Call Strikes

[Cav]

There's a lesson here somewhere...     

Situation: Balmy, partly cloudy and 62F.  I worked the plate at a NFHS VBB game last night which, so help me God (pun intended), is "church night" in these parts.  Home team has a "church night" policy that at 6:15 they shut it down as if it were "a rain out."  Scheduled start is 4:15.  Visiting team has a "church night" policy that at 6:00 they shut it down as if it were "a rain out."  Home team acquiesces and we now have a 4:00 start.  It's a non-league make-up that they both want to get in, but neither wants to use any NFHS speed-up rules.  Really!

Anthem is scheduled for "four-o'clock sharp!" 

I make up my mind that I'm calling strikes; nothing beyond belief, but if F2 sells it, I'll probably buy it.  Both F2s are above average.  I've got B-arms on the hill for both sides.  Batters come up swinging.  Hitters and fans grumble some, but both coaches are good rats for this level.  The game is moving along.    

Visitors get one on the board early.  Home team threatens several times to no avail.  Bottom of the 5th, HF2 jacks a lead-off, first pitch, solo to tie it up.  We go into extras.  Drop-dead clock is ticking. 

HD falls apart and V go 1 up in the 8th.  H cinches up their ball-bags and ties it in their half.  HD's no better in the top of the 9th and V put up 3.  H can't get 'r done in their half.

We went 9 complete in less than 2 hours. 

There's a lesson here somewhere...           

 

    

[kylehutson]

Yep, since I learned to call the close ones my games move a LOT faster. Batters may grumble slightly at my strike zone, but the pitchers never do.

[ricka56]

Sensei...Is the lesson that we, as a society, should cinch up our ball bags earlier in the game of life ?

[Majordave]

Call every close pitch a strike in the first two innings. Ring up a few batters. Get all the coaches and fans pissed off at you early. 

Somehow, miraculously, the batters start swinging. The fielders start fielding. The runners start running. And the game moves along nicely.

At the end of it all you get handshakes from some. Good job or two and everyone goes on with their lives. 

Great story Cav. Truer words were never spoken. 

At EVERY level of the game we should call more strikes early and we won't have to later. 

[maineump]

Call every close pitch a strike in the first two innings. Ring up a few batters. Get all the coaches and fans pissed off at you early. 

Somehow, miraculously, the batters start swinging. The fielders start fielding. The runners start running. And the game moves along nicely.

At the end of it all you get handshakes from some. Good job or two and everyone goes on with their lives. 

Great story Cav. Truer words were never spoken. 

At EVERY level of the game we should call more strikes early and we won't have to later. 

​As long as you stay consistent they will be good. Catchers talk to pitchers and coaches. Happy Catcher + Happy pitcher = happy umpire. Batters will figure it out ( or not)

[Jeff C.]

call'em early & often.  They will figure it out. 

[woodiemiller]

There's a lesson here somewhere...     

Situation: Balmy, partly cloudy and 62F.  I worked the plate at a NFHS VBB game last night which, so help me God (pun intended), is "church night" in these parts.  Home team has a "church night" policy that at 6:15 they shut it down as if it were "a rain out."  Scheduled start is 4:15.  Visiting team has a "church night" policy that at 6:00 they shut it down as if it were "a rain out."  Home team acquiesces and we now have a 4:00 start.  It's a non-league make-up that they both want to get in, but neither wants to use any NFHS speed-up rules.  Really!

Anthem is scheduled for "four-o'clock sharp!" 

I make up my mind that I'm calling strikes; nothing beyond belief, but if F2 sells it, I'll probably buy it.  Both F2s are above average.  I've got B-arms on the hill for both sides.  Batters come up swinging.  Hitters and fans grumble some, but both coaches are good rats for this level.  The game is moving along.    

Visitors get one on the board early.  Home team threatens several times to no avail.  Bottom of the 5th, HF2 jacks a lead-off, first pitch, solo to tie it up.  We go into extras.  Drop-dead clock is ticking. 

HD falls apart and V go 1 up in the 8th.  H cinches up their ball-bags and ties it in their half.  HD's no better in the top of the 9th and V put up 3.  H can't get 'r done in their half.

We went 9 complete in less than 2 hours. 

There's a lesson here somewhere...           

 

    

​Is someone here looking for an "atta boy" or a self congratulatory 'way to go"? Quickest 9 inning game I had was 1 hour 35 mins. That was D3.

[Cav]

That someone would be me.  Just pile it up there with the rest of 'em.  When the pile gets big enough, maybe I'll have enough to off-set an aw-spit.  I think It takes ten atta-boys to make up for one aw-spit. 

Way da' go's aren't even in the same league.      

 

[Welpe]

I'll give you a good onya. I bought a box of them from Australia last year and still have several to hand out.

[afaber12]

I'll give you a good onya. I bought a box of them from Australia last year and still have several to hand out.

​Careful with those: Good onyas are cheap here because there are so many, which means us Aussies have developed a tolerance to them. So while we can sometimes fling them about willy-nilly, they can overpower someone who's not dinky di.