MLB Ejection 76 - Nick Mahrley (2; Chris Woodward)

[Lindsay]

HP Umpire Nick Mahrley ejected Rangers Manager Chris Woodward (strike one call; QOCN) in the top of the 8th inning of the #Rangers-#Diamondbacks game. With none out and none on, Rangers leadoff batter Isiah Kiner-Falefa took a first-pitch fastball from Diamondbacks pitcher Yoan Lopez for a called...

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[Thunderheads]

Yes, that was high, fine .....but ........ the "zone" they're using is set up so low, it's ridiculous!  

 

[Recontra]

This pitch raises a question for me. Where is the zone for this batter on this pitch? Batter is standing there in what looks like a batting stance, and only after the pitcher is halfway through his pitching motion (his arm is already moving) does the batter drop down about 3 inches. Prior to the pitch, as he looks ready to receive the pitch, and even as the pitcher begins his delivery and is halfway through it, I got his belt just even with or slightly above the catcher's helmet (assuming the belt is the top of the MLB zone). The actual pitch comes in just below the top of the catcher's helmet. At what point do we determine when the batter "assumes his natural batting stance"??  There's probably no hard and fast rule, and obviously if we sense a batter is crouching unnaturally, we're not going to reward that.

But how about the pitcher? He intends to throw a fast ball right down the middle, right at the batter's belt (for Lord only knows what reason :-). So, he starts his delivery, batter crouches 3-4 inches, not as he begins his delivery, but only after he's so committed to the pitch that he can't adjust. This MLB pitcher's arm was already in motion when the batter dipped 3-4". Maybe here in MLB where these umpires have seen the batters scores of times, and all these pitchers have seen video of all these batters, it might make sense to assume the batter will be doing this. But what if he doesn't do it on the next pitch, or does it a bit more or less?

Here's my hypothetical:  upper level high school varsity game next spring, visiting team in from out of town. Nobody knows nuthin' about them. Second batter pulls this (I'll call it a) stunt. Once pitcher's arm is in motion, batter drops down 3 inches. Ball comes in dead center, below what would have been the top of the zone before the pitcher's arm started moving, but now just above it. We banging that??