My Plate Tonight

[Welpe]

I had a plate tonight where one catcher was perfectly framing pitches and giving me a great look at the zone.

The other took the slot away whenever possible and kept pulling pitches in from both sides of the zone. I finally told him while brushing the plate that he was making it really hard for me to find strikes for his pitcher.

It is amazing how much more consistent my zone felt with the better catcher but as a catcher myself once upon a time, it's no surprise.

It is really good to be back. :)

[Welpe]

A couple more thoughts:

I haven't worked with an indicator since coming back and find I prefer not having it. My focus has been pretty good without one.

On the second batter of the game, the batter hits a moderate dribbler down the third base line and as I'm coming out to make a call, I catch some glare from just the wrong angle just as the ball bounds over the fielder's glove in fair territory before rolling foul in front of the bag.

I swore the ball hit the fielder's glove and point fair. Much to the confusion of everyone. I get with my partner and tell him what I have. He says the ball never hit the fielder's glove. Crap. I call it foul and bring the batter back.

It was a 7 PM start so I wasn't expecting needing sunglasses. Guess I should have had them for the first inning. I'm trying to figure out what I could've done to get a better look.

[ukce1861]

Welpe, I had a similar situation with a dribbler bunt down the third base line. It was rolling fairly straight with a slight turn towards foul ground. The third baseman charged the ball - and to me - appeared to whiff it with his glove. After that, it rolled foul. When he touched it, I killed it and called it foul. The 3BC said he touched it in fair territory, but for all the world, it looked to me like he just missed it. I feel fairly confident that the coach could see it much better than I was (he was right there and had a perfect angle) and I think he was telling the truth. I'm just now sure how I missed it... Sometimes it happens though and you've just gotta move on.

[Replacematt]

Welpe, I had a similar situation with a dribbler bunt down the third base line. It was rolling fairly straight with a slight turn towards foul ground. The third baseman charged the ball - and to me - appeared to whiff it with his glove. After that, it rolled foul. When he touched it, I killed it and called it foul. The 3BC said he touched it in fair territory, but for all the world, it looked to me like he just missed it. I feel fairly confident that the coach could see it much better than I was (he was right there and had a perfect angle) and I think he was telling the truth. I'm just now sure how I missed it... Sometimes it happens though and you've just gotta move on.

I'm confused...you said he appeared to whiff it, but you said you killed it when he touched it.

[ukce1861]

Welpe, I had a similar situation with a dribbler bunt down the third base line. It was rolling fairly straight with a slight turn towards foul ground. The third baseman charged the ball - and to me - appeared to whiff it with his glove. After that, it rolled foul. When he touched it, I killed it and called it foul. The 3BC said he touched it in fair territory, but for all the world, it looked to me like he just missed it. I feel fairly confident that the coach could see it much better than I was (he was right there and had a perfect angle) and I think he was telling the truth. I'm just now sure how I missed it... Sometimes it happens though and you've just gotta move on.

I'm confused...you said he appeared to whiff it, but you said you killed it when he touched it.

Sorry, should've been more clear. He appeared to whiff it when it was in fair territory - then, after he'd overrun it, he went back and picked it up after it rolled foul.

I think part of my problem was that I may not have been stopped when the original "play" occured, so I didn't see it as well as I should have. I'm not sure I wasn't stopped and I'm not sure that would've mattered, but it's an area I've identified I need to get better at (being stopped when something happens) and it certainly wouldn't have hurt in this situation.