High strike

[Welpe]

  I'm also 6' 4", so I think that leads me to call higher strikes.

 

Not necessarily. I'm all of 5'9" and tend to have a higher zone as well (and I was a catcher for years).

[Replacematt]

I simply place my eyes at the top of the zone. As I track the ball if I have to move my upwards then it is a ball. If I lower my eyes then it is a strike. If right at my eyes it is borderline and I make a judgement based on time of game, score, better, etc. never had an issue with this method.

So, your head is inconsistent from batter to batter.

[alan2703]

Your zone is your zone if you are there time after time do not sweat it as a catcher if you call the same pitch a strike time after time I can work with that. I try to reference the height of the catcher as it relates to batter solar plexis which is the high end of y zone which from the knees to that is a fair strike.

[johnnyg08]

Your zone is your zone if you are there time after time do not sweat it as a catcher if you call the same pitch a strike time after time I can work with that. I try to reference the height of the catcher as it relates to batter solar plexis which is the high end of y zone which from the knees to that is a fair strike.

Those are very solid landmarks as a base. It helps for consistency too.

It's great that you have a plan. It's not fool proof, but a very nice basis for keeping it consistent.

[Mr Ump]

 

I simply place my eyes at the top of the zone. As I track the ball if I have to move my upwards then it is a ball. If I lower my eyes then it is a strike. If right at my eyes it is borderline and I make a judgement based on time of game, score, better, etc. never had an issue with this method.

So, your head is inconsistent from batter to batter.

​Yes because every batter height and  or zone is different. The 6'2" batter has a different zone than the 5'8" batter.

[johnnyg08]

I still think most amateur umpires can go higher than they do. 

A couple fists above the belt and maybe a tad higher should be strikes.

Watch the guys working the Supers and Omaha.  Their zones tend to be rule book zones.  Very nice, aggressive zones.  

[Tksjewelry]

I still think most amateur umpires can go higher than they do. 

A couple fists above the belt and maybe a tad higher should be strikes.

Watch the guys working the Supers and Omaha.  Their zones tend to be rule book zones.  Very nice, aggressive zones.  

Yeah, I work Omaha everyday and my zone is spot on!  

[johnnyg08]

Yeah, I work Omaha everyday and my zone is spot on!  

​I'm not sure what this means, but what I mean is that when you watch what they call strikes, they're much bigger zone-wise than the average Joe on baseball diamond america and those are D1 post season games.   Call strikes.

[Replacematt]

 

​Yes because every batter height and  or zone is different. The 6'2" batter has a different zone than the 5'8" batter.

​No. Your height should be at the same height every pitch.

[StrikeDavis]

​No. Your height should be at the same height every pitch.

​If your head height is the same height for every pitch then your head in relation to the strike zone is different for every batter (unless every batter is 6'2").  The last plate game I had the first hitter of the game was the 6'4" CF followed by the 5'5" C.  I moved my head to be at the top of the zone for each hitter like Mr. Ump.  If you can call a consistent zone the whole game by keeping your head at the same height no matter what, have at it.  It's just not the way I was taught.  

[Thunderheads]

​

​No. Your height should be at the same height every pitch.

Weren't you taught to have your head (bottom of mask) at the same level as the top of the catchers head?

[noumpere]

Weren't you taught to have your head (bottom of mask) at the same level as the top of the catchers head?

​I think most are taught to have their head NO LOWER than the top of the catcher's head.

 

Personally, I think that if you re moving your head based on the batter, that everything moves -- the sides of the zone and the bottom of the zone look different.

 

I (try to) keep my head at the same point all season long. (exception for getting squeezed, etc.)

[Mr Ump]

​No. Your height should be at the same height every pitch.

​I DISAGREE. So you are saying the top of the strike zone for the 6'2" batter is the same for 5'8" leadoff type hitter? No way. I been umping for two decades and am rated in the top 1% of umpires in our state and almost never receive complaints about my zone, especially the top of the zone. 

 

[ricka56]

Weren't you taught to have your head (bottom of mask) at the same level as the top of the catchers head?

​I have at one point or another in my umpire education, I have been taught to:
1. set your chin to the top of F2's head.
2. set your eye height to the top of your KZ.
3. keep your head at a constant height throughout the game.

Now I just get my head to where I can see the pitch best. Usually that entails moving closer to HP (extra step with my slot foot once F2 is done shifting). The head height depends on what the batter is doing (i.e. crowding the plate).

 

[Replacematt]

​I DISAGREE. So you are saying the top of the strike zone for the 6'2" batter is the same for 5'8" leadoff type hitter? No way. I been umping for two decades and am rated in the top 1% of umpires in our state and almost never receive complaints about my zone, especially the top of the zone. 

 

​I'm not saying anything of the sort. I'm saying consistent positioning is the proper way to see the zone.

[Cav]

I'm in the It's-where-he-catches-it crowd, and will be until ZES data starts getting stuffed under my windshield wipers after my games.  It has served me just fine over the past millennium and well into this one.    

I give a normal F2 all the strikes he can stick from his nose to his knees, except for the 12-6 bender which is adjusted downward accordingly, but never in the dirt.  If he's not a normal F2, then I adjust my "landmarks" on him.  If he's squirrelly, then I work harder to rulebook the pitch.  If F2 turns into a Mike PIazza and wears a glove because it is a team custom, then it will be a long night for me and everyone watching and waiting on me.  

If an Eddie Gaedel were to step in, I would bring it down to maybe F2's chin and shins, but not much more.  It's not right to strike a pitch at the shoulders nor one that blows the dust off the plate.    

[ZebraStripes]

​I'm not sure what this means, b

​She is in Nebraska

[TheRockawayKid]

I'm in the It's-where-he-catches-it crowd, and will be until ZES data starts getting stuffed under my windshield wipers after my games.  It has served me just fine over the past millennium and well into this one.    

I give a normal F2 all the strikes he can stick from his nose to his knees, except for the 12-6 bender which is adjusted downward accordingly, but never in the dirt.  If he's not a normal F2, then I adjust my "landmarks" on him.  If he's squirrelly, then I work harder to rulebook the pitch.  If F2 turns into a Mike PIazza and wears a glove because it is a team custom, then it will be a long night for me and everyone watching and waiting on me.  

If an Eddie Gaedel were to step in, I would bring it down to maybe F2's chin and shins, but not much more.  It's not right to strike a pitch at the shoulders nor one that blows the dust off the plate.    

​Yes. I agree. Honestly, for most of us, it's up to the pitcher to hit the strike zone, each time. Do we want to make it harder for strikes to be called by adjusting it for each batter? I say no. Sorry, but I have no problem calling a strike on a short kid at his shoulders. 

 

Also, when I watch MLB umpires, I pretty much see the same zone as Cav suggested: Nose to knees. On a very tall batter (think Ike Davis standing up), I can't recall many times I've seen a strike called at or above the belt — because it'd be over many catchers' heads. 

[woodiemiller]

The strike zone itself doesnt change due to each individual batter, but the dimensions of the strike zone changes depending on the height of the batter. A batter 6'4" will have a higher "high" strike and a higher "low" strike then a 5'6" batter.

[clasonater]

I have found that when I'm leaning forward too much in my stance, I get inconsistent on the high fastball. Not enough to hear chirping but I can still feel it.  High curveballs are never an issue.  I also feel that during the fourth game on sunday of a tournament, I have to work extra hard to make sure my "camera" aint moving and keeping my foot position consistent.  If my feet are off for whatever reason, everything will be out of whack.  Changing head height to "the top of the zone" for individual hitters may lead to inconsistency in the whole gig.  If it works for you it works for you (it does not for me, and for tall guys it can became a useless waste of energy trying to micromanage individual strike zones).  I don't use it, nor do I preach it, but if there is anything that the Davis stance is good for, its maintaining the same head height all damn day