What the heck is going on?

[GOINGDEEP]

Im going to spin this off the "strike zone" thread.

Ok I've watched a few softball games so far this year and 2 baseball games, live. What is the deal with softball umps giving an automatic strike on the fourth pitch when the count was 3-0? I've seen close to 10 calls already, it's like as long as the ball doesn't hit the ground before the plate, it's a strike. That zone is expanding a foot in every direction!!

2 baseball games last night and they never expanded the zone 3-0.

What is the deal? I don't think that's right at all. If my kid or any other is struggling throwing strikes, I don't feel the ump should show any sympathy expanding the zone for that one pitch. Last week I saw one.....count 2-0 and pitcher throws an outside pitch 6" off the plate ( called ball ). Then the next pitch same spot but 12" off the plate and called strike. Now how in the world can that be? He gave the pitcher an extra chance, that should not be the umps place. If a batter earns a walk that's what should be called. What if because of the extended count the next pitch the batter flys out or grounds out? What if she hits into a double play?

Some may say it doesn't matter, but it does matter. The zone is the zone, it shouldn't expand or shrink for a team who is winning or losing, a count, pitcher struggling, etc.

I'm not picking on our forum umps at all. Just wondering if there is some "unspoken rule" on 3-0 in softball. These were at different locations and several different umpires, so it's not an isolated event.

Rant on pause.


Edit: this is HS age

 

[wichita]

Nice spin on my thread Deep and I feel your pain as in my thread. What is the point of having a rule for the strike zone if no one follows it? And I understand that there will be a certain amount of judgement after all umpires are human even though I have heard them called worse....but judgement isn't 6 to 8 inches off the plate IMO that is just bad umpiring plain and simple. and in the games I talked about in my thread we were up in both games by a pretty fair margin and during the last inning it seemed like everything was a strike like he had a date after the game or something

 

[Comp]

Havent watched any games on tv yet this year, but, is it possible the batters are attempting to call the pitch and are headed for 1st before the ball every gets there? I can tell you that is a pet peeve for many umpires, if the batter tries to call the pitch and heads for 1st if it is even remotely close some umps are going to call it a strike.

 

[Cannonball]

I looked for my thread on this topic from last year but can't remember what I called it. However, I caught all kinds of grief for it. To quote GD, "The zone is the ZONE!" So, just call that. Yes, a strike can have a ball close to being over the white of the batters box line since if any portion of the ball touches it, you have to include the width of the ball. However, as many times as not, the white of the line is called and that is virtually impossible at the rate I see. JMHO!

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Havent watched any games on tv yet this year, but, is it possible the batters are attempting to call the pitch and are headed for 1st before the ball every gets there? I can tell you that is a pet peeve for many umpires, if the batter tries to call the pitch and heads for 1st if it is even remotely close some umps are going to call it a strike.

Comp I know exactly what you're saying. I don't like players "calling" the walk. I think it's disrespectful to the umpires, if anyone's going to be disrespectful it's me.....not the girls.

Seriously I always encourage the girls to make a "motion" that it's a walk, BUT before tossing the bat and running to first, they stop and look back for the ump to make the call. Hope you can visualize what I mean.

 

[DOG310]

DD1, who is not a pitcher, calls it the "code". She believes that there is a secret code that umpires live by and are required to call a strike when there is a 3-0 count. Sort of reminds me of 10U when any change up was called a strike regardless of its proximity to the strike zone.