Puling low pitches

[Jimurray]

Sorry to distract from the IFF discussion, but in my little viewing experience of the post season ( all DVR'd so I will see it later) , I have seen 2 or 3 low pitches pulled up by a pro catcher and called strikes. I would not call these marginal pitches as strikes at my level if the catcher did as I have seen. What am I missing?

Oh, while I am at it, on another site there was a very strident topic about putting the ball into play. I have not seen at all in the postseason a ball put back into play. I have seen a pitch into the dirt been changed out with either a time out with the umpire exchange or changed out without the time out but nobody puts the ball back in play from what I can see. In any case, nothing bad should happen at that level but I would not emulate it at my level.

[BRUMP]

Oh, while I am at it, on another site there was a very strident topic about putting the ball into play. I have not seen at all in the postseason a ball put back into play. I have seen a pitch into the dirt been changed out with either a time out with the umpire exchange or changed out without the time out but nobody puts the ball back in play from what I can see. In any case, nothing bad should happen at that level but I would not emulate it at my level.

When you played ball your coaches would always say don't do it like the MLBers. They have bad form. Chalk it up to that.

[Mr Umpire]

I think part of the problem is this useless thing called K-zone or whatever technology being used on TV. I'm betting the front office has heard too much complaining about "That was a strike and why didn't you call it?" Now, instead of making the F2 actually do a good job, just give it to them. They whine enough about everything else.

[Guest]

I think part of the problem is this useless thing called K-zone or whatever technology being used on TV. I'm betting the front office has heard too much complaining about "That was a strike and why didn't you call it?" Now, instead of making the F2 actually do a good job, just give it to them. They whine enough about everything else.

While MLBs strike zone evaluating tech does give an aggregate score, every game is reviewed and missed pitches are deemed either a flat miss or an acceptable miss. How they define the difference, I have no idea, but I do know that, for instance, on the pitch where a younger umpire threw out Piercynzski recently, Pitch F/X had it as a strike, but no body in baseball would fault the umpire for ruling that a ball because of the butcher job by AJ. This policy protects umpires from getting sh!t on by both bad catchers and their evaluations.

[Umpire in Chief]

I think part of the problem is this useless thing called K-zone or whatever technology being used on TV. I'm betting the front office has heard too much complaining about "That was a strike and why didn't you call it?" Now, instead of making the F2 actually do a good job, just give it to them. They whine enough about everything else.

While MLBs strike zone evaluating tech does give an aggregate score, every game is reviewed and missed pitches are deemed either a flat miss or an acceptable miss. How they define the difference, I have no idea, but I do know that, for instance, on the pitch where a younger umpire threw out Piercynzski recently, Pitch F/X had it as a strike, but no body in baseball would fault the umpire for ruling that a ball because of the butcher job by AJ. This policy protects umpires from getting sh!t on by both bad catchers and their evaluations.

I think this is true. But unless the catcher completely butchers it, they will call the zone - presentation has a much lower factor than it use to.

This weekend I had a "showcase" tourney and I use that term very loosely where a beautiful curve came in and the catcher cant catch it and it goes to the backstop. I balled the pitch. The coach asks where was that pitch. I said, "It really doesn't matter because it's at the back stop now." I got a couple of laughs out of that one.