@2022NYC posted:Yes if it is a fastball, but some pitchers can paint the 2nd strike with some filthy stuff and sometimes the ump helps by stretching the zone to little league levels.
If a pitcher can paint the 2nd strike with filth, you just have to tip your cap and fight like he'll with 2 strikes...and realize that you're already in a hole and probably not going to win.
On the ump thing, my kid works DEEP counts in almost every AB. He routinely leads his team in P per PA...including his current summer team...and my wife and I have a patented "another full count" head shake. That said, we've lost count on how many times he's been rung up looking on 3-2. He ALWAYS says the same thing "That last pitch was a ball."
Maybe he's right and the umpire was wrong? But, still goes down as a K in the ledger forever. (He's very head strong on it and I have given up talking about it.)