i had a game last night and the ump was calling NOTHING for me
threw 3 straight fastballs belt high down the middle of the plate all for balls
curveballs knee high right on the corner, balls
fastballs on the outside half, inside half, up, down… couldnt get a single call
what do you do in this situation where everything you throw is being called a ball and your walking everyone?
i eventually got out of the inning with 2 swinging k’s and a groundball back to me
Keep pitching. That’s all you CAN do.
The biggest mental mistake pitchers make is seeing the big picture. Each pitch is a game within the game. Win that “game” on that pitch, that’s it.
You had a frozen umpire behind the plate, that’s what—probably a rank newbie who didn’t know a ball from a strike from his Aunt Flabby!
I can give you a little piece of advice, straight from the mouth—and the good left arm—of my old pitching coach. He used to talk about what they call nowadays “pitching to contact”, which in simple terms means “Get the ball over the plate and make the batter hit it. Make him go after YOUR pitch, what you want him to hit.” That was what he used to do, and that is what you can and should do. Go after the hitter. Challenge him. Make him hit your pitch, and you’ll get the outs—and don’t forget, you have some good infielders behind you; let them do some of the work and get a few outs for you (again, words of wisdom from my old pitching coach).
Hang in there and keep pitching! 8)
Perhaps the corners just weren’t working for you, or the view point that you had was different than that of the plate umpire.
I posted an topic not long ago called “PUTTING THE ZONE IN THE STRIKE ZONE”. Maybe this can shed some light on some of the problems that your experienced during your recent appearance.
By the way, cutting the BLACK of the plate with your ball is NOT a strike. The black of the plate that outlines home plate is simply that… just an outline. As one of my examples will show you, the ball that you pitch has go to THROUGH the STRIKE ZONE that is dictated by home plate surface area. Just nicking the corner … inside our outside … without covering the surface area of home plate is a common to calls by the plate ump as BALL!
I hope my re-posting will help you some.
In addition… it’s not unusual to be interviewed by future coaches and scouts and asked “SHOW ME THE STRIKE ZONE FOR A BATTER STANDING HERE… HIGH, LOW, INSIDE, OUTSIDE.”
I used to do this … without fail, when screening the game knowledge of prospects. And it wasn’t unusual to find two (2) out fifty (50) that got it right.
**Putting the ZONE in Strike Zone
While progressing up the ranks, learning the ZONE, as in strike zone, is a steep learning curve that’s not easy to climb.
Basically, the strike Zone is shown below with the green lines… top and bottom. And as you progress upward, your expected to hit this top and bottom limits. Now add a horizontal plane (the plate) and we’re faced with a true three dimensional picture of a true ZONE that has limits that you must work within … from sixty (60) feet away. Those three dimensions are the horizontal plane (plate), the vertical scale (batter dictated), and finally the perception of depth (length of the strike ZONE itself).
Although the green lines signify (generally) the area of coverage for a call strike, the three dimensional picture of an incoming pitch, and its quality to GO THROUGH THE COMPLETE strike ZONE is different for the four (4) people who judge each pitch – pitcher, catcher, batter, plate umpire. In other words, each person has a view of an incoming pitch and their perception of where that pitch will be… is… has been, will be different. No exceptions. After all, each individual is standing, bending, squatting and thus will have different angles on the ball’s flight,
For pitchers, it’s our job to ascertain… and rather quickly, what the umpire’s view is, as he/she calls ball or strike. And in that regard, it doesn’t make a hill of beans what the pitcher thinks, or the catcher,…. or the bench, on a call of any given pitch. If the umpire says your tossing ball’s … well then you’d better adjust.
So if we look at our picture above and we see our pitch ( the yellow lines) is not getting the “call”, then you’ve got to lower or raise the pitch accordingly.
But wait a minute, from your perspective on the mound … and your catcher is agreeing with you, how come you’re not getting a strike call? In our picture above, look at the pitch (yellow line) that’s at the knees. This is a common problem for young pitchers. Notice the ball doesn’t travel THROUGH the complete strike ZONE…. a ZONE starts at the front knee and ends at the back knee. Pitches that fall at the lower shin or ankle of the back leg of the batter are not a strikes … but from the mound and even from the catcher’s view it should be called a strike.
A common, repetitive problem are pitches on the outside corner or the plate. Take a look at our picture below and notice the pitch on the left – this would be called a ball, not a strike because the pitch did not go completely THROUGH THE ZONE (horizontal dimension). Our pitch
on the right on the other hand – does go TRHOUGH THE ZONE (horizontal dimension).
A catcher can sometimes block his view with his mitt, like in our picture below. The red dotted lines from the mitt indicate the catcher’s field of view. The red dotted pattern in front of the plate, indicates the pitcher’s perception of his pitch. When the umpire calls “ball”, the battery can’t figure it out.
The picture below now shows the total view of all involved. Again, notice the one dimensional view of the pitcher and his catcher. The battery has only a flat view of the pitch without any depth perception. However, unlike them – the umpire has a multidimensional picture of the pitch.
Learn by adjusting to the calls. If you think you had a strike on the outside or inside corner and you didn’t get the call … it means that you must go … “going deeper into the pitch.” In other words ADJUST… by going IN more. Don’t stand there on the mound and turn a face of sour
grapes to the umpire. That’s not going to cut it.
Coach B.**********************************************************
I don’t see why the batters would swing at all if the umpire wouldn’t call ANY strikes
Also, if your catcher moves his glove to catch the ball, that lowers the chance of a called strike.
thats what happened, they just stood there and scratched themselves and jogged down to first base
it was already a total blow out… like 27-2 so he just told them to swing at anything good - which is how i got my k’s
coach - they were definate strikes, they were like, as down the middle as you can get, the crowd was heckling the ump and everything, coach came out to speak with him, was just a bad ump
Coach B.,
The umpire’s view is no more multidimensional than the catcher’s view. And even it was, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best view. Good umpires envision a thick pane of glass as encompassing the strike zone and if the ball breaks the pane it’s a strike. The catcher can see the same pane. Additionally, the catcher is the closest to the strike zone and receives the pitch on a plane that the umpire cannot duplicate but rather; has to look down and over the inside shoulder of the catcher (if the ump is positioned properly).
Let’s face it, sometimes umpires aren’t very good!
Offset…
I’m sure your right…after all you were there I wasn’t. And true, umps come in all qualities… and the majority if not all umps at your level are a mixed bag… there not train’d and paid like the umps in the Majors.
And when you do get a game like that… just try and keep your composure, which I’m sure you could. Scouts like to see how your meeting the situation… under pressure form any source.
Papibon…
A long time ago I attended a clinic which included a great National League umprie called John McSherry. His presentation was dynamic as it was inclusive of the art of viewing balls and strikes and how the VIEW is seen by all parties… which is very different… both in quality and type, depending on who you ask… at any one point… during, just after the call, or even the next day.
The only thing that really matters is that plate umpire’s view … not the battery or the bench. And if the view of every pitch was all the same… you would NOT have a qick snap of the neck back by the backstop when he hears… BALL! or the batter when he hears …STRIKE! even at the Majors level.
I would like to suggest an excellent souce for leaning how umpires visualize the plate by looking up JIM EVANS ACADEMY OF PROFESSIONAL UMPIRES, web site. His academy is located in Florida. From what I understand he has some great learning videos on the subject. By the way, this is standard stuff for pitching coaches and I’ve had the priviledge of benefiting from that accomplished gentlemen and his experience also.
And with respect to :
The umpire’s view is no more multidimensional than the catcher’s view.
If you had experience both as a catcher and a plate umpire you would have never had made that post.
Also, your post of:
"…plate umpire looking inside the shoulder of the catcher …"
Plate umpires DO NOT LOOK INSIDE the catcher’s shoulder but at the top of the catcher’s head and then into what’s call the SLOT. And although certain umpires at the plate have a “style” all their own… their postion has to see more than you assume.
However, your opinion is yours, and I respect that.
Coach B.
Offset, did you or the catcher ever ask, in a respectful way, where you were missing?
Many times if that question is asked, in the respectful way it should, the blue will say…“it’s up, or out or low” or at least give you an idea where it is that he’s expecting to call strikes…now on the other hand, if you appeared frustrated, pissed off or in any way you showed him up…he likely squeezed the plate to the size of a dime and let you swing in the breeze. I’ve seen this so many times it drives me nuts…I’ve seen it happen where fans have even caused this…we had a game this year where we hit 8 batters, they were honest to God standing with their back foot on the black…ACTUALLY touching the plate and the ump refused to call it because he felt he got to much static from the visiting crowd…so we plunked a bunch of guys and they beat us…from that point on, for the rest of the season when-ever someone hung their elbow over the plate it was either a ball or a strike but the guy didn’t get the base (I figured there was a call made to someone).
This is one of the many reasons it is so important not to show any emotion from the mound.
i get that alot its kinda an easy fix if you show a lil emotion. first find his zone(ya the first rule of any pitcher). then say you throw an outside corner fastball and u know its a strike, kinda stand there and look where you threw it give a lil smirk brush it off and bust the exact same spot again. if your good enough to do the eventually weather its a strike or not he’ll give you the call. dont go showin emotion for every pitch but if you know its a strike and can hit the exact spot again you can get umpires into making the call and and giving you the benifit of the doubt if you can show them that you have control…controls not hitting outside corner with breaking ball then inside corner with fast and throwing around zone. prove you can hit a spot a couple times in a row to show him you know what your doing. i do this alot, hope it helps
yes i asked after a walk where the last pitch missed which was an inside FB and he said ‘up’ so i tried to throw it in the same spot but it was about 1/1.5 inches lower and called it a ball once again. asked him where it was and he said lower :x
also, showed no emotion because i remembered reading a thread on here about how important it is to keep your composure
maybe he just doesnt like me 
sh** happens
Andy tried an experiment last summer, he hit his spot outside corner at the knees and blue didn’t give it to him, so, it was always my theory that if you went to the same spot like 4 times running ultimately it would get the ump working your way…so he tried it (Catchers glove never moved…right on the corner, right at the knee…just above actually), walked the cat on 4 pitches :rofl2: But after that he just rubbed up the ball and struck out the side…he got the pitch the rest of the game. Who knows sometimes, it coulda been his wife yelled at him when he walked out the door.
Another little trick is to have the catcher, while he’s facing you and his mask is on, say something like come on blue, he’s gotta have that one…its his bread and butter" or something similar…it always helps when your backstop and the blue get along.
Coach B.
A long time ago I attended a clinic which included a great National League umprie called John McSherry. His presentation was dynamic as it was inclusive of the art of viewing balls and strikes and how the VIEW is seen by all parties… which is very different… both in quality and type, depending on who you ask… at any one point… during, just after the call, or even the next day.
Papibon:
Yes, it is an interpretive process and most MLB umps doing a good job.
Coach B.:
The only thing that really matters is that plate umpire’s view … not the battery or the bench. And if the view of every pitch was all the same… you would NOT have a qick snap of the neck back by the backstop when he hears… BALL! or the batter when he hears …STRIKE! even at the Majors level.
Papibon:
This is written with an umpire attitude and while umpires should have authority and be in charge of calling balls and strikes it should not be done at the expense of the getting the calls correct. To simply assert that it’s the umpire’s view that counts suggests that umpires aren’t accountable for getting the call right. I’ve seen too many young pitchers get frustrated when they throw belt high, through the middle of the plate (an obvious strike…yes, there are obvious strikes!) and struggle to figure out what a strike is if isn’t the middle of the strike zone.
Coach B:
I would like to suggest an excellent souce for leaning how umpires visualize the plate by looking up JIM EVANS ACADEMY OF PROFESSIONAL UMPIRES, web site. His academy is located in Florida. From what I understand he has some great learning videos on the subject. By the way, this is standard stuff for pitching coaches and I’ve had the priviledge of benefiting from that accomplished gentlemen and his experience also.
Papibon:
Thanks for the resource.
Coach B:
And with respect to :
The umpire’s view is no more multidimensional than the catcher’s view.
If you had experience both as a catcher and a plate umpire you would have never had made that post.
Papibon:
Experience at either is not essential as it is obvious the the views are both multidimensional but dissimilar due to positioning. A catcher is going to get a much better view of the pitch plane down low than the ump while an ump is likely to get a better view of a higher pitch plane.
Coach B:
Also, your post of:
"…plate umpire looking inside the shoulder of the catcher …"
Plate umpires DO NOT LOOK INSIDE the catcher’s shoulder but at the top of the catcher’s head and then into what’s call the SLOT. And although certain umpires at the plate have a “style” all their own… their postion has to see more than you assume.
Papibon:
Mea Culpa. I was thinking slot but incorrectly wrote inside the catcher’s shoulder. I’m not sure what your last statement means…what am I assuming?
Coach B:
However, your opinion is yours, and I respect that.
Papibon:
Ditto.
Pap…
I want to compliment you on your forum protocols… by the way you made
you point(s), explained yourself in terms that drove home the subject, … but didn’t get carried away with personal tangents, punctuated with immaturity and derogatory attitudes.
I respect you approach, view(s) and thoughts on the subject matter discussed.
Well said.
Coach B.
Thanks for the compliment.
And may I compliment you for your dedication to youth baseball in Springfield?
it is important to keep composure but you can also give looks without breaking composure. instead of shaking you head or giving a scuff and getting fustrated you kinda just laugh and ask where you missed. getting fustrated is the thing thatll give the batters an advantage. if you keep you cool you can try and tilt you scale and remain focused…when you get fustrated is when you lose concentration