I pulled this from another thread.
Just want some umpires to chim it on this one.
As an ump my goal to to enter the field and leave the field and hope nobody knows I was there. That doesn't mean I get every call correct or I did't make a mistake. It means I was consistent and had good game management.
Now, let's talk about the borderline pitch. This pitch is the one that is established that day between the umpire; catcher, pitcher and batter. This is the pitch that has a tolerance of about an inch either way, the human factor. This is the same pitch that the spectator or coach will always moan about. Yet the only two people that have the best view is the ump and the catcher. Yet everyone else at the field can see the pitch better than me.
There are 3 situations that can happen.
1) The pitcher, the catcher and myself are all in a sync. The pitcher is hitting his spot and I'm calling strikes. Does a pitch that is a little further outside get called a strike, probably. I'm I changing the strike zone, no. The pitcher has consistently been throwing strikes in the same area all day, and yes, maybe I blew the call and gave him a strike. Usually the response from the offensive coach will be; "He's been calling it there all day, swing the bat".
2) The pitcher can't hit the broadside of the barn. The cather set's up ouside, he throws inside, the catcher, sets up inside he throws out side, etc. Then the catcher sets up outside and low and behold the pitcher hits his spot. The probablility in this situation is it's a ball. The pitcher has not earned the outside pitch. Am I changing the strike zone, no. The strike zone has not been established between the pitcher, catcher, batter and the ump. Therefore it's a ball. If the pitcher "flips out" then it will probablly still be a ball. Why? Because he has not earned the pitch.
3) Take situation 1, at the begining of a game. The pitcher is hitting that borderline area, and the ump is balling it. (Again, I'm refering to that 1 inch differece. Think about that for a minute. Look at ruler and compare a ball to 1 inch. BORDERLINE CALL.) I will gaureentee you that any umpire who is worth his weight will realize that the pitcher can hit his spot, and that borderline pitch can be called a strike. However, if the pitcher starts to "flip out" it will be a ball all day.
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