@JETSR71 posted:Several years back, there were several articles on the rash of HBP in college ball. The umps started making a lot more of the failure to avoid calls to stop the drama. These calls started being made a lot more in HS.
Older son would lead the team in HBP. Crowded the plate and would slightly turn, not move or flinch for a ball from his thigh up to his shoulders. Rarely called in HS. Perfect Game ups called him back on multiple occasions. The PG umps were the much better crews that also called college games.
A good catcher should have pretty good rapport with the home plate ump. Ask the catcher. My younger son is chatting all game with the ump. He can probably bring it up with no issues or he'll know that the specific umpire would take offense.
Huge part of a catchers job is to be social and friendly with the home plate umpire. I would rather pitch to a catcher who worked the umpires by being social and nice than one who tried to steal strikes. As JETSR71 says, the catcher is the ambassador and is your best shot at bringing things like hanging out over the plate or not getting out of the way of a pitch to their attention.