What Umpires say

I know firsthand of a situation where a college prospect was pitching in a big conference game and 2 college coaches attended to see him pitch. The plate umpire knew one of the coaches and told the catcher "I know Coach ____ is here to watch ________ pitch, so I am gonna make him hit is spots." Subsequently, the pitcher struggles, walks several batters early on, takes an early exit, and his team loses an important game. As I know it, the opposing pitcher was not squeezed like the one the coaches were there to see, which made for a game that was not fairly called.

What do you think?

What do you do?

Just a question for discussion.

 

I really can not say what I want to say.

It would get me thrown out of here. Just call the game. Any umpire you gives different strike zones to opposing teams is a clown and needs to find new work.

 

Umpires evaluation

An umpires job is to be totally professional performing the job at hand. He is to block ALL things out of his mind other than calling the strikes/balls, outs/safes and rules. If he feels the need to get involved with players, coaches or fans then he really doesn't need to be wearing the blue shirt with the gray pants.

 

me, too

 

Sorry to change the question but I saw a call last night that really puzzled me. Batter semi-check swings and the ball drills the bat straight on the end below his hands. The ball rolls foul down the first base line about 60-80'. The batter drops the bat and turns around (probably from the sting, shock, who knows) and waits for the ump to make the call. He is awarded first base. It may not have changed the outcome of the game but it did allow for additional runs to score in the inning. Is this the correct call?

 

If the ball hits the bat, it is a foul ball, if the ball hits the batter on a swing, then it is a strike... In this case the batter should not have been awarded 1st base.

 

Not exactly right...

If we are thinking of the same one, the ball was actually in fair territory by the time it was fielded, the first basemen picked it up checked runner at third and then ran and stepped on first. The batters hands had crossed the plate before the ball hit the knob which in essence was a swing. The batter showed signs of a bat stinger, but did not exhibit any signs of being hit flush on the hand, wirst, or arm with a 90+ mph fastball. The umpire was slow to make a call, and did eventually award the batter first base. What would have been wrong with him taking a look at the batter's hand, wrist, etc. There should have been a distinct mark.

 

Thanks, I was thinking it went foul but I am sure it didn't hit the batter. He shouldn't have been awarded first base anyway you look at it. It's either strike 2 or out 2 in this case. Just tough luck I guess!

 

Hopefully the college coaches were better baseball people than the egotistical ump, and saw through his shenanigans by fairly evaluated the pitcher.

 

Bottom line is.......he attempted to swing at the ball and hit it....he's out!