The Shrinking Strike Zone

[ft bronc]

I know it's not exactly on topic, but since inconsistent strike zones have been mentioned, I'd like to say that the quality of the umps at my son's frosh games this year has been a significant improvement over those at his SWOL games last season.

 

Thanks Blue.

[sportsnut859]

The Al men in Blue were their proctors outside their shirts and they were more like shield that Roman warriors carried to protect them from attackers. Those shields prevented the AL Blue from calling low ball strikes. I must say though, that those shields protected them better than what the current chest protectors they wear today!

 

Umpiring several leagues for about 7 years now I agree with this. There are times when I get beat up doing a AA league game and think to myself, "what the heck am I wearing this thing for? I get hit everywhere it isn't." Then again that's why I make the big bucks I guess.:idunno::sssh:

[Theoldguy]

Umpiring several leagues for about 7 years now I agree with this. There are times when I get beat up doing a AA league game and think to myself, "what the heck am I wearing this thing for? I get hit everywhere it isn't." Then again that's why I make the big bucks I guess.:idunno::sssh:

 

Thanks for doing the thankless job, as for without you and the men and women like you, the kids don't get to play the game we love! :notworthy::thumb:

[futurecoach]

The shrinking strike zone is not only a problem in high school, but in knothole too. I coach a knothole baseball team this is 11 and 12 year olds, and most of these umps in are games have very small strike zones. Sometimes it feels like most of them try to have major league strike zones. I think the main reason for this is because most umpires in this league, are still young kids. So they see the strike zones in major leagues, so that is how they call it too. It makes for VERY LONG GAMES sometimes.

 

I will add the umpire in the game we just had this past Tuesday did a very good job. His strike zone was still kind of small, however he was very consistent for both teams with it. So that is all that we could have asked for.

[OlDog75]

My first thought when I read this was..OK it's the metal bat. But then I thought, no I'm wrong. The strike zone should be larger for metal bats because it's a little easier to get a batted ball in play. I really have no answer but I myself have notice the squeezed strike zone.

[IBALL]

The shrinking strike zone is not only a problem in high school, but in knothole too. I coach a knothole baseball team this is 11 and 12 year olds, and most of these umps in are games have very small strike zones. Sometimes it feels like most of them try to have major league strike zones. I think the main reason for this is because most umpires in this league, are still young kids. So they see the strike zones in major leagues, so that is how they call it too. It makes for VERY LONG GAMES sometimes.

 

I will add the umpire in the game we just had this past Tuesday did a very good job. His strike zone was still kind of small, however he was very consistent for both teams with it. So that is all that we could have asked for.

 

When I umped younger kids, my strike zone was usually from the letters on the front of the uniform to the bottom of the knees.

[History]

I agree with what everyone here is saying, but listen carefully at the games the next time when an umpire call a "high" strike-one above the waist-the "oohs and aahs" from everyone from the coaches and parents are hilarious to me.

 

Folks have really grown accostomed to the strike zone being from the waist to the knees. I know it is not right, but that is what I see at all levels.

[frank_davis]

From what i've seen and heard in the stands it almost seems that the umps don't want to deal with the hassle of having "fans" on their butts for calling anything other than a major league zone. Along with the "shrinking strike zone" is the "shrinking behavior" of the "fans", and this all too often leads to umps "going along with the program". I'd like to see a huge strike zone myself.

[cooperstown]

Ultimately I don't really care what the strike zone is. There's an ump here in the 9th that calls ridiculously low strikes, but he calls them that way all game, so it's more than acceptable to me. I would not say that overall, I have seen a great deal of consistency in the strike zone throughout the game by the umpires here. It's tends to ebb and flow and change every few innings and that's what becomes frustrating. Call strikes at the letters or below the knees, just keep it consistent all game long.

[nikeman49]

If the umpire feels like that, he or she is probably in the wrong profession!!!

[Voice of Reason]

Ultimately I don't really care what the strike zone is. There's an ump here in the 9th that calls ridiculously low strikes, but he calls them that way all game, so it's more than acceptable to me. I would not say that overall, I have seen a great deal of consistency in the strike zone throughout the game by the umpires here. It's tends to ebb and flow and change every few innings and that's what becomes frustrating. Call strikes at the letters or below the knees, just keep it consistent all game long.

 

The one that irritates me is the umpire who tightens the strike zone even more in the last inning. It seems to happen too often. I agree with you Coop ... consistency the entire game is the most important thing in calling balls and strikes.

[sportsfan22]

The umpires that I witnessed in Lexington this year were amazing, atleast behind the plate!

[Mommabear]

I have noticed that the umpires have definitatly sqeezed the strike zone. If they think a kid is good or has a scholorship, they get a smaller strike zone. A quite unrealistic one at that. I know unpires are human, but they need to keep the game honest and have the same strike zone for all and be consistant. I feel there are some out there that should not be umpires. They don't seem to know the rules of the game as well as they should. If someone pitches fast in high school they can not keep up with it like they should, therefore not calling it correctly. I guess we just need better trained umpires overall. Ky high school Association needs to review and be more on top of what is going on in the field. It is high school ball and it is just not right when the umpires do the wrong things.

[goallout25]

Catcher was told at a game I saw tonight that he was going to start "opening up the strike zone" after the 3rd inning.

 

I have a problem with this statement for a couple of reasons.

 

First, there is no need to mention this to anyone even if that is in fact what you are going to be doing. That, in and of itself, tells me that you are already not doing your job correctly.

 

Second, as a hitter, how do you know what to swing at when you come back up to the plate? Don't you spend the first few hitters figuring out what the umpire will be calling a strike and what he will be calling a ball? That is part of being a great hitter - you are a student of the game. So if you are doing your homework and know the umpire's strike zone before you step up to the plate in your first AB (unless you are a lucky enough to be the leadoff guy), those same pitches that you were recognizing as balls early, you continue to take and now he calls them strikes. That could be a problem late in games when in fact the hitter was doing his job by observing those distinct parts of the game.

 

As a coach, all we ever ask for from umpires (and this has been mentioned in this thread previously) is that he be consistent. I don't care if the pitch is 6 inches off the outside corner. If he calls it on my hitters and calls it on their hitters, then what is my job? It's to tell my hitters that they better be swinging at that pitch or else they will be rung up. And it's to tell my pitcher to throw to that spot because it will be called a strike. But to "open up your zone" or "shrink your zone" early and late in the game is absolutely asinine to me.

[nkuclubbaseball19]

The one that irritates me is the umpire who tightens the strike zone even more in the last inning. It seems to happen too often. I agree with you Coop ... consistency the entire game is the most important thing in calling balls and strikes.

 

I agree 1000%. Whether or not it is a big or small zone just keep it the same for both teams for the entire game. If a player doesn't adjust it is on them.