[The Man In Blue]

I could see AI and a camera calling pitches one day lol. 100 accurate and objective.

You don't need AI and a single camera is insufficient. Spoken like somebody who works in tech though! (Just ribbing you.) It could be done with sensors. Or, you can be like Elmo Muskrat and insist that you are just using cameras and AI (no you aren't) and are NOT going to use sensor technologies that are proven to work.

Then you will have glitches and coding errors and be complaining the darn thing isn't calibrated right, because you didn't get that pitch with a .01 pz or px difference from the last one.

(And, yes, even the error-prone "robo" systems in use today still have MOE values . . . that is Margin Of Error.)

 

[Chris8]

To the original OP...YES had it happen, but our P tended to throw up in the zone. Not a rise but generally was belt high or slightly above. Opposing P had a great drop ball. She got calls, we didn't. It was very frustrating since it was championship bracket on Sunday. After the game I politely asked the HPU about the zone and what he was seeing from our pitcher so I could give her some constructive feedback. His comment...."I only call things below the belt so she had a tough day...." 12U USA B. Very frustrating in the moment. This wasn't new ump nor some old guy either he was in his mid to late 40's.
You get over it. Learn to adjust and throw different adjusting to what the umpire was calling.

To add we have a umpire locally that has been around forever. If you hit outside corners consistently his zone expands for you. Don't think it is conscious...just what happens. He does USA and HS both. Pitchers and or coaches who recognize this and can execute, benefit. Those that can't execute don't. Not saying its right or wrong but just recognize things in a game and adjust.

BTW Both of those pitchers...one is playing in college now and the other starts this fall! It doesn't ruin a kids career or chances.

 

[MidwestFastpitchDad]

We have learned that it can happen a lot. As long as it’s the same zone for both sides, I’m good. If they aren’t calling where it misses, the catcher should ask in a polite way and take a trip to the circle. Pitcher may have to adjust.

We’ve had Umps call pitches at the shins strikes and it benefitted us cause DD couldn’t get the ball up. We’ve had umps give nothing on the edge of the plate resulting in batting practice after the adjustment… it’s part of the game I guess.

But I hear the frustration. Especially at younger ages where girls may not be swinging as aggressively-especially when it’s your kid out there throwing 35 pitches trying to get out of an inning.

If you can look at the game from both sides where the ump sometimes lets you get away with one and sometimes lets the opposing team get away with one, it gets easier.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CoachJD]

I'll disagree, because different zones are better for different pitchers.

This is true.

Of the hundreds of games I've coached, I have maybe a handful of them where the strike zone has stuck with me.

One of them was a game like this. Our pitcher was accurate. Rarely walked hitters (55 walks/17 HBP in 788 batters faced). The other team's pitcher couldn't hit water if she was pitching in the Pacific Ocean. The umpire told us at the plate meeting that basically everything was a strike.

It's one of the worst umpired games I've ever been part of (his partner was trash, too). Halfway through the game I actually told my pitcher to stop throwing the ball near the plate because it didn't need to be near the plate to be a strike. About the only thing he didn't call were pitches that bounced. We had at least a dozen pitches that simply were not hittable called strikes. I'm talking a legit 2 FEET outside. I should pull up the video one day.