BASEBALL
EDITOR: SCOTT TITTRINGTON
stittrington@referee.com
RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES
Once Adolph Varela, El Paso, Texas, puts the ball in play, he must be locked in and ready to call the next pitch. Sometimes, that is easier said than done, and umpires must know how to get themselves back in the zone when they are struggling with their pitch-calling.
FROM ZONED OUT TO ZEN MASTER By Jon Bible
I
n the 1984 College World Series, I had the plate in a semifinal game. Pitch one was a slider on the edge of home plate. Right in my wheelhouse, but I called it a ball, and instantly knew I was wrong. Oh, well, I thought — the burden of trying for a perfect game was gone. Pitch two was in the same spot. Same result. I was determined not to miss another one. So here came a fastball about a foot high and outside. The problem was mentally I had called it a strike before it left the pitcher’s
hand. As the third-base coach landed after jumping three feet high, I thought, “Bubba, you’re 0-for-3. Better get your head on straight.” Any umpire can probably sympathize, for we’re all going to have moments — or games — where we can’t tell a ball from a strike. It happens at all levels and to veterans and newbies alike. Indeed, in the game above I had roughly 15 years of college and pro ball under my belt. External forces — bad pitching, weather, catchers who shift late, etc. — may be a factor, but often our problems are our own making. What to do when it’s a rough day?
Take inventory. Run down a checklist of basics. Timing too fast? Your head ought to be at the top of the batter’s strike zone; is it higher or lower, and are you keeping it steady as the pitch comes in? Tracking the pitch all the way to the mitt with your eyes? Something about your stance amiss? Maybe ask a partner for help; sometimes they see things we don’t. Once, the head coach of a school for which I assigned non-conference games called about an umpire he said was missing pitches badly. To oblige him, I looked at video. Sure enough, the umpire’s head shifted to the other side of the catcher’s head on outside
VICTOR CALZADA
Try These Techniques During Rough Days Behind the Plate
54 | REFEREE August 2021
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