How Can You Call That A Strike!

#1

I was told that we had our first lady umpire of the season for a night game and I could hear all the jokes and what-not from the lockers. Seems as though the guys thought they were in for an easy night of heckling and fun.

As each inning went on, it did seem as though we were getting really low strike calls on everyone that got up to bat. I don’t know, but, from our vantage point, we’re were getting the short end of the stick.

Our skipper, who was under the weather, passed the clipboard over to me while he had to take a breather.

Strike three … and a fast back-n-forth of the arms, done another one of our guys in, and the bench really got upset. Don’t I look over and everyone is looking at me with that …" do something coach," look!!

So, I call time, briskly walk out to the plate, and respectfull take off my cap, and ask …" how on earth can you call that a strike?"

Without breaking stride , the lady plate ump tells the pitcher to toss one in to the catcher … which he does … she stands up … points to her right and calls… " strike!" … then she turns to me and says …" see, it’s done that way."

I stood there for a few seconds … speechless.

“Ahhhhh … right.”

Coach B.

#2

Wow, lol that’s great.

#3

As you well know, the strike zone has changed rather drastically over the past few decades. Some umpires will call the high strike, while some will call the low strike, and while some will give the pitcher a couple of inches either side still others will narrow it down to such an extent that the strike zone practically doesn’t exist. The female umpire you describe obviously favors calling the low strike. So I ask you, where’s the beef?
When I played, the strike zone was much bigger than it is now; according to the rule book that zone was between the knees and just below the shoulders, which is reasonable enough, and the umpire would give the pitcher the corners, maybe a couple of inches either way. As to what the strike zone is now—it could be a lot worse; the rule could easily go back to what it was in the early days of the game when the pitcher was instructed to give the batter something to hit, not to mention throwing underhand. So those guys who thought they would have a barrel of laughs at the umpire’s expense and got shot down instead have no reason to complain.
Maybe they should learn to hit. 8)

#4

Zita great points. I have always thought, once you know the umpire’s tendencies you have to adjust to him/her. If they favor the low strike which is better than the high strike imo, then swing at the lower ones with 2 strikes on you and vice versa.

Same goes on the mound, you notice low strikes being called then throw them low, if high ones are being called then throw them high up, outside throw them there.

Some umpires have trouble calling certain pitches, I had an ump that would not call my knuckleball for a strike at all so the other team noticed and stopped swinging at those and after working in and out of trouble a few times I had to start going conventional and just go fastball, curveball and changeup which I was not used to doing but I ended up throwing about 80 something pitches in 4 1/3 because I didn’t recognize early enough that the knuck wouldn’t get called for a strike. I still only let one run in though, even after having the bases loaded and 0 out.

#5

Haha, good to see Zita representing for the females out there.

Last season my brother got a strike called him on a pitch that bounced 5 feet before the plate, and then back into the glove.

It was at that point that we realized that the home plate umpire was actually the coach of the team that my brother hit two home runs and a triple off of in the championship winning game of the previous year.