Being around this game from the Little League level to the Big League level, one thing that is consistent from level to level is the human factor.
Let’s talk about the strike zone. Don’t pay attention to what the rule book says as all umpires have their own version. Some are bigger up and down than they are side to side while others are bigger side to side than they are up and down. If you have never been behind the dish, then you really don’t know how difficult it is to be consistent back there. This is part of the human factor. Just as the players have a tough time repeating their swing pitch after pitch and the pitchers have a tough time executing pitch after pitch, the umpire behind the plate can battle calling the same strike zone pitch after pitch.
We ALL need to recognize this, chill out and let the game play out as it will. One thing that I learned over the years is that it all evens out. For all the pitches that we believe the umpire missed, if we sit back and think about it, how many times has a pitcher thrown a pitch off the plate, side to side or down or up, that should have been called a ball but was called a strike??
The part I have a hard time with is seeing/watching players, young and old, complain, throw their hands in the air, yell at the umpires and act as if they are constantly being screwed. Where do you think they learned how to act like this?? Think about it parents and coaches…Who do they look up to? We, parents and coaches, are their closest role models. What type of example are we setting when we act like this?
Missed calls are a part of the game. Deal with it, stop complaining, act professional and use this as an opportunity to learn how to handle some adversity because if they can’t handle it in a game, how will they handle it in real life??
Founder of Baseball Dudes. Blessed with three beautiful children and an amazing wife. Baseball is my life, after my family, and I love sharing what I have learned from it. Thanks for taking the time to view what we offer here at Baseball Dudes.
