Making Calls Away from Batter

[catcher]

I worked with a guy a few weeks ago who would always signal strikes away from the batter, whether a righty or lefty. My lack of advanced training means I don't know what you would call the feet in his stance, but I do know that he used a box. He would step back toward the backstop with his outside ( away from the batter) foot, step toward the opposite batter's box with his inside foot, and use the point. Stepping across his body looked awkward, but he's more experienced than I am and I was wondering if any of you knew why one would do that. I'm sorry that this post can't be more clear, I'll try to clarify if its hard to understand.

[Texas Manny]

I work the box. When I call strikes:

 

RH:  I come up. Right leg slides back towards a line extended back from my left foot. My left foot slides steps back to almost touch the right foot. My torso will twist to my right, so that my shoulders are at a 45* and I will firmly thrust a point forward, while barking out "Strike!".

 

With two strikes, I will either call "Strike!", "Two!", or "Strike Two!", depending on the situation.

 

Third strike is same footwork, but as I come up the right arm goes out. Body twists to the right, and the right arm is pulled back, while the left arm is thrust forward, barking "Strike three!"

 

 

 

LH: I slide the right foot back in an arch 90*. I then step back with the left, while turning to the left, placing shoulders 90*, and then dip the right should and thrust the point forward, barking out "Strike!"

 

With two strikes, I will either call "Strike!", "Two!", or "Strike Two!", depending on the situation.

 

With left handed third strike, left arm goes immediately out. As my body turns as above, left arm is dropped. When body is 90*, as the left arm acts like it is pulling the start chord of a chain saw, the right arm comes up, straight out, and back down again; barking "Strike (pause) Three!"

 

This will undoubtedly change as I will more than likely work with the hammer, or simplify the pointing strike.

[Jocko]

@Texas Manny - With two strikes, I will either call "Strike!", "Two!", or "Strike Two!", depending on the situation.

I'm guessing counting isn't one of your strong points :smachhead:

[Pete Peterson Sr]

@Texas Manny - With two strikes, I will either call "Strike!", "Two!", or "Strike Two!", depending on the situation.

I'm guessing counting isn't one of your strong points

 

 I have an idea ! Let's take a poll of how many guys here point to first base on a called strike......

[VAUmp]

I hammer with the right hand.  I don't care which side of the plate the batter is on.  

On this note.  I'm watching game 6 right now, and it seems that Jim Joyce points and calls STRIKE on fastballs, and hammers on breaking balls.  I could be wrong, but he definitely is using both the hammer and point.

[Jocko]

@Pete Peterson Sr - ,,!,, ,,!,,

[lawump]

I worked with a guy a few weeks ago who would always signal strikes away from the batter, whether a righty or lefty. My lack of advanced training means I don't know what you would call the feet in his stance, but I do know that he used a box. He would step back toward the backstop with his outside ( away from the batter) foot, step toward the opposite batter's box with his inside foot, and use the point. Stepping across his body looked awkward, but he's more experienced than I am and I was wondering if any of you knew why one would do that. I'm sorry that this post can't be more clear, I'll try to clarify if its hard to understand.

Are you talking about what Jim Joyce is doing tonight with a left-handed batter (he points toward the third base dugout)?

[VAUmp]

yes, but sometimes he "hammers" the called strike, and sometimes he points.

[Platejob29]

Jim Joyce almost always points away from the batter. There isn't anything wrong with this except with runners on that may be advancing you have your head turned away from the play. I could be wrong with what he is doing in this game with the hammer but from studying him a lot in the past I have noticed that he hammers with runners on base that have a possibility to steal so that he isn't turning his head away from the play.

[iankelleyumpire]

I think you guys have his strike call wrong, Joyce doesn't simply call "Strike!" It's more like... 

 

STRAAAAAAAAHEEEEEEEEEEEEG! 

 

 

Heres about one of the only videos you can even find of Joyce that isn't about the blown call. Pretty clear and loud version. 

 

[BuckeyeMike]

If he has to make a call, as the PU, with 4 (or sometimes 6) other guys out there, then something's wrong.

 

I think their mechanics are fine for pro ball.......not for us obviously.......because we don't typically work with 4 other umps

[Texas Manny]

@Texas Manny - With two strikes, I will either call "Strike!", "Two!", or "Strike Two!", depending on the situation.

I'm guessing counting isn't one of your strong points

I keep trying to tell everyone that 5 goes into 25, 14 times, and that 7 goes into 28, 13 times, but they just don't seem to understand.

[noumpere]

I was wondering if any of you knew why one would do that.

Habit.

 

It looks cool (or he thinks it does).

 

Someone he learned from did it this way.

 

Nothing particularly wrong with it as long as he keeps his eyes forward (in two man) -- nor is there anything particularly right with it.  Its just personal preference.

[ricka56]

yes, but sometimes he "hammers" the called strike, and sometimes he points.

I noticed this too, but I was in/out watching and didn't find a pattern to it.

 

Perhaps he points (looks away) when bases are empty, and uses the hammer (keeps eyes on the diamond) when runners are on. I dunno.

[VAUmp]

Jim Joyce almost always points away from the batter. There isn't anything wrong with this except with runners on that may be advancing you have your head turned away from the play. I could be wrong with what he is doing in this game with the hammer but from studying him a lot in the past I have noticed that he hammers with runners on base that have a possibility to steal so that he isn't turning his head away from the play.

That could be right.  

[NCAAump2]

I always pointed to the right.

[ricka56]

I always pointed to the right.

I do too...ever since I got tired of flubbing up the point to the left.

 

And the point to the left requires a drop step, turn/twist to the left. Eliminating the left side point alleved my pee-brain of having to consciously remember to keep my eyes on the field.

[catcher]

Thanks for all the input. I appreciate the help. I did see Joyce doing the same thing as the guy I worked with. I think I will switch to a hammer for next season so I can see the field better.

[mstaylor]

I always pointed right, watched a guy that I really respected, he pointed left on LH batters. A side note, he was also a scissor guy, so I figured that was a scissor thing. I did it the next game with our assoc president, he said it looked like hell and never do it again. Ended that experiment, pointed right ever since.