@HSDad22 posted:Speaking of Umpires, this is an honest question. I can't for the life of me figure out why 6-10 inches off the plate is a strike, consistently from every umpire, yet belly button high is a ball, and god forbid you should actually throw a ball on the inside corner for a strike even though thats where they set up? I ask this because of all the pitches thrown, 8 inches off the plate is un-hittable. IF you need to expand the zone, up or down, fine at least you can stay within the confines of what is actually the strike zone, letters to knees. Do they think the other batters box line is the edge of the plate?
Okay, mini rant on this one... have none of them actually ever seen a curve-ball before? It seems it can go around the plate and be called a strike, but not across the plate and end up out of the zone and be called one.
I guess consistency can be called good, but consistently wrong?
Honestly, why is it every umpire, all the time on the 6-8 inches off the plate.
As a pitchers dad and a catchers dad, I tell my boys to live with it and for the first to take advantage of it and the second not to complain for his pitcher's sake, and I also tell them they better not be complaining if they get rung up on it cause they know it's a strike, but it does stink going down 0-2 on two pitches not hittable.
My son feels your pain. He has a really high spin rate so he tries his best to live at the top of zone. However, he hardly ever gets the high strike called. So unless hitters swing at pitches above their belt buckles it's going to be called a ball.
With that said, I don't know if I fault the umpires for this. So many pitchers live way down and away that I believe umps have just got accustomed to calling that pitch a strike. Game has to end eventually right? Very few guys challenge up and in, so almost all hitters in today's game crowd the plate. I believe this shifts the focus of the average umpire away from the actual strike zone. Most coaches, and players for that matter, are okay living with the way outside strike call. That is as long as you don't give the inside strike call, and it gets called equally for both sides.
By the way I'm not saying it's right, I'm just pointing out what I've tended to notice over the years.