DB catcher

[noumpere]

 

 

 

When giving pitches that aren't in the book zone I look at a few different criteria.  Glove movement is huge.  If they stick it, like a gymnastics landing then they are more likely to get it. I also consider the count to an extent.  With two strikes they need to expand their coverage a little so I expand my zone accordingly.  I also consider where the ball is on the other directional consideration.  If it's middle of the thigh it will get more width than if it's bottom of the knee.  

 

I do give more leniency in general to pitches off the plate on the outside versus the inside.  But in my opinion a pitch at the knees a few inches inside it still very hittable.  I don't know why more pitchers don't pitch on the inside corner. Most hitters I see crowd the plate to reach that outside corner.  I see many hitters react to pitchers that actually hit the white on the inside corner by getting out of the way.  To me if you don't give the pitcher a little off the plate inside you are inviting that hitter to crowd it all day and that benefits the offense.  If the batter stands in the middle of the batters box 1/2 ball inside is still hittable.  It's when they crowd the plate that it becomes unhittable.

 

Stop it.  Strive to have the same zone on the first pitch of the game to the last pitch of the game (assuming perhaps that it's not 20-0 or something) no matter what the count

 

good

 

Give the same inside and out -- it will get the batters off the plate and you'll reduce the "batter and catcher block me" issue that some (including, I think, you) have whined posted about.

 

 

 

 

 

Are we really debating 1/2"?  I meant "1/2 a ball" as an estimate.  I have no idea if it was 1.25", 1.5", 1.75" or 2".  

 

 

The difference affects how the readers view the play.  From Urban Dictionary (not the ultimate source, I agree) "Three is the most common number associated with few." 

[Magic]

The strike zone is an oval. You can call a pitch a little low. And you can call a pitch a little inside. But you can't call a pitch a little low and a little inside.

[ALStripes17]

The strike zone is an oval. You can call a pitch a little low. And you can call a pitch a little inside. But you can't call a pitch a little low and a little inside.

Where is the strike zone an oval?

I didn't think the rule book said the plate is 17" wide, except at a batte's belt, then it's 22".

I understand we have a 'book zone' and a 'call zone,' but come on.

[Magic]

22" minus 17 inches is what?

[maven]

22" minus 17 inches is what?

 

Black and a baseball.

[Magic]

So if you have 22" at the belt and 17" at the knee. Is that closer to an oval or a square? ?? Anyone? Anyone?

[SteveJ]

So if you have 22" at the belt and 17" at the knee. Is that closer to an oval or a square? ?? Anyone? Anyone?

Just for my personal education -- how far up/down does your oval go?  Where is it only 21" or 20" or 18"?  At what point does it go back to exactly 17"? Right at the knees? What about the upper portion?   Would you call an oval strike zone in a college level game?

 

I do not call an oval -- I call a generous rectangle (depending on the age group) extending from the mid-point of the batter's shoulders and the top of the batters belt -- down to the hollow of the batter's knees!

 

At 16U level if a pitch comes in at the knees, any part of the ball crossing the rubber inside -- even just grazing it (in the black) -- I'm calling it a strike all day.  And I'm hoping the F1 lives down there or on the outside corner where the batter's can't hit the ball very easily. But at 16U level there's not a lot of hope for that to happen.

 

STRIKE  STRIKE STRIKE -- I love saying that word -- I even enjoy typing it --

[ricka56]

I have an egg shape KZ (favor the lower half)...

...measurements are proprietary information...forgetaboutit.

[Magic]

So if you have 22" at the belt and 17" at the knee. Is that closer to an oval or a square? ?? Anyone? Anyone?

Just for my personal education -- how far up/down does your oval go? Where is it only 21" or 20" or 18"? At what point does it go back to exactly 17"? Right at the knees? What about the upper portion? Would you call an oval strike zone in a college level game?

I do not call an oval -- I call a generous rectangle (depending on the age group) extending from the mid-point of the batter's shoulders and the top of the batters belt -- down to the hollow of the batter's knees!

At 16U level if a pitch comes in at the knees, any part of the ball crossing the rubber inside -- even just grazing it (in the black) -- I'm calling it a strike all day. And I'm hoping the F1 lives down there or on the outside corner where the batter's can't hit the ball very easily. But at 16U level there's not a lot of hope for that to happen.

STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE -- I love saying that word -- I even enjoy typing it --

At the college level, it is a lot easier to call strikes because the pitchers don't miss very often. And usually when they do it is a big miss. But I think ricka is right, it is probably more of an egg shape.

[noumpere]

 

So if you have 22" at the belt and 17" at the knee. Is that closer to an oval or a square? ?? Anyone? Anyone?

Just for my personal education -- how far up/down does your oval go?  Where is it only 21" or 20" or 18"?  At what point does it go back to exactly 17"? Right at the knees? What about the upper portion?   Would you call an oval strike zone in a college level game?

 

 

You can miss in one dimension, but you can't miss in two.  That's what leads to the oval / egg shape zone.

 

And, yes I do use it in college, thanks for asking.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

No, I'm talking about the name <shiver> Matty.

Alou ?

[PonyUmpire]

2 inches inside at the knees sounds like a pretty damn good pitch to me.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

2 inches inside at the knees sounds like a pretty damn good pitch to me.

That makes one of us...

[MidAmUmp]

All this talk of inches is pretty dumb. I'm not good enough to know if a ball is x inches off the plate. The reality is none of us would want to work a game with K-Zone.

I work in 5 D1 conferences and call an octagon (stop sign) strike zone...which is pretty much the same as an oval. I'll give a little more at the top & bottom if it's over the center of the plate. I'll give a little more in and out if they are belt high. Up and in, up and out, down and in, down and out are balls.

As far as the original question about dealing with the catcher:

I very seldom recognize the catcher is at bat unless I have a PA or the kid says something to give it away. So I probably would have ignored (for the most part) his comment at bat. I don't like saying "it was a strike"...or what ever you told him. I probably would have just said, "That's a good pitch."

The hit batter - I probably would have been a smart ass and asked him if he had some plastic in his glove.

Cleaning off the plate is a very good tool. I will go out, clean off the plate and say, "We're going to get something straight right now. I'm going to umpire and you're going to catch. You're not going to tell me how to do my job. Do you understand me?"

I thought you did a good job approaching the coach and asking him to handle it.

[BigUmpire]

All this talk of inches is pretty dumb. I'm not good enough to know if a ball is x inches off the plate. The reality is none of us would want to work a game with K-Zone.

I work in 5 D1 conferences and call an octagon (stop sign) strike zone...which is pretty much the same as an oval. I'll give a little more at the top & bottom if it's over the center of the plate. I'll give a little more in and out if they are belt high. Up and in, up and out, down and in, down and out are balls.

As far as the original question about dealing with the catcher:

I very seldom recognize the catcher is at bat unless I have a PA or the kid says something to give it away. So I probably would have ignored (for the most part) his comment at bat. I don't like saying "it was a strike"...or what ever you told him. I probably would have just said, "That's a good pitch."

The hit batter - I probably would have been a smart ass and asked him if he had some plastic in his glove.

Cleaning off the plate is a very good tool. I will go out, clean off the plate and say, "We're going to get something straight right now. I'm going to umpire and you're going to catch. You're not going to tell me how to do my job. Do you understand me?"

I thought you did a good job approaching the coach and asking him to handle it.

Boatloads of wisdom here!

[Magic]

All this talk of inches is pretty dumb. I'm not good enough to know if a ball is x inches off the plate. The reality is none of us would want to work a game with K-Zone.

I work in 5 D1 conferences and call an octagon (stop sign) strike zone...which is pretty much the same as an oval. I'll give a little more at the top & bottom if it's over the center of the plate. I'll give a little more in and out if they are belt high. Up and in, up and out, down and in, down and out are balls.

As far as the original question about dealing with the catcher:

I very seldom recognize the catcher is at bat unless I have a PA or the kid says something to give it away. So I probably would have ignored (for the most part) his comment at bat. I don't like saying "it was a strike"...or what ever you told him. I probably would have just said, "That's a good pitch."

The hit batter - I probably would have been a smart ass and asked him if he had some plastic in his glove.

Cleaning off the plate is a very good tool. I will go out, clean off the plate and say, "We're going to get something straight right now. I'm going to umpire and you're going to catch. You're not going to tell me how to do my job. Do you understand me?"

I thought you did a good job approaching the coach and asking him to handle it.

Couldn't agree more.

[bam]

There are many ways to skin a cat, and others will chime in with theirs. To each his own. You got the result you wanted, so it worked. 

 

An aside, a 1/2 ball in at the knees isn't really a strike you can give at that level. 

What???  Seriously?

 

That's a strike all day, every day at U16.  Unless you like 3 hour games.