High Pitches on Batters with Low Batting Stance

[Mudder]

I seem to have problems with batters who use a very low batting stance, meaning they have a wide stance and squatted low.  Ball/Strike is determined relative to the batter's stance at the time when he's set in his batting stance prepared to hit the ball.  So how do you handle those pitches that are high coming in according to the batter's stance, then if the batter does not swing, he rises up and where the catcher catches it, it looks like a strike?

 

Just lately it seems I'm getting a lot of ooohs from the benches when I ball these pitches, but to me its a no brainer, its high.

[ricka56]

I think that you think the "the batter's stance" is when he sqauts low before the pitch arrives. That is not the stance to use . Reference the stance that he uses as he uncoils to hit the pitched ball...quite a bit more KZ.

[Mudder]

I think that you think the "the batter's stance" is when he sqauts low before the pitch arrives. That is not the stance to use . Reference the stance that he uses as he uncoils to hit the pitched ball...quite a bit more KZ.

 

and if he does not swing?

[jjb]

Easy:

1. Call "Time"

2. Walk around the plate, bend over and brush the plate.

3. Ask the batter to "back up", and while you're brushing,wait for him to take a practice swing. Watch him out of the corner of your eye.

4. There's your zone

[ALStripes17]

No leeway ... strikes and outs get you home

[KLAH316]

I have a guy in Adult ball that crouches lower than anyone I've ever seen, almost looks like he's ready to squat to catch..... Only until he gets a strike on him however.

Fastball comes in at his shoulders - STRIKE! He looks at me and I tell him squatting doesn't shrink the zone. He laughs, all is good, play ball!

[SoCal Lurker]

A related issue, at least in my mind, is the bottom of the zone.  It appears to me (completely unbiased  as daddy in the stands with a very tall kid playing), that many umpires (at least at the lower levels) have trouble adjusting the bottom of the zone to the height of the batter.  It seems that all umpires are good at raising the top of the zone for the height of the batter, but many (newer I hope) umpires, end up with a bottom of the zone that stays in the same place -- even though the knees are now 3" higher than the last batter. 

[Rich Ives]

I have a guy in Adult ball that crouches lower than anyone I've ever seen, almost looks like he's ready to squat to catch..... Only until he gets a strike on him however.

Fastball comes in at his shoulders - STRIKE! He looks at me and I tell him squatting doesn't shrink the zone. He laughs, all is good, play ball!

 

It does if he stays down to swing.

[grozzly]

Easy:

1. Call "Time"

2. Walk around the plate, bend over and brush the plate.

3. Ask the batter to "back up", and while you're brushing,wait for him to take a practice swing. Watch him out of the corner of your eye.

4. There's your zone

 

Very gooooddd.....

[basejester]

 

I have a guy in Adult ball that crouches lower than anyone I've ever seen, almost looks like he's ready to squat to catch..... Only until he gets a strike on him however.

Fastball comes in at his shoulders - STRIKE! He looks at me and I tell him squatting doesn't shrink the zone. He laughs, all is good, play ball!

 

It does if he stays down to swing.

 

Suppose he squats down with his armpits resting on his knees and swings at the first pitch from this position.  Can he walk every time?

[Rich Ives]

 

 

I have a guy in Adult ball that crouches lower than anyone I've ever seen, almost looks like he's ready to squat to catch..... Only until he gets a strike on him however.

Fastball comes in at his shoulders - STRIKE! He looks at me and I tell him squatting doesn't shrink the zone. He laughs, all is good, play ball!

 

It does if he stays down to swing.

 

Suppose he squats down with his armpits resting on his knees and swings at the first pitch from this position.  Can he walk every time?

 

 

He sure couldn't hit like that so the odds that his coach would let him do it are zero - or less.  Try asking a reasonable question.

[umpcoachfather]

hey - theirs something wrong with your bat, can you take a practice swing for me?

[Rich Ives]

They're going to park their car over there.

[basejester]

He sure couldn't hit like that so the odds that his coach would let him do it are zero - or less.  Try asking a reasonable question.

He doesn't need to hit.  He just walks. 

 

I'm just exploring what's a legal amount of squat, because there doesn't seem to be any standard.

[SoCal Lurker]

 

He sure couldn't hit like that so the odds that his coach would let him do it are zero - or less.  Try asking a reasonable question.

He doesn't need to hit.  He just walks. 

 

I'm just exploring what's a legal amount of squat, because there doesn't seem to be any standard.

 

 

I think the standard becomes common sense.  As long as the stance is a legitimate baseball swing stance, it is what it is.  If it isn't call your best evaluation of his "real" stance -- and if he took a practice swing, you know what it is -- don't give him the benefit of the doubt.  but I agree with Mr. Ives -- this isn't a real world question.  (And in "real" baseball he's likely to get his free base when the pitcher drills him . . . )