Balls and Strikes

[curveballerguy124]

Why is there such a huge discrepancy from Ump to ump when it comes to calling balls and strikes. The lack of consistency drives me crazy do these guys not get enough training?!? Listen I get it every ump has his or her strike zone and that's fine but keep it consistent for Christ's sake! Stop with the floating strike zone already if your gonna call high or low or in the river then do it, but do it with some with conviction. Better yet HAVE a strike zone I saw some pitch calling this past week that is flat out going to get a pitcher hurt. I say this because the blue was not giving either pitcher any high any low or anything on or near the river. It was a high scoring game and both pitchers were dodging bullets, it seriously made me cringe....

I get it they have a game to officiate but they also have a responsibility to keep these pitchers safe to some degree and if giving a little will do that then I for one am all for it. The balls are rocks the bats are hot and hitters are getting better none of that is going to change so how bout blues becoming a little more aware and keeping the game somewhat safe for these girls! Just a thought....

[Hinky]

I get it they have a game to officiate but they also have a responsibility to keep these pitchers safe to some degree and if giving a little will do that then I for one am all for it. The balls are rocks the bats are hot and hitters are getting better none of that is going to change so how bout blues becoming a little more aware and keeping the game somewhat safe for these girls! Just a thought....

okay curve you got a little ticked off at the floating strikezone this past weekend, but what the heck, is this what you really think the umpires have a responsibility to keep the pitchers safe?
Give a little on the strikezone....?

consistent strike zone would be nice.

umpiring is an opinion
of the interpretation
of the opinion

[Pale Rider]

The balls are rocks the bats are hot and hitters are getting better none of that is going to change so how bout blues becoming a little more aware and keeping the game somewhat safe for these girls! Just a thought....

Well hell why don't we just go to machine pitch then,
wont have to worry about pitchers

Better yet, make them wear masks...

[curveballerguy124]

Haha, truth be told it wasn't our game but we experienced that quit a bit this weekend as well but not too bad. I don't expect umps to give more of the strike zone but pick a damn spot that your willing to give and stick to it stop floating have some consistency. I see some of these umps at my men's games and those guys are solid and legit and call a good game. I know when I'm pitching they will give someplace on the plate that I can live on I just gotta figure it out. The umps I'm talking about are the guys that squeeze the plate to where you have to be perfect that's dangerous and irresponsible. I seen that happen to a team this weekend and the kid I thought was throwing one hell of a game but she was dodging bullets because of how tight she was being squeezed. It could have been the fact her coach was mouthing off quite a bit and the blue was squeezing the kid because of it or maybe the blue was just that tight, in either case I though that was brutal.....

Remember guys I still play and pitch and I for one can tell you I don't see umps squeezing me that bad, ever! Maybe they like my shining personality or maybe they just have more experience who knows. I can tell you this if a blue squeezed me that bad against some of the guys that I face I would be scared shitless and probably just walk them....So my hats off to those young ladies that have to deal with those umps. My best advice put a mask on them!!!

[Pale Rider]

...wait till you start playing college ball...bring anxiety meds

[MTR]

Always amused me how some people think the umpire should "give" anything other than the strike zone.

This is actually contrary to the common complaints on multiple boards over the past few years when the umpire does "give" the pitcher something just off the zone.

If y'all cannot make up your minds, what can you expect of the umpire?

[PairOfAces]

Always amused me how some people think the umpire should "give" anything other than the strike zone.

This is actually contrary to the common complaints on multiple boards over the past few years when the umpire does "give" the pitcher something just off the zone.

If y'all cannot make up your minds, what can you expect of the umpire?

Most people don't think the umpire should "give" anything. How about calling the game consistently for both teams? That would be a great start. And most people understand that different umpires have different strike zones, usually (hopefully) based on set up position, and that is normally inside/outside pitches. But if a "low" strike is a strike in the first inning, have it be a strike in the last inning too.

[Sam]

It's not really about "giving" anything. It's about compensation. The zone is subject entirely to one's perception of where the pitch did or did not touch the three dimensional parameters of the width of the plate within the book definition of hieghth requirements. The goal, in my mind, is to refrain from forcing a pitcher to throw balls "down the middle" in order to get a called strike. With the bats utilized today, that could get a kid killed. So if you aren't going to cal the corners, call a high or low strike and vice versa. It is the responsibility of the pitcher, catcher, and coach to adjust to each individual umpire's particular zone. The vast majority of umpires have their own consistent zones.

Its easy to call a game from the dugout or stands. Not so easy from behind the catcher. These people do their best and without them, we have no game. Respect that.

[Sue Trubovitz, Turbo]

From behind the plate always appreciated the umpires who would tell me when they thought they missed a
strike. Let me know they actually do have a strike zone and are trying to be consistent with it.

[Bookend]

I witnessed a Firecracker team get pulled from field in Colorado this year for that exact reason. Coach was complaining that Blue was forcing pitcher to groove pitches, which was a safety concern.