Embarrassing Strike Zone

[soapbox]

I did a 1 Game World Series LL Majors game. So much ball going on they decided one game winner take all. I don't think either team cared if it even got played. Both teams are pretty good. Obviously one better than the other. I've seen these boys extensively as they play on multiple teams. Top of 1st and the pitcher is consistently off the plate. Must hit the same spot 7 straight pitches. Catcher knows as well as I. Becomes a walk fest with a couple of cheap hits and errors mixed in. End of first 1/2 of inning 1, score 12-0 with 3 pitching changes. The zone is the zone and never have a problem, not to mention these kids have had quite a bit of me in past. End of 1, score 12-2. 2nd inning, visitor adds on 4, end of 2 16-2. End of 3 19-2. VT, classy and just base to base on every shot. I do what I try not too and open zone wide as we are on pitcher #4 and no end in site. Figure we will kill it after 4 as score is 19-3. I'm embarrassed as to my zone now as if it is hittable, it's a strike. HT decides to put his team out for inning 5, his team quit in the 1st inning. Certainly not in game by inning 4. Not being happy, with many watching as I've opened the zone to just come to an end and feel like a jerk for making a decision unfair to the batters. So now since the HT wants to go 5, I say the heck with it and bring back a real strike zone. Must of put up another 9 until we got out of the inning. HT goes down in order in last. I feel bad for changing a zone. I didn't lose 28-3. The visitor certainly didn't run it up. I don't know what I should have done differently. Honestly, these kids can throw strikes, just one by one they quit. Should I have managed the situation differently.

[Mr Umpire]

That is a personal question for only you to decide. You are the one who has to endure the marathon as well. For me, when the kids don't want to be there anymore, I don't want to so the zone may get a little bigger but not by much. Score is what plays a huge factor in it for me combined with the overall attitude of the team losing. If they are losing bad but are still trying, then everything is the same. If they aren't, the zone opens. The players determine it.

[semper_fi_72]

I don't see a problem with the strike zone.

LL Majors, until the pitchers show they can throw strikes, it is a strike if it is hittable, especially in blow outs.

In many cases when this happens to me, I hear managers and coaches telling the kids to swing because the Blue will have a Big Strike Zone.

Most good coaches will not object or complain.

They do not want to humiliate the other team and just want to get it over also.

What is a 1 Game World Series.

The only LL World Series is played in WP and not till August.

[soapbox]

Sorry Semper, local term. Our town has a National and American that squares off at end of year for the "World Series". Usually best out of 3, but so much ball being played, they just played one. AL better, but not by a landslide. Kid was off the plate to start the game and stayed there. Not horrible, but not strikes. In unnerved him. Wheels off the bus after that. I wouldn't call the game I called, but was at a loss. The best pitcher got pulled and then the merry go round.

[Jimurray]

Soapbox, your league doesn't use the 10 run rule?

[soapbox]

No, but they could have. One thing about the league, improvising is never a problem. I understood not wanting to let the kids quit, but sometimes, you let common sense dictate. They killed it after 5. That's ok. I felt badly because I really work hard on consistency, and in the big game, felt forced to be just the opposite. Since I've posted, both managers have contacted me and assured me my measures were fine. However, when I see guys who've been running this forever watching, I don't want them to feel that I was all over the place. I was, but for a reason.

[PeteBooth]

name='soapbox' timestamp='1308750527' post='58602']

I don't think either team cared if it even got played. Both teams are pretty good. Obviously one better than the other. I've seen these boys extensively as they play on multiple teams. Top of 1st and the pitcher is consistently off the plate. Must hit the same spot 7 straight pitches. Catcher knows as well as I. Becomes a walk fest with a couple of cheap hits and errors mixed in. End of first 1/2 of inning 1, score 12-0 with 3 pitching changes. The zone is the zone and never have a problem, not to mention these kids have had quite a bit of me in past. End of 1, score 12-2. 2nd inning, visitor adds on 4, end of 2 16-2. End of 3 19-2. VT, classy and just base to base on every shot. I do what I try not too and open zone wide as we are on pitcher #4 and no end in site. Figure we will kill it after 4 as score is 19-3. I'm embarrassed as to my zone now as if it is hittable, it's a strike. HT decides to put his team out for inning 5, his team quit in the 1st inning.

Why do you feel embarrased about the zone. IMO, here are the relevant parts of your OP I don't think either team cared if it even got played. and HT decides to put his team out for inning 5, his team quit in the 1st inning.

The problem is with the coach. Why did he put his team out there for the 5th Makes no sense. If he wants to try kids at different positions that's what practice is all about. I would have stopped the game after 4 and left. The score is 19-3 and you have enough innings for the Mercy rule even though you say you do not use it. Invoke it anyway.

Also, I do not understand this statement Both teams are pretty good One team was good or so it seemed based on the score and the other team was horrible.

Pete Booth

[Stan W.]

I try and have one zone....age appropriate.....but since i dont do any ball under 13-14 anymore......its what it is....I let the chips fall where they may......ball is a ball, strike is a strike....at the end of my games, I never have regrets on how I called the zone.....

Disclaimer: All my leagues have a mercy rule.

[mstaylor]

Stan: I did a summer HS league the other week. Before the game I said to both coaches, FED rules, correct? Both coaches said yes. I get to 17/5 in the fifth. I tell the HC, who was leading, that we were done. He says no, no mercy. I say FED rules say ten after five. He ays league rules are seven innings or dark. Two hrs, fifty minutes to get seven and we were pushing dark. :hopmad:

[yawetag]

He ays league rules are seven innings or dark.

"Well, coach, I can't see this game getting any better. That's dark enough for me."

[BigBird]

I worked a LL majors level district tournament about 5 years ago. (I still do them, but this game was about that long ago.) Score was 22-0 before home team came to bat. 32-0 after 2 innings. I actually walked over to the visiting teams coach and told her "I am calling anything nose to toes and batters box to batters box... except your girls are hitting anything even remotely close to that." The coach agreed, please get this thing over with (of course by this time, she had seen her girls hit several balls that were over the head or at the feet for base hits. When that team was up, I was not calling much of anything. Can't call it till it gets to the catcher and that day, not much was getting that far.

Final score, 48-8 after 4 innings (LL mercy rule.) The visitors were swinging at everything even pitches that sailed to the backstop or bounced.. because the coach told them to.

When the game starts to get ugly, sometimes the only thing you can do is expand the zone to try to get it overwith faster. That game, I felt bad for the losing team. That is a horrible way to lose but sometimes it happens.