Hey guys...umpire here for 15 years...just "retired" last year...did anything from 9-10 yr olds to College ball.
First off, the strike zone, as defined by the rule book, actually is from the top of the knees (but who can tell the top from the bottom) to the mid-point between the belt and the shoulders...which is normally a little above the belly button.
Now, you're absolutely right in that umps - up until @ 2 years ago - NEVER called anything above the belt. Reason being, they got lazy. The beltline is an easy defining point to see where a pitch is, but just above the belly button - no. So, after strikes being called like that for so many years, everyone - all the way down to Little League had their eyes trained to the idea that if the catcher moves his mitt up at all to catch a pitch..."That pitch is in his eyes."
That's 1 of the most ridiculous things ever.
I remember one time I took a HS coach and emarassed the heck outta him. He was getting on me like crazy that I was calling pitches too high. Immediately after I called one, he and all the fans yelled at me. I stopped the game....brought the coach and his team to the plate area and gave them a little demonstration. I had the catcher squat and show his coach exactly where he caught it and the coach confirmed and agreed it was right. Then I had his batter step back in the box. The coach agreed w/ me it was a regular fastball, so the only real drop in te pitch was a few inches from the height of the mound.
So, I retraced the flight of the ball over the plate and everyone out there QUICKLY realized what they were seeing. The pitch was actually barely above the belt, even though the catcher moved his mitt up a good 6 inches from its original spot.
The coach was so embarassed. He said "Dang, our eyes have been trained for so long to see that pitch so differently."
THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN CALLED A BALL AND IT AIN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, I will say @ 2 years ago MLB put an emphasis on calling the high strike as it really is. And they've done alot better. Even after 2 years of calling the high strike more, many batters still turn and look at the ump like he's crazy.
Some have learned, some haven't....but they're catching on. The problem is, evan at the College, they're still not calling it. So, from College down to Little League/Dixie Youth...it may be a long time til we'll the high strike.
I'll still say u have a point, though. MLB still doesn't call it like they should. It's alot better now, though, than it was in the past.
I don't know,some of ems Zone is tighter than a bulls ass
Hot Forum Topics
