Gripe About the Umps Here

[Chop]

I'm talking about the college game in the aggregate, not just us.


Problem: Too much offense + the pitching is lousy compared to historical norms


Solutions:

1. Go to wooden bats. If some schools whine about not being able to afford it, then take up a collection from your fans at the game. Also, the sound of the crack of hickory on leather is like the opening notes of some great symphony to the ears.

2. Require the umps to enforce the strike zone as written in the rules. That means the upper end of the zone goes higher by a half foot or so. The definition and a diagram are below. Look at the bold words and the diagram. The top 1/5 to 1/4 of that strike zone is called a "ball" by 80%+ of college umps.

3. A slightly wider home plate. This goes with the strike zone. Most umps call "strike" on pitches up to 3-4" outside the plate, and sometimes inside the plate. Make the umps play it straight, and widen the plate a little to keep the strike zone just as broad (but it will extend higher by around 1/2 a foot as described above and as shown below).

NCAA 2-75 Strike Zone
Strike Zone

SECTION 75. The area over home plate from the bottom of the kneecaps to the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants. The strike zone shall be determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball (see diagram below).

NCAA 2-75 Strike Zone - Baseball Rules Academy

 

[Chop]

And if that's not enough, then replicate the old National League. No DH. The pitcher must bat.

 

[Phil Elliott]

I've been complaining about the strike zone for decades. They wanna do all kinds of nutty stuff to speed up the game when the simplest solution is to just call the strike zone as it is written. I would also like electronic scoring of balls and strikes to make sure it is called fairly.

But the powers that be WANT the big offenses because they feel like that makes more money.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

Solutions:

1. Go to wooden bats. - Yes. It's time.

2. Require the umps to enforce the strike zone as written in the rules. - Or move to the laser enforced strike zone. I've seen it live for a while at the Round Rock Express games and you can't even tell as a fan. Strike or ball is indicated in the umpires mask and he calls it.

3. A slightly wider home plate. - I've never considered this, interesting thought.

 

[ViperHorn]

Wooden bats - Yes
Strike Zone - An age-old problem in every baseball league in the world.

 

[Chop]

Maybe they should have training for the umpires. They keep picking these bums off the street and putting them behind home plate.

 

[Chop]

3/7/2025

Santa Clara game

The top of this ump's strikezone was just above the top of the belt--sometimes it was the belt. And it went down to about a half-foot above the ankles.

I bet he's a scratch golfer or something...

 

[Chop]

3/7/2025

Santa Clara game

The top of this ump's strikezone was just above the top of the belt. And it went down to about a half-foot above the ankles.

I bet he's a scratch golfer or something...

However, later in the game, when we were at bat, the upper end of the strikezone somehow extended up to near the shoulders.

 

[Phil Elliott]

I kept yelling during the whole game, "He likes em UP!"

 

[Chop]

I kept yelling during the whole game, "He likes em UP!"

The game 1 ump was a golfer. His strike zone was distorted very low.

The game 2 ump was a mountain climber. His strike zone was distorted high. Although the game 2 ump's strike zone was closer to the real strike zone, by the rules.