[NU Sports] Girardi (fwd)

[Ben Adler]

Back when I was slaving away in the minors, I was talking with a Pioneer League ump and a coach's wife at a bar one night.  The topic of the strike zone came up -- most likely the ump and I discussing how well I can tell balls and strikes from the press box.  The ump put a piece of paper on the floor to represent the plate, and had the coach's wife stand off to one side.  He held the baseball several feet off the ground and off the plate, and started moving it slowly towards the "outside corner," asking the coach's wife to tell him when she thought the ball was directly over the corner.  Then, when she said so, he dropped the ball.  It fell at least half a foot off the plate.
   
  Which just goes to show...Only the ump has the proper angle to judge what's a strike and what isn't.  Managers in the dugout can see what's high or low, but not what's inside or outside.  Fans sitting right behind home plate (and high enough to actually see the pitch cross the plate) can see what's inside or outside, but not high or low.
   
  Yelling self-righteously at umps over balls and strikes may make fans, players and managers feel good -- and it's part of the fan experience, so it's perfectly harmless -- but baseball people know they almost always have a) no point, and b) no accuracy.
   
  As for owners, well, they should conduct themselves with class, and leave running the team to the GM and manager.  That's why they hire them.  An owner yelling at umps/refs (Jeffrey Loria, Mark Cuban, etc) is an embarrassment.
   
  -- Ben

Mike Nolan <nolan at romaine.tssi.com> wrote:
  > If anything, the strike zone gets either larger or smaller depending on who's
> pitcher is on the mound.

Ron Luciano's book tells a story about a rookie who takes a pitch that's
maybe a bit outside, but the ump calls strike 1.

The kid turns his head around and says, "That wasn't a strike".

The ump responds, "The next one is."

The kid struck out on 2 more REALLY OUTSIDE pitches.
--
Mike Nolan

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