USSSA Umpires

[MTR]

..Why does it seem certain teams get stuck at certain fields, with the same umps...game after game:-)

Why does it seem certain umpires get stuck at certain fields with the same lousy teams, game after game?

[ocdad]

I can add to it, had one blue tell me he doesn't "call anything above the belly button that is the way I call the game" so every pitch above belly button & below the letters was a ball sure enough. But he called it both was as far as I was able to see. The team just had to adjust. We all know it is a part of the game, I don't like it but you have to not leave it in the blues hands.

If you have been doing this long enough you shouldn't be surprised, especially w/ the home cooking blues when so cal teams travel out of state. I saw the worst this year at PGF CO qualifier.

[ajaywill]

..."instructed to squeeze the strike zone so they would have more hitting...L

This makes no sense....

If the zone is squeezed, it will lead to less hitting, not more.....!

[Dugout Dad]

..."instructed to squeeze the strike zone so they would have more hitting...L

This makes no sense....

If the zone is squeezed, it will lead to less hitting, not more.....!

So, you are saying if the strike zone is squeezed to right over the plate, it will result in less hitting? Yup, that makes sense......

[Ks softball fan]

We had opposite issue at ASA nationals (16u- Montgomery). The zones were HUGE - especially wide. Our girls are free swingers (as testified by low bb's thru year) - yet we had one game with 10k's and another with 12. And - our pitchers picked up double the norm for them. Against better competition...

Our catcher was reporting 2 balls off outside corner was a strike...used it when in field. Tough on hitters. I was surprised, but it did keep the games at less than 2 hours. And somebody hit enough to win it - we told our girls to quit whining and hit before they got 2 strikes. Naturally they didnt listen.

[Battle]

My God what a horrible experience the last few days. Have not witnessed 1 plate umpire with a consistant strike zone for any team I watched play. During our game today the plate umpire told the catcher to have the pitcher throw a change up because 'THIS KID CAN'T HIT". The only thing these umpires have displayed is the game is about them and not the girls. The UIC is a babbeling idiot. It is like they enjoy messing with the girls with the strike zone. We have a good team just hit a dry spell when trying to qualify for PGF, so this was all we had to choose from. Also make sure you score a huge amount of runs when you play the Pride team because they will make sure you don't win if it is close. Basically every umpire for USSSA is a ASA, TC, PGF reject because if they were a decent umpire they would be in HB. I challenge the UIC from usssa to show the credentials of his umpires and what third world country they got it from. lesson learned do not support or play usssa until they can field qualified umpires.

OK I vented........

...should have played ASA. Can't you read the signs hanging at the WCWS saying, "PLAY ASA". That should have been the first hint.

[fastpitchdad05]

I can add to it, had one blue tell me he doesn't "call anything above the belly button that is the way I call the game" so every pitch above belly button & below the letters was a ball sure enough. But he called it both was as far as I was able to see. The team just had to adjust. We all know it is a part of the game, I don't like it but you have to not leave it in the blues hands.

If you have been doing this long enough you shouldn't be surprised, especially w/ the home cooking blues when so cal teams travel out of state. I saw the worst this year at PGF CO qualifier.

This blue must have been doing double duty or have a "twin" brother because we had one of our catchers at PGF say that the blue said that same exact thing.

When you posted it I had to double-check to see if I was actually on the USSSA ump topic.

[ajaywill]

..."instructed to squeeze the strike zone so they would have more hitting...L

This makes no sense....

If the zone is squeezed, it will lead to less hitting, not more.....!

So, you are saying if the strike zone is squeezed to right over the plate, it will result in less hitting? Yup, that makes sense......

If you want more hitting,you open up the zone and get the bats swinging.
If a batter knows anything not right down the pipe is going to be called a ball, why not just wait for a walk?

[Dugout Dad]

If you want more hitting,you open up the zone and get the bats swinging.

Swinging at bad pitches(outside the normal strikezone) results in bad contact.

If a batter knows anything not right down the pipe is going to be called a ball, why not just wait for a walk?

Real hitters do not want to walk, they rather put the ball over the fence.

[Fredegar]

If you want more hitting,you open up the zone and get the bats swinging.
If a batter knows anything not right down the pipe is going to be called a ball, why not just wait for a walk?

ajaywill, are you serious? Because that thinking is delusional. If you open up the strike zone, there will be less hitting, more inconsistent contact, and more strikeouts. Batters will be swinging and missing at bad pitches, or watch terrible pitches get called as strikes. Whereas, a tight strike zone will force the pitcher to serve up potential meatballs that good hitters can clobber.

As for your last question about waiting for a Walk....are you talking about 8U? At 14U and up, pitchers ought to be good enough to throw enough strikes, even with tighter zones.