How do you call your strike?

[tldavis19]

head forward and out is signaled to the side with an "out" or "strike three." loud enough for the batter/catcher to hear. DK3 I yell "no catch" and signal safe. head forward is the key to seeing everything for me. Eyes on the situation. I may be confusing in how I describe it, but there has never been any confusion on a strike or an out when I call it.

[Thunderheads]

 

 

My question for the hammer strike guys... how do you differentiate a hammer strike and a hammer out?

 

If you've got a hammer non swinging 3rd strike that may be in the dirt how will they know if you are signaling an out or a strike?

.....then I doubt it was a strike to begin with?

 

 

Excellent point!!

How about if they are swinging and you can't tell if it was caught or not?

 

LOL

Swinging is a point .....

[Richvee]

I use a hammer...to the side. . On a D3K I won't "lower the hammer". I keep the right arm raised and verbalize "no catch". Then I can just lower the hammer if there's a tag, or give a safe sign if an attempted tag is missed.  I use a chainsaw for a called 3K but I will wait to see the catch in a D3K situation. In that case, there's no chainsaw, just an arm up and a verbal "strike three, no catch."

[mstaylor]

I use a hammer...to the side. . On a D3K I won't "lower the hammer". I keep the right arm raised and verbalize "no catch". Then I can just lower the hammer if there's a tag, or give a safe sign if an attempted tag is missed.  I use a chainsaw for a called 3K but I will wait to see the catch in a D3K situation. In that case, there's no chainsaw, just an arm up and a verbal "strike three, no catch."

There are MLB guys that do similar D3k mechanics but I don't like it, seems confusing. I prefer the safe signal instead. 

[Jocko]

My question for the hammer strike guys... how do you differentiate a hammer strike and a hammer out? If you've got a hammer non swinging 3rd strike that may be in the dirt how will they know if you are signaling an out or a strike?

.....then I doubt it was a strike to begin with?

 Excellent point!!How about if they are swinging and you can't tell if it was caught or not?if I'm not sure, a quick glance at my partner gives me everything I need. Open hand = uncaught. Closed fist = caught cleanly

[ricka56]

 

 

 

My question for the hammer strike guys... how do you differentiate a hammer strike and a hammer out? If you've got a hammer non swinging 3rd strike that may be in the dirt how will they know if you are signaling an out or a strike?

.....then I doubt it was a strike to begin with?  Excellent point!!How about if they are swinging and you can't tell if it was caught or not? if I'm not sure, a quick glance at my partner gives me everything I need. Open hand = uncaught. Closed fist = caught cleanly

 

What if you can't see your partner's hand because his thump is up his arse?

[Platejob29]

 

I hammer called strikes, point swinging strikes.

 

I've seen this with other umpires.  What's your reason for doing this?

 

I've been doing this while I work on transitioning from a point to a hammer. The first reason is that when you hammer a swinging strike if it happens to be a drop 3rd it can be confused with you calling it an out instead of when you point there isn't any confusion. The other reason I do it is because I'm just not ready to give up the point yet.

[Scratch Franzeo]

@Platejob29 this ...

I've been doing this while I work on transitioning from a point to a hammer. The first reason is that when you hammer a swinging strike if it happens to be a drop 3rd it can be confused with you calling it an out instead of when you point there isn't any confusion ... "

Confused me.

[JaxRolo]

 

 

I hammer called strikes, point swinging strikes.

 

I've seen this with other umpires.  What's your reason for doing this?

 

I've been doing this while I work on transitioning from a point to a hammer. The first reason is that when you hammer a swinging strike if it happens to be a drop 3rd it can be confused with you calling it an out instead of when you point there isn't any confusion. The other reason I do it is because I'm just not ready to give up the point yet.

 

Huh?

[FlaUmp22]

 

 

I hammer called strikes, point swinging strikes.

 

I've seen this with other umpires.  What's your reason for doing this?

 

I've been doing this while I work on transitioning from a point to a hammer. The first reason is that when you hammer a swinging strike if it happens to be a drop 3rd it can be confused with you calling it an out instead of when you point there isn't any confusion. The other reason I do it is because I'm just not ready to give up the point yet.

 

 

You act like it is some huge revelation about hammering on a DK3 and some people mistaking it as calling an out, because NO ONE on this board has ever heard that before 

[Rook23]

How do I call strikes?  Early and often.  

[Scratch Franzeo]

I hammer called strikes, point swinging strikes.

 

I've seen this with other umpires.  What's your reason for doing this?

I've been doing this while I work on transitioning from a point to a hammer. The first reason is that when you hammer a swinging strike if it happens to be a drop 3rd it can be confused with you calling it an out instead of when you point there isn't any confusion. The other reason I do it is because I'm just not ready to give up the point yet.

Your justification seems to contradict itself, I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say. However, I agree totally with your stance. Well written.

[Platejob29]

 

 

 

I hammer called strikes, point swinging strikes.

 

I've seen this with other umpires.  What's your reason for doing this? I've been doing this while I work on transitioning from a point to a hammer. The first reason is that when you hammer a swinging strike if it happens to be a drop 3rd it can be confused with you calling it an out instead of when you point there isn't any confusion. The other reason I do it is because I'm just not ready to give up the point yet.

Your justification seems to contradict itself, I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say. However, I agree totally with your stance. Well written.

 

I looked like an idiot there. What I meant was that I prefer to point but right now I am currently working on transitioning to a hammer for umpire school so while I work on my hammer with called strikes I still point on swinging strikes because I'm not quite comfortable with my hammer yet. The other reason for pointing on swinging strikes is so that if there is a drop 3rd no one assumes that I am calling the batter out when I signal the strike. If I were to hammer it may be misinterpreted  to be an out call.

[noumpere]

 

I looked like an idiot there. What I meant was that I prefer to point but right now I am currently working on transitioning to a hammer for umpire school so while I work on my hammer with called strikes I still point on swinging strikes because I'm not quite comfortable with my hammer yet. The other reason for pointing on swinging strikes is so that if there is a drop 3rd no one assumes that I am calling the batter out when I signal the strike. If I were to hammer it may be misinterpreted  to be an out call.

 

 

If you use only the hammer on D3k then I guess it could get confusing for some.  But if you do something extra or instead on the relatively rare D3k when its not obvious that it was dropped, then you can hammer all the rest.

 

for example:  Swing and caught -- hammer.  Swing and goes to the backstop -- hammer (no one is looking at you anyway).  Swing and caught near the ground -- hammer with a verbal -- "yes its a catch"  Swing and short hops into the glove -- (shorter) hammer followed immediately by safe sign and verbal "no catch" or just safe sign and verbal  or point at batter followed by safe sign and verbal "yes he did but no catch".

 

The first three of those happen more than 90% of the time so you're only doing something different in less than one out of ten times.

[noumpere]

So I paid attention to this yesterday during my college DH.  When its a full swing, everyone knows its strike three so I just give the safe sign and a verbal "no catch" or "on the ground" (I used each once -- don't know why).  If it wa a checked swing, then it would be a point at the batter with a "yes he did" followewd by the safe sign and verbal.  No need to hammer here.

 

So, again, no confusions on hammer strike vs. hammer out.

[ricka56]

So, again, no confusions on hammer strike vs. hammer out.

I believe you when you say there is be no confusion when you do the mechanics correctly. But if a play flusters an umpire and he makes a mistake with his mechanics (it can happen at any level), I suspect (no data to back it up) that the hammer guy will give a mechanic that is more likely to confuse the sitch, then the point guy. YMMV.  That is why this feeble minded umpire sticks with the point.

[heyblue77]

,

where in Michigan? I would like some work

[umpstu]

So I paid attention to this yesterday during my college DH.  When its a full swing, everyone knows its strike three so I just give the safe sign and a verbal "no catch" or "on the ground" (I used each once -- don't know why).  If it wa a checked swing, then it would be a point at the batter with a "yes he did" followewd by the safe sign and verbal.  No need to hammer here.

 

So, again, no confusions on hammer strike vs. hammer out.

I can certainly understand these mechanics. If the teams can't then they should be in school trying to smarten up their smarten up parts.