quote:
Originally posted by Catch43:
About the title of the thread, it's not that I want to get my point across, but that maybe I'd get more calls- if professional catchers have a way of communicating and working with the umpire, I want to know it. I want to know how to get more of the close calls and help my pitcher- it has nothing to do with the quality of the umpire (understandably, everyone makes bad calls and there are bad blues out there).
Catch - An umpire who "gave you more calls" solely because of your relationship with him wouldn't be a very good umpire. Believe me - umpires WANT to call strikes. You can help them do that by: 1) Giving them a good look at the pitch (which translates into not blocking the ump's view); and 2) making the close pitch look like a strike, not only to the ump, but to everyone else.
The way to make a close pitch look like a strike is to not make it look like a ball. Here are some things that make pitches look like balls:
1) Not catching the pitch
2) Pulling the pitch into the zone (boy do we hate that). Pulling the pitch is EASILY seen by everyone, especially the umpire. It will cost you strikes. If we ring that pitch up, it makes it look like you fooled us into calling a strike. The best way to get that borderline pitch is to stick it and leave it right where it is (but not for too long).
3) Setting up too far back and making the pitch look lower than it is. Catch the low pitch with your arm out and thumb down and you have a much better shot at getting the call just below the kneecap.
Now, a word about the catcher/umpire relationship. I've already said that an umpire who "gives more calls" (i.e., changes his strike zone) based on this relationship is not a good umpire. That said, having the umpire like you will certainly not hurt you in the baseball game.
Here are some things that will endear you to the umpire:
1) Do your best to block EVERYTHING. If we have complete confidence in your ability to block the ball, it helps us stay locked in and improves our ability to focus and track the pitch (because we aren't concerned about getting drilled). When you smother a ball in the dirt with no one on, we REALLY appreciate that.
2) Count warm-up pitches and throw it down without being told. It's a small thing, but it's appreciated.
3) When your coach asks you "Where was that pitch?" (Grrrrr), tell him it was a little in or a little down, or whatever. Please don't say "I don't know." That makes our blood boil, even if we know we missed it. If you think we are doing a lousy job, tell your coach in the dugout without making a public display.
4) When you don't get a call (and you know you didn't deserve it) give us credit for getting it right. Telling the pitcher "bring that up a little" or "good miss" does just that.
Finally, you have a right to expect quality umpiring at the higher levels, and you are allowed to disagree with a call. We miss pitches sometimes, and we have good games and not-so-good games (hopefully infrequently for the latter). You already know not to turn around and get in our face. That is not the way to disagree. Sticking the pitch and holding it there is like saying "Come on Blue - that pitch is a strike. You've got to ring that one up." Just don't overdo it. Throw it back to the pitcher when you don't get the call.
Another way is to tell the pitcher "good pitch" or "put it there again." That is like saying "Bear down Blue - you missed that one." When you disagree like that, at least for me, it causes me to work harder to call strikes, and that is exactly what you want me to do.
Sorry to be so long-winded.
