I missed a dozen strikes tonight

[th3]

just terrible...awful timing that just built on itself

[GreyhoundAggie]

That's a rough night. At least you know the cause and can adjust for it.

[guyinaredhat]

Umpires must have short memories...bounce back

[BaltimoreUmpire]

We all have a bad day just forget about it and bounce back next time, don't over think it or dwell on it

[Jocko]

Daaaaaaaaaammnnn......fall asleep?

[Jocko]

@th3 - no worries, my brother. Build on it. Learn from it. We all have those horseSH*# games. Some (@jaxrolo) moreso than others. :P

[th3]

That's funny. Usually I can nip it in the bud... One pitch at a time.... But tonight I struggled. And to their credit, they grumbled from afar. And I certainly let them grumble

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[T-Rav]

12 missed pitches is a low number for @JaxRolo ; 12 missed pitches in an inning is a very good inning for him, that would explain why he's throwing coaches out every week and is banned from USSSA in north Florida. 

[Magic]

Next game will be the best one you ever called. I have faith in you.

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[Mike D]

When I start missing balls and strikes it's usually because I start to anticipate and thinking about what call or mechanic I will use if a pitch is a certain way.  I just tell myself to stop thinking and just watch the ball.

[MidAmUmp]

On the rubber, get set, call it!

 

Clear your head and jump back on the horse.

 

Did you try any in-game adjustments?  If so, what did you do?

[Majordave]

Only a dozen?

Hell, I missed that many in one inning the other night in Nevada, MO. (according to the losing team that was almost shutout with a one or two hit effort by the Griffons crafty lefty).

Hahahaha!

[Jocko]

Another question. ...were you balling strikes or striking balls?

[Majordave]

Great question Jocko.  (Sophomoric jokes like that's what she does, etc. aside)  Great legitimate question.

 

Always good to know which direction you were leaning when missing them.

 

Unless you were like Eppie Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh in Bull Durham?  (Millie said, "Well, he effs like he pitches......kinda all over the place.)  That statement could fit with plate umpires sometimes as well.

[Thunderheads]

Make sure you're not "giving up" on the pitch ..............

 

"all the way to the mitt, every time" .....  SHOULD slow you down ....

[Majordave]

I just re-read the topic's title.

 

I'm sorry.   I stand corrected on my assessment of my work the other night.  I was calling lots of strikes.  The lefty was ringing them up with backdoor curves and sliders and serpentina sucio's.(Nasty/dirty curveballs) of the 12-6 fall off the effin table variety.  I was just the announcer approving his pitch selection and work.    

[conbo61]

When I get off track like that I go through my mental checklist/cadence and remind myself that the only pitch that matters is the next one.

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[noumpere]

I will add that sometimes it's just a function of the park / lighting / pitcher / catcher combination.

 

Just like a .400 career HS senior hitter can hit .078 against that one freshman on the other team with a 1st year era of 10.00

[th3]

it WAS my 1st just getting dark/lights coming on game of the year. That's it!

[soapbox]

th3 is exaggerating. It was more like 3 dozen. Only kidding. It wasn't half as bad as he says.

[th3]

@Jocko I was balling strikes.  Calling too quickly

 

@soapbox I was better today! Must have been my partner!

[Jocko]

@th3 - yikes. Thats bad brother. Glad you broke your slump

[BaltimoreUmpire]

Calling too fast has been my problem for awhile, I have to really hold back my calls to avoid looking like I make up my mind too soon, I count 1.. 2..... 3 then I call it, I have to realize its ok to wait to make my call instead of calling it the instant I see it, lead to my second biggest mistake as an umpire reacting to fast led me to outright blow a call a 1st, my biggest mistake well thats too off topic

[Majordave]

Timing, timing, timing......

 

My mentor/trainer umpires kept stressing that for me when I first started and it is something I have to constantly work on.  I use the lower level/slower games to really focus on the timing of my calls.  Plate and bases.

 

For Plate.  As said earlier, watch and track it with your eyes all the way to the catcher's mitt.  Replay it in your head.  Say "That's a strike or ball" to yourself silently then come up, step back and make the call.  Voice and physical signal simultaneously.   I have slowed it way down this season and it seems to be working for me.

 

For bases.  Wait the same way, replay it once in your head, say it to yourself silently, then make the call.  Applying the appropriate amount of emphasis based upon how close the play was.  Saving the "punch the midget" loud and proud punch out for the whackers.

 

Sounds like you got it back on track.  Keep it up.  Cannot ever get complacent or think you are too good.

[th3]

One of the things that they tell us to do in the field is not make the out call on a force out until the fielder is taking it out of his glove