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PU announcing ball location


rhinolith
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When watching some of the MLB playoff games, I could hear on hot mics some of the umpires calling balls and saying “outside”, “high”, “inside”. I don’t recall a “low.” I was taught to not do that. What do you all think? Thank you.

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I think you heard correctly (some pros do it) , and were taught correctly (you shouldn't do it).

 

That said, the pendulum swings back and forth over time -- mostly depending on the wishes of whoever is in charge at any particular level / league and how saying or not saying the location led to better or worse outcomes for that individual at some point in his / her career.

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I was just at an NCAA camp a couple weeks ago and someone brought this up, and the instructor, who works Big 10 conference games said “I know you are told not to do it, but on any close pitch, what are you going to hear?”  “Where was that at?”  He said “I’m just avoiding the question” and followed up with “if I say ball down” and coach says “that’s not down”, I can just ignore it but at least I avoided a back and forth (ball, where was that, I had it down, that’s not down).

he said “you can only get in trouble if it’s a horribly blown call” and if that’s the case, you’re in trouble with coach whether you said where it was or not.

long story short, he gives location on a close pitch (within a ball width or so) to avoid a back and forth.

I personally like this philosophy, and I definitely like it better than “selling a ball” with more emphasis on close ones.  Just “ball away” as calm and confident as any other call.  I think that will avoid a lot of conversation about strike zone 

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It's been pretty consistent in the playoffs.   I'm wondering if their was some formal guidance on this.

Maybe with the prevelence of the guys pointing the directional mikes at the umps (I suspect these are the guys holding the large plastic dishes down on the foul line right behind the ballgirl typically) seeing how popular it seems to be with the TV audience.

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From what I am hearing on the broadcast I think they are saying it loud enough for the catcher and batter to hear but not the dugouts. Obviously being mic'd up this is being also picked up by the broadcast. 

 

Im kinda 50/50 on it myself I like hearing it on TV but do 8-10 yr olds need that?

Still honestly pondering it over. I tried it last game I did for about half the game. certainly takes a little getting used to.

 

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28 minutes ago, flyingron said:

It's been pretty consistent in the playoffs.   I'm wondering if their was some formal guidance on this.

 

....it's been going on for years now. playoffs or not ... some guys locate, some guys don't (I think more do, especially at that level) ... we're just getting the bonus of being able to hear it on the broadcast ;) 

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8 minutes ago, Thunderheads said:

....it's been going on for years now. playoffs or not ... some guys locate, some guys don't (I think more do, especially at that level) ... we're just getting the bonus of being able to hear it on the broadcast ;) 

 

39 minutes ago, flyingron said:

It's been pretty consistent in the playoffs.   I'm wondering if their was some formal guidance on this.

Would they be able to change the way they verbalize based on the guidance provided this late in the season?  I would find it hard to change if I just got into my groove over 30 or 40 plate assignments and then I am told to verbalize more. You can't change a hammer to a gun overnight without having some muscle memory giving a mixed signal during the change period. IMHO.   I guess it could be done but I assume this is the way their style was all season. 

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11 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

 

Would they be able to change the way they verbalize based on the guidance provided this late in the season?  I would find it hard to change if I just got into my groove over 30 or 40 plate assignments and then I am told to verbalize more. You can't change a hammer to a gun overnight without having some muscle memory giving a mixed signal during the change period. IMHO.   I guess it could be done but I assume this is the way their style was all season. 

THIS IS NOTHING NEW GUYS ....................  NO NEW GUIDANCE..........

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4 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

THIS IS NOTHING NEW GUYS ....................  NO NEW GUIDANCE..........

 

We were told a LL school don't do it.

After hearing it on TV this year I just went to a training and the instructor told us to do it.

/shrug

 

my 2 cents is it will be something we are told to do more since its being heard on tv now.. 

 

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In my early years, I was taught to not give a location, but like @SH0102 alludes, as you move up, you may have different guidance (and not just on this subject). If I'm working college ball or HS varsity and it's within a ball or so of a strike, I'll give the location loud enough for the batter and catcher to hear, as well as how much. (e.g., "just a hair low" or "about a ball out")

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12 hours ago, SH0102 said:

I was just at an NCAA camp a couple weeks ago and someone brought this up, and the instructor, who works Big 10 conference games said “I know you are told not to do it, but on any close pitch, what are you going to hear?”  “Where was that at?”  He said “I’m just avoiding the question” and followed up with “if I say ball down” and coach says “that’s not down”, I can just ignore it but at least I avoided a back and forth (ball, where was that, I had it down, that’s not down).

he said “you can only get in trouble if it’s a horribly blown call” and if that’s the case, you’re in trouble with coach whether you said where it was or not.

long story short, he gives location on a close pitch (within a ball width or so) to avoid a back and forth.

I personally like this philosophy, and I definitely like it better than “selling a ball” with more emphasis on close ones.  Just “ball away” as calm and confident as any other call.  I think that will avoid a lot of conversation about strike zone 

I'm pretty sure I've worked with that instructor, as that sounds exactly why I started doing it about ten years ago.

I have not had an escalated ball/strike argument from the defense in that time.

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17 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

 

We were told a LL school don't do it.

After hearing it on TV this year I just went to a training and the instructor told us to do it.

/shrug

 

my 2 cents is it will be something we are told to do more since its being heard on tv now.. 

 

........I give up........... :no: :rolleyes:

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I've been doing that as long as I've been umpiring. Loud enough for the catcher to hear. As others have said, it short circuits the inevitable questions. Never had an issue from the catcher. Some batters. But your going to get that either way.  Never understood the "Don't do it."

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1 hour ago, Thunderheads said:

 

Oh, I'll use this technique at every level I work. Everything from an imitation of Bob's "juuuust" on a ball the catcher dives for, to one that goes over the batter's head and I'll say loud enough for only the catcher to hear "I had that one just a little up"

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2 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Have you heard it for years now on TV?

 

YES!  ....from my post yesterday.......... YEARS

On 10/27/2021 at 10:57 AM, Thunderheads said:

THIS IS NOTHING NEW GUYS ....................  NO NEW GUIDANCE..........

also .... look here too!

 

On 10/27/2021 at 7:54 AM, Thunderheads said:

Discussed many times on here .....  here are a couple....

And here, in this one, I have a post within that shows 3 more links to read ....

 

 

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On 10/27/2021 at 7:54 AM, Thunderheads said:

Discussed many times on here .....  here are a couple....

And here, in this one, I have a post within that shows 3 more links to read ....

 

To the above  I have never watched the college WS, so I never heard it there, sorry /shrug

 

On 10/27/2021 at 10:57 AM, Thunderheads said:

  NO NEW GUIDANCE..........

To the above.

Hence why I mentioned the instructor telling us, literally the day before I saw this thread ,"to start vocalizing it".

I had never heard it at the pro level before with such frequency, yes once in a while on something that was questioned or maybe close. but not like it seems to be this year. 

 

Hence why my 2 cents..  oh heck who knows in 7 to 10 years it will be an electronic squalk box attached to the backstop making a BALL or Strike call any way right?  maybe they will program it to say "BALL Outside"  😄

 

  

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16 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

To the above  I have never watched the college WS, so I never heard it there, sorry /shrug

 

To the above.

Hence why I mentioned the instructor telling us, literally the day before I saw this thread ,"to start vocalizing it".

I had never heard it at the pro level before with such frequency, yes once in a while on something that was questioned or maybe close. but not like it seems to be this year. 

 

Hence why my 2 cents..  oh heck who knows in 7 to 10 years it will be an electronic squalk box attached to the backstop making a BALL or Strike call any way right?  maybe they will program it to say "BALL Outside"  😄

 

  

that's all well and good ....  but it's been pointed out many times that this is nothing new.  Just because you 'just recently heard it' or noticed it doesn't mean it's new.   Others have pointed this out as well on this thread.  Also, each year the technology gets a bit better and better, microphones pick up more and more ...so maybe it's more pronounced this year?  Maybe, ...but again, doesn't make the 'mechanic' of locating pitches 'new' .... 

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On 10/27/2021 at 8:18 AM, ArchAngel72 said:

From what I am hearing on the broadcast I think they are saying it loud enough for the catcher and batter to hear but not the dugouts. Obviously being mic'd up this is being also picked up by the broadcast. 

Based on games I've seen live (now more than two years out for me) it's loud enough for the dugouts, and more...the batter/catcher/pitcher are really the only ones who NEED to know, but they rarely need to be told - it should be obvious to them where it missed.   The coach in the dugout doesn't know if the pitch at the knees was called low or called outside.   Frankly, he doesn't really need to know, but it cuts the coach off at the knees...it ensures anything the coach says after that isn't a question, but an argument, and he's less likely to force something, unless he's looking for an invitation to the showers (alone).

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1 hour ago, Thunderheads said:

that's all well and good ....  but it's been pointed out many times that this is nothing new.  Just because you 'just recently heard it' or noticed it doesn't mean it's new.   Others have pointed this out as well on this thread.  Also, each year the technology gets a bit better and better, microphones pick up more and more ...so maybe it's more pronounced this year?  Maybe, ...but again, doesn't make the 'mechanic' of locating pitches 'new' .... 

 

What I was pointing out more that was new to me was the instructor just this weekend telling us to do it.

you had said no new guidance.. well my own recent interaction was just that 

a change in directive from what I am used to.

just reporting what I observed boss... 

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