Consistency

I need to explain my comments with regard to consistency of calls and Little League umpires. Critics took great exception to my comment that Little League umpires did not have to be all that consistent. Of course, I was referring to the strike zone.

When I am on my game, I can call the strike zone within a consistency of one inch, pitch after pitch. Of course, I have NCAA catchers who know how to catch, and I have all the confidence in the world they will stop the ball before it hits me.

The best youth ball umpires (jv and below) that I see are no more consistent than about 3 inches. The average umpires are no more consistent than about 4-6 inches at the bottom and top of the zone. The below-average umpires call a half dozen or more pitches per game that are 8+ inches below the knee.

The top and bottom of the zone are the pitches that the coaches see and can judge. The corners are slightly easier to call, but only the catcher and perhaps the pitcher know your zone with regard to those pitches. The coaches judge top and bottom. A youth ball coach is happy with an umpire who can obtain a consistency of 3 inches.

Continued...