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I would like to donate a pitching machine to my HS umpire association.  It would be used exclusively to train umpires to track the baseball all the way to the mitt.  I don't think it needs to throw more than 50 mph, and breaking balls would be totally unnecessary.  Ideally, it would throw real baseballs.  I  do not need an auto feed feature since the balls would be fed in one at a time.  Any tips (Jugs, ATEC, etc.) would be appreciated.

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Dash -

 

Just a thought - wouldn't you want a machine that throws breaking stuff as well?

 

I watch a lot of youth/HS ball and where I see the biggest weakness in plate umpires is inconsistent calls on breaking balls.

 

Of course it's real easy to be judgmental when I'm sitting in a spot where I have the perfect angle to see at what height a pitch crosses the plate...  It's probably a whole lot harder to judge the height/depth of a pitch moving right at you at high speed.

Originally Posted by Rob T:

Dash -

 

Just a thought - wouldn't you want a machine that throws breaking stuff as well?

 

I watch a lot of youth/HS ball and where I see the biggest weakness in plate umpires is inconsistent calls on breaking balls.

 

 

It is not necessary for the machine to throw breaking balls, since no pitch is straight anyway.  Proper use of the eyes is tracking the pitch all the way to the mitt (and then watching what the catcher does with it) before making a decision.  This will lead to proper timing and fewer errors in judgement.  Inconsistency on breaking balls is caused by calling the pitch (i.e., deciding if it is a strike or ball) when it is still 10 feet in front of the plate.

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