Is it just me or does this really happen? Two different strike zones....

[RaysFan_98]

Lately i have noticed umps seem to have two different strike zones. One for one team and one for the other. Does anyone else notice this?

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Lately i have noticed umps seem to have two different strike zones. One for one team and one for the other. Does anyone else notice this?

I can't imagine any ump favoring one team over another. I have seen at times a few calls go agianst one team but I think those are just bad calls not intended to favor one team over another.

[ipitch]

Lately i have noticed umps seem to have two different strike zones. One for one team and one for the other. Does anyone else notice this?

Maybe you can check here and see if your eyes are deceiving you or not.

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?

[Bothrops Atrox]

I can't imagine any ump favoring one team over another. I have seen at times a few calls go agianst one team but I think those are just bad calls not intended to favor one team over another.

Given 162 games, every team will get their share of games where they get worse or better calls than the other team. Plus, since certain events cause more poor strike-zone calls, there may be some teams that are "doing something" that gets them more calls. Pitches with lots of movement are called balls at higher frequency than they should. There for 15 years, low and out-of-the-zone balls were called strikes more than high or inside balls. Catchers have tangible differences in framing skill. Veteran pitchers do get a disproportionate number of calls, etc. So any team that "specializes" in these aspect could get an "unfair" number of calls repeatedly. But no ump is waking up one morning and saying, "gee, I think I am going to give the Yankees a bigger zone than the Orioles today."

[RaysFan_98]

Maybe you can check here and see if your eyes are deceiving you or not.
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/pfx.php?

Thanks just my eyes just seemed like it in a couple of games this year

[ol' aches and pains]

Well, I don't know about different strike zones, but one umpire who shall remain nameless (he fancies himself a country singer), doesn't like Ozzie Guillen, and will go out of his way to get Ozzie's goat. I saw a game about two years ago when Ozzie was managing Chicago, where this nameless umpire (initials JW) called two balks on Mark Buehrle. Buehlre had committed exactly one balk in the previous three years. It was just to get Buehrle mad enough to react so the umpire (OK, it's Joe West) could toss him out of the game. The balks were questionable at best. Buehrle has one of the best left-handed pick-off moves in the game, he doesn't balk, and obviously no other umpire was seeing what West was seeing. He was just doing it to get at Guillen. Disgraceful, unprofessional, inexcusable conduct for a Major League umpire.

[Bulldog19]

Well, I don't know about different strike zones, but one umpire who shall remain nameless (he fancies himself a country singer), doesn't like Ozzie Guillen, and will go out of his way to get Ozzie's goat. I saw a game about two years ago when Ozzie was managing Chicago, where this nameless umpire (initials JW) called two balks on Mark Buehrle. Buehlre had committed exactly one balk in the previous three years. It was just to get Buehrle mad enough to react so the umpire (OK, it's Joe West) could toss him out of the game. He balks were questionable at best. Buehrle has one of the best left-handed pick-off moves in the game, he doesn't balk, and obviously no other umpire was seeing what West was seeing. He was just doing it to get at Guillen. Disgraceful, unprofessional, inexcusable conduct for a Major League umpire.

I can't stand Cowboy. But I've been surprised I haven't heard his name too much lately..

[9RoyHobbsRF]

the other day in the first inning Barry Zito threw a strike three pitch right at the knees almost over the heart of the plate, except the umpire called it ball four, a few errors walks and hits later the Brewers led 6-0

The Giants had at least three players that day called out on pitches at least 4 to as many as 10 inches below the knees in the same game, all easy balls, some in very crucial situations (they rallied to make it an 8-5 game)

Twice it was Angel Pagan and when he batted late in the game with the bases loaded and 2 outs, he swung at a pitch so low (strike three) that the announcers said he had no choice based on the brutal calls his last 2 at bats

Plus the ump at first base missed at least 4 calls (yes made the wrong call) for both teams on bang bang plays at first

one of the worst games I ever saw umpired

the next day (yesterday) one of the first pitches almost scraped the ground and the Giants announcers said "that was a strike in yesterday's game"

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Given 162 games, every team will get their share of games where they get worse or better calls than the other team. Plus, since certain events cause more poor strike-zone calls, there may be some teams that are "doing something" that gets them more calls. Pitches with lots of movement are called balls at higher frequency than they should. There for 15 years, low and out-of-the-zone balls were called strikes more than high or inside balls. Catchers have tangible differences in framing skill. Veteran pitchers do get a disproportionate number of calls, etc. So any team that "specializes" in these aspect could get an "unfair" number of calls repeatedly. But no ump is waking up one morning and saying, "gee, I think I am going to give the Yankees a bigger zone than the Orioles today."

I can buy all of that Matthew. There are some factors that may have some effect on how some pitches are called, a ball or a strike and you did list a number of them.
And I see it the same way, your last line, no ump is going to go out there and give any one team all the close ones, not by design.

I am sure a number of posters can now tell you they have proof and give some examples, mostly how their team got a screwing by the ump. My answer to them, for sure there were other teams that suffered the same, we can always remember more easily what happened to our team.

I'm more objective, more realistic. I have seen times my Yanks got some bad calls and other times when the Yanks got some their way and the ump was wrong. Happens to every team.

[Imapotato]

Bad economy
Umpires have huge egos
They are paid piss poor for the travel and expenses they incur

Wouldn't shock me that gamblers have a couple of them in their pocket

[Bothrops Atrox]

I can buy all of that Matthew. There are some factors that may have some effect on how some pitches are called, a ball or a strike and you did list a number of them.
And I see it the same way, your last line, no ump is going to go out there and give any one team all the close ones, not by design.

I am sure a number of posters can now tell you they have proof and give some examples, mostly how their team got a screwing by the ump. My answer to them, for sure there were other teams that suffered the same, we can always remember more easily what happened to our team.

I'm more objective, more realistic. I have seen times my Yanks got some bad calls and other times when the Yanks got some their way and the ump was wrong. Happens to every team.

Right - f0r the most part, every team gets the shaft and lucky breaks from time to time. maybe in a series or season they do not balance out, but over seasons or decades? Na. People just remember what is emotional to them, you are right.

[Mike D.]

I can't stand Cowboy. But I've been surprised I haven't heard his name too much lately..

The only ump with a publicist, I've read.

Maybe as part of their recent "crackdown" on ump behavior, West has been "spoken to" by the higher ups?

[Stumanji]

Forgive me, as I've only umpired in ballgames with players ranging from 9-18 years old (and obviously, $10 and a cheeseburger and pop at the concession stand is NOT what the pros get paid), but when I was behind the plate calling balls and strikes, I had one strike zone. It was just me reacting to the pitch. Now, there were a couple pitches each game that would cause me to say "Whoops... I know I missed that one", but for the most part I was pretty consistent. I can't imagine an umpire changing a strikezone for one team or the other. It would lead to too much inconsistency for himself, just like a pull hitter deciding that he was only going to try to drive the ball to the opposite field line for the next week's games.

Then again, I was a catcher for a long time, so maybe that's why I had a more consistent strike zone. Maybe that's what the MLB should do - hire former catchers (minimum 5 years of A/AA/AAA/MLB experience) to be home plate umpires.

[Stumanji]

Duplicate post. Somehow. Whoops.

[ol' aches and pains]

The only ump with a publicist, I've read.

Maybe as part of their recent "crackdown" on ump behavior, West has been "spoken to" by the higher ups?

I hope so. If so, it's about bloody time. And if not, it's about bloody time.