Gross Miss?

[BigUmp56]

Having a really bad day?

Tim.

[Umpire in Chief]

Ouch...

[mstaylor]

Follow the ball to the glove. Follow the ball to the glove! FOLLOW....THE...BALL...TO...THE...GLOVE!

[Umpy]

I called a strike like that in my first 18U game, but in the previous inning the catcher had let one past to cream the side of my foot (improper stance, inside of my foot was facing forward significantly, I've improved it since), so I think they thought it was a revenge call. Hit the ump, and next time you're up its ALL strikes. I didn't bother to explain I was just inexperienced.

[BigUmp56]

I think the pitch actually bounces before F2 catches it.

Tim.

[blue32]

I think the pitch actually bounces before F2 catches it.

Tim.

On the surface, yes, very bad. But do we know if it was top 5, with the visiting team up 25-0?

It kills me to see these things posted on youtube when we have no idea what the context of it is, other than some douchebag dad living out his failed dreams through his kids, and using the public domain to humiliate a person providing a valuable service to the community. (paid or not)

[yawetag]

On the surface, yes, very bad. But do we know if it was top 5, with the visiting team up 25-0?

I might expand my zone a bit in the 25-0 game, but I'm not calling anything in the ZIP code.

[JaxRolo]

Had a coach winning by a ton of runs once that told me that when his batters were up to bat to call everything a strike no matter what. So the first pitch comes in and sails 15-20 feet above the catcher and hits the back stop. I called it a strike. Some of the parents didn't know the coach told me to and started chirping.

[noumpere]

Had a coach winning by a ton of runs once that told me that when his batters were up to bat to call everything a strike no matter what. So the first pitch comes in and sails 15-20 feet above the catcher and hits the back stop. I called it a strike. Some of the parents didn't know the coach told me to and started chirping.

I have told a coach that I cant do that but he is free to tell his team to swing at the pitch. I think that this expanding the zone stuff has kind of become like the neighborhood play and the expected call that is some have taken it too far and there is startig to be a backlash against it. The pendulum is swinging back.

[BigUmp56]

I think the pitch actually bounces before F2 catches it.

Tim.

On the surface, yes, very bad. But do we know if it was top 5, with the visiting team up 25-0?

It kills me to see these things posted on youtube when we have no idea what the context of it is, other than some douchebag dad living out his failed dreams through his kids, and using the public domain to humiliate a person providing a valuable service to the community. (paid or not)

I put this up here, not to disparage the umpire personally, or to worry about the game situation. I put this up here with the hopes that we would discuss why he made such a gross miss. I believe he missed this pitch so badly because of his terrible plate mechanics. He's not locked in at all, and watch his head bobble as the pitch gets to the plate. He actually turns his head slightly to the right to follow the ball as it comes across. This is a good teaching tool for new officials. Keep your head still and track the ball with your eyes! There are MLB umpires using advanced mechanics that have them moving their head slightly as the ball crosses the zone, but that's a terrible example for a new umpire to try and follow.

Tim.