Poll on calling balls

[HokieUmp]

On 6/27/2016 at 2:13 PM, Stk004 said:

If you give location, what do you say when (if) you miss one? 

Miss  ... one?  Do those two words even GO together??!?

[JaxRolo]

Good habit to get into.

[JamesC]

I don't give location of the pitch and was alway taught from an early age that it was best not to do it. Not that it was right or wrong, just best to avoid it. The reason, which still makes complete sense to me, was because you will inevitably get one or two close pitches a game where you think to yourself, "WOW! That was a close one!" and then you verbally signal, "BALL!" Instead of saying, "BALL! Outside." like you've been for the last 4 innings, you didn't indicate location and now everyone in the stadium is wanting to know why you missed that call and, "You must even know you missed it because you couldn't tell us where it missed!" You get the picture. For me, that is my reasoning. 

Now, I will tell the catcher and/or batter quietly, "I have that one just outside guys." or "I can't go that low tonight." Just seems like a way to make talk but also acknowledge to both that the pitch was very close but just outside of the zone. Typically, the catcher and batter will relay that kind of information to the right people at the right time.

[kstrunk]

49 minutes ago, JamesC said:

I don't give location of the pitch and was alway taught from an early age that it was best not to do it. Not that it was right or wrong, just best to avoid it. The reason, which still makes complete sense to me, was because you will inevitably get one or two close pitches a game where you think to yourself, "WOW! That was a close one!" and then you verbally signal, "BALL!" Instead of saying, "BALL! Outside." like you've been for the last 4 innings, you didn't indicate location and now everyone in the stadium is wanting to know why you missed that call and, "You must even know you missed it because you couldn't tell us where it missed!" You get the picture. For me, that is my reasoning. 

Now, I will tell the catcher and/or batter quietly, "I have that one just outside guys." or "I can't go that low tonight." Just seems like a way to make talk but also acknowledge to both that the pitch was very close but just outside of the zone. Typically, the catcher and batter will relay that kind of information to the right people at the right time.

Seeing your point, sort of... we should be working to the point where our timing is such that we don't 'ball' a pitch without knowing why we're calling it a 'ball'. Thus, I consider giving location, in or out, on close pitches, an accountability mechanism of sorts for myself. If I 'ball' a pitch and in my mind I can answer why immediately, I've called it too fast and I must adjust. The old adage that a pitch is a strike until proven otherwise means I MUST know why it is not before I say it is not. Note well... I've not arrived in any of this yet and don't claim to, but it helps me anyway, and again, spares me a whole bunch of chirping. 

[kstrunk]

Just now PU, or is it 'U1'?... at CWS, on a curve ball that hung but was close, point of the plate, just said 'that's up', nothing more, nothing less. So even on high pitch, he gave location verbally. 

[FleasOf1000Camels]

On an OBVIOUS ball (in the dirt, to the backstop, etc) I say nothing, not even BALL.

On a pitch that is close, I say "BALL, that's up" or "BALL, just out."  I say the "BALL" loudly enough to be heard throughout the infield, and the description JUST loud enough for catcher and batter to hear.  When I hear that voice from the dugout asking "where was that?" I softly say to the catcher "your coach wants to know where that pitch was."  Unless the catcher is a complete idiot, he'll answer the coach's question.  Some slower-witted catchers may need a soft knee nudge in the back before they "get it", but most (especially at higher levels) understand right away.

[grayhawk]

2 hours ago, kstrunk said:

Just now PU, or is it 'U1'?... at CWS, on a curve ball that hung but was close, point of the plate, just said 'that's up', nothing more, nothing less. So even on high pitch, he gave location verbally. 

Joe Burleson can say up and down or pretty much whatever he wants.  What works or him will not necessarily work for the rest of us.

[MidAmUmp]

11 hours ago, JamesC said:

I don't give location of the pitch and was alway taught from an early age that it was best not to do it. Not that it was right or wrong, just best to avoid it. The reason, which still makes complete sense to me, was because you will inevitably get one or two close pitches a game where you think to yourself, "WOW! That was a close one!" and then you verbally signal, "BALL!" Instead of saying, "BALL! Outside." like you've been for the last 4 innings, you didn't indicate location and now everyone in the stadium is wanting to know why you missed that call and, "You must even know you missed it because you couldn't tell us where it missed!" You get the picture. For me, that is my reasoning. 

Now, I will tell the catcher and/or batter quietly, "I have that one just outside guys." or "I can't go that low tonight." Just seems like a way to make talk but also acknowledge to both that the pitch was very close but just outside of the zone. Typically, the catcher and batter will relay that kind of information to the right people at the right time.

You shouldn't give location on every ball...just the close ones. We don't say, "Safe! He beat the throw!" on every wide open play at 1st base, but we do say, "Safe! Off the bag!" "Safe! No tag!" when we need to provide information about why we called what we did. So on a borderline pitch, I say "Ball! That's out (or in)." because I'm providing the coaching staff information they need to know (or would be asking if I didn't tell them). I haven't been asked "Where's that at?" from a legitimate coach in probably 4 years. 

[udbrky]

Watching the  Cubs-Mets game (puke on how it's going @stkjock) and Jeff Nelson is calling location on like 1/2 the balls.

[stkjock]

 

about time our bats woke up some.  

[stkjock]

Kapowwwwweeeee!!!!!   Nimmo!

[udbrky]

2 hours ago, stkjock said:

Kapowwwwweeeee!!!!!   Nimmo!

GG, gonna go burn everything and jump out the window.

[stkjock]

LOL! Come on, the Cubs are killing it this year!  Don't be that fan....  

@udbrky

[udbrky]

1 minute ago, stkjock said:

LOL! Come on, the Cubs are killing it this year!  Don't be that fan....  

@udbrky

Haha, I've been joking all night, making fun of Cubs twitter freaking out.

[stkjock]

LOL ok 

[Haid D' Salaami]

I will give location on close pitches so I don't have to answer a question.." Ball, outside"   then if the coach is gonna ask after i just said it..... well then he just wants to argue.

[Haid D' Salaami]

On 6/30/2016 at 0:45 PM, kstrunk said:

Just now PU, or is it 'U1'?... at CWS, on a curve ball that hung but was close, point of the plate, just said 'that's up', nothing more, nothing less. So even on high pitch, he gave location verbally. 

Oh yeah that Guy... 6 time CWS umpire and maybe arguably the best College umpire in the country can say and do aaaaalllllooootttt more than we can. 

[kstrunk]

10 hours ago, Haid D' Salaami said:

Oh yeah that Guy... 6 time CWS umpire and maybe arguably the best College umpire in the country can say and do aaaaalllllooootttt more than we can. 

Ok, I agree...however, if it's not a matter of mechanical doctrine (or is it?), but rather a matter of functional preference, and being as good and experienced as he is, he clearly has good reason to do the things he does, so why wouldn't we want to emulate him in those preferential things? We talk as if his experience and clout is helping him 'get away with something', while I'm wonder if 'that something' helped him get where he is. 

[Haid D' Salaami]

On 7/18/2016 at 6:59 AM, kstrunk said:

Ok, I agree...however, if it's not a matter of mechanical doctrine (or is it?), but rather a matter of functional preference, and being as good and experienced as he is, he clearly has good reason to do the things he does, so why wouldn't we want to emulate him in those preferential things? We talk as if his experience and clout is helping him 'get away with something', while I'm wonder if 'that something' helped him get where he is. 

No it's not a mechanical Doctrine. It's just something guys do.. like Midamump said.. " answer the question before they ask"  and I only do it on close pitches.

[jkumpire]

Thank you very much for your replies. Please feel free to continue voting and sending comments. The results are quite interesting.