Maintaining your zone when working solo

[RingEmUp]

This is more of a rant than anything else.   So, JV is a solo performance here and anytime I work solo I feel that I have a harder time with a consistent strike zone.  Now don't get me started with working 90' bases solo, that's just asking for bad umpiring IMO.  12u  and below solo, no problem, but 90'?  Anyway, does anyone else have the problem of maintaining any sort of consistency when you also have to watch for pick-offs, steals, balks, infield flys, timing plays, run downs, tag ups and anything else I left out?  

[scrounge]

Hmm, guess I never really thought of that. Haven't done it in a while, but I just accept the fact that I'm behind the plate and all the other stuff will have to be secondary. Pickoffs had better be DAMN obvious to get called....the rest? Just deal when it comes, hustle, do your best, and have the serenity to know you did what you could and don't take gruff from pot-bellied idiots who expect you teleport magically down to 2nd or whatever or be in 2 places at once.

[Rich Ives]

For one thing stop worrying too soon about things that can't happen until after the pitch. Concentrate on the pitch.

[noumpere]

This is more of a rant than anything else.   So, JV is a solo performance here and anytime I work solo I feel that I have a harder time with a consistent strike zone.  Now don't get me started with working 90' bases solo, that's just asking for bad umpiring IMO.  12u  and below solo, no problem, but 90'?  Anyway, does anyone else have the problem of maintaining any sort of consistency when you also have to watch for pick-offs, steals, balks, infield flys, timing plays, run downs, tag ups and anything else I left out?  

 

I can't speak for all, but I don't.  90% of the above you need to watch for no matter how many umpires there are.

[johnnyg08]

I work a lot of 90' solo and I focus on doing one thing well and that is the strike zone. Everything else is secondary with me being the only one out there.

I know that on basically every play I'm sacrificing distance for angle.

Be solid w/ balls and strikes and do your best w/ the other stuff and you'll be fine.

[LMSANS]

I work a lot of 90' solo and I focus on doing one thing well and that is the strike zone. Everything else is secondary with me being the only one out there.

I know that on basically every play I'm sacrificing distance for angle.

Be solid w/ balls and strikes and do your best w/ the other stuff and you'll be fine.

 

I work a lot of 90' solo and I focus on doing one thing well and that is the strike zone. Everything else is secondary with me being the only one out there.

I know that on basically every play I'm sacrificing distance for angle.

Be solid w/ balls and strikes and do your best w/ the other stuff and you'll be fine.

I worked my first solo game in years last week.  And this is what I did.

[grayhawk]

Let's look at these one by one:

 

Pick-offs:  If there's a pick-off, there's no pitch, so why would this interfere with calling a good zone?

Steals:  Call things in order.  Call the pitch and then step out and make the call at the base.

Balks:  You have to watch for balks whether you are working solo or in 2, 3, 4, or 6 man.  No difference here.

Infield flys:  Again, it's not like you don't call IFF when you are working with partners.

Timeing plays:  Seriously?  That's WAY after a pitch happens.  Should not be a concern when the ball leaves F1's hand.

Run downs:  See Time plays above.

Tag ups:  See Time plays above.

Anything else I left out?  Sure - BI, CI, HBP, Fair/foul, Batter fouling it off himself, U3K, RLI and all sorts of stuff that still shouldn't have any detrimental effect on calling a good zone.

 

Chill.  Focus on calling a great zone and deal with the rest as it happens.

[Tksjewelry]

Most coaches of solo games are already aware that they are sacrificing accuracy on certain types of calls with one ump. Don't worry about them. Since I do a lot of one man, my main focus is on my zone, everything else is secondary. As long as I hustle and have an appropriate zone, coaches are happy in general.

[Kevin_K]

I might suggest that working solo makes you work a little harder on everything else and that because you might be expending a little more energy getting distance and angles you might need a little more time to be ready to call balls and strikes.

 

After hustling out, take it easy getting back to home plate. You might call time out, or perhaps walk back to your position to ensure that you are not winded when trying to concentrate on pitches.

 

My .02.

[RingEmUp]

I think this post came about more out of frustration than anything else.  I've had more arguements lately while doing solo JV games.  I think my biggest problem is adjusting to different pitchers.  Going from a kid throwing mid 80's to kid that can barely get the ball to the plate does a real number on you.  I called 10 straight balls while trying to have a JV freindly strike zone. 

[johnnyg08]

This is hard baseball to work. Keep calling your zone. Many times coaches don't want to yell at the kids, so they yell at us. (Yes, I know it's wrong)

Don't get frazzled. Remember you can issue an arguing balls/strikes warning. Don't accept ball/strike arguments, especially when the play is as poor as you describe. It makes no sense. Issue the warning(s) and keep calling your JV zone. If they still can't hit it, and it's possible, don't jeopardize your integrity just b/c they can't put the ball near the zone.

Keep your head up.

[PonyUmpire]

Worrying about calling a good strike zone is a great way to call a terrible strike zone.  Focus on tracking and timing; let pitches call themselves for you.  As for pitchers who are all over the place, don't feel the need to go on a strike hunt.  Stick with a zone you're comfortable with (which should be generous to begin with).

[umpstu]

Let's look at these one by one:

 

Pick-offs:  If there's a pick-off, there's no pitch, so why would this interfere with calling a good zone?

Steals:  Call things in order.  Call the pitch and then step out and make the call at the base.

Balks:  You have to watch for balks whether you are working solo or in 2, 3, 4, or 6 man.  No difference here.

Infield flys:  Again, it's not like you don't call IFF when you are working with partners.

Timeing plays:  Seriously?  That's WAY after a pitch happens.  Should not be a concern when the ball leaves F1's hand.

Run downs:  See Time plays above.

Tag ups:  See Time plays above.

Anything else I left out?  Sure - BI, CI, HBP, Fair/foul, Batter fouling it off himself, U3K, RLI and all sorts of stuff that still shouldn't have any detrimental effect on calling a good zone.

 

Chill.  Focus on calling a great zone and deal with the rest as it happens.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  No kidding.  The only reason I can see how your zone would suffer in one man mechanics is because generally the catching isn't as good.

[blue23ll]

I don't see how one man makes a difference in your zone. I ended up doing two JV solo games in a  row and the formula for success for me is, CALL STRIKES. Maybe I was lucky, had 4 great pitchers in both games and 4 great catchers. Everything else comes after the pitch. Games were crisp, balls were hit and plays were made.