Squeezed

[PolarVortex]

Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems like our pitchers our getting squeezed by the homeplate umpire alot more this year than in previous years.

 

[blstoker]

Can't say, as I DVR the games and then watch mainly just the Mariner's at bats (Got irritated a while back when a lot of runs were given up and just haven't watched the pitching/defense since). Last night's game though seemed to have plenty of balls off the outside corner to left-handers called for strikes. On more than a few occasions I couldn't believe it was called a strike, and that is a trend I have been seeing for the last couple weeks (or more). The umpires' strike zones this season have been a little less than consistent (I believe Franklin saw four pitches in nearly the exact same location off the outside corner and though he hadn't swung the count was 2-2). I don't mind if it goes both ways, but be a little more accurate.

 

[PolarVortex]

I don't mind if it goes both ways, but be a little more accurate.[/QUOTE]

Yep. And have a consistent strike zone with each team. It seems to me that our opponent's pitcchers are getting bigger strike zones than our pitchers are. And, as you said, its really been noticeable in the last two weeks.

Yesterday you could read Iwakuma's frustration from his body language. It got to the point where he had to grove the ball down the heart of the plate to get a called strike.

 

[Podunkparte]

I'd say it's probably mostly your imagination only due to the fact that Root has displayed stats a few times already this year showing how good Zunino is at getting calls both in and out of the strike zone.

Not saying there are instances where our guys aren't getting good calls, but overall we're getting a fair amount of calls off the plate so far this season too.

 

[cezero]

lol

 

[Mariners_44]

I would say that in general the home plate umpiring has been horrid this year! Felix has been overly frustrated on more than one occurrence, and obviously tossed which never happens. Combine bad calls at the plate with Brad "The Momentum Killer" Miller, and you could probably add a couple of wins that were losses. Then again, that's the game; no crying in baseball. I would like to see the human error removed from the home plate, but fine with having the ump there. Use computer technology to determine the balls and strikes while communicating with the ump via ear bud. At least it would be consistent.

 

[PolarVortex]

I would say that in general the home plate umpiring has been horrid this year! Felix has been overly frustrated on more than one occurrence, and obviously tossed which never happens. Combine bad calls at the plate with Brad "The Momentum Killer" Miller, and you could probably add a couple of wins that were losses. Then again, that's the game; no crying in baseball. I would like to see the human error removed from the home plate, but fine with having the ump there. Use computer technology to determine the balls and strikes while communicating with the ump via ear bud. At least it would be consistent.

Yep, Felix kicked out. McClendon kicked out. Iwakuma pissed. Lord Farquard fucked over. There have been plenty of reccent incidents.

 

[Mariners_44]

They're talking about it again today. Top of the 8th, Cano & Seagar get screwed in a one run game. Ridiculous!

 

[dude82]

I haven't watched any games that the M's haven't been involved in, so I don't know if it's a league-wide issue or just a Mariners issue, but it does seem like we've been getting squeezed more than usual this year. Guys like Felix and Iwakuma don't make it a habit to show up umpires, so you know something isn't right when they're getting frustrated and it shows.

 

[NWinAZ]

Can't say, as I DVR the games and then watch mainly just the Mariner's at bats (Got irritated a while back when a lot of runs were given up and just haven't watched the pitching/defense since). Last night's game though seemed to have plenty of balls off the outside corner to left-handers called for strikes. On more than a few occasions I couldn't believe it was called a strike, and that is a trend I have been seeing for the last couple weeks (or more). The umpires' strike zones this season have been a little less than consistent (I believe Franklin saw four pitches in nearly the exact same location off the outside corner and though he hadn't swung the count was 2-2). I don't mind if it goes both ways, but be a little more accurate.

Funny, I do the same thing.

 

[SeattleCoug]

I think what bugs me is the inconsistency of the strike zone across baseball. Sometimes you get squeezed and sometimes a pitch 6 inches of the plate is a strike. I think the whole replay integration has caused more inexperienced umps to be behind the plate. (ie Sean Barber)

 

[Logicallylethal]

I bet we notice it more, because of course we are fans of the Mariners and since we lose so many close games every strike or non strike stands out a lot more

I'm sure umps are as wildly inconsistent with other teams as they are with us. A couple games ago I saw a pitch well outside (according to the EQC tracer) called a strike. Then a pitch similar to that one but actually closer to the plate that was called a ball...by the same ump.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Can't speak for the rest of the pitching staff, or when the Mariners are at the plate, but Felix is actually getting a lot more calls than he has before:

 

[blstoker]

I bet we notice it more, because of course we are fans of the Mariners and since we lose so many close games every strike or non strike stands out a lot more

I'm sure umps are as wildly inconsistent with other teams as they are with us. A couple games ago I saw a pitch well outside (according to the EQC tracer) called a strike. Then a pitch similar to that one but actually closer to the plate that was called a ball...by the same ump.

There was the pitch to Seagar in the 8th last night, where the pitch was horribly outside, but called a strike. It was just pathetic. Earlier in the game, Cano got a strike on a 3-0 count which should have been a walk, it really didn't hurt as he got a base hit two pitches later, but he did strike out in the 8th going after a bad pitch right after a bad strike was called.

I've gotten pretty good at seeing strikes while watching the game over the last few years, but this year I've just had to shake my head on a lot of these strike calls.

 

[dude82]

I watched parts of the game last night and we seemed to get a few strikes that should have been balls called in our favor on the pitching side and vice versa on the hitting side. Strike zones will never be consistent or accurate so long as human beings are in charge of where and how big the zones are and I don't accept "but it has always been that way" as a legitimate argument for sticking with human umpires if the goal is to get the calls right.

Maybe hitters wouldn't have to go outside of the strike zone as often to swing at pitches that they're afraid will be called a strike if they don't swing because the ump called a ball a strike earlier; and maybe pitchers wouldn't feel like they sometimes have to try to throw the ball down the middle to get a strike called if they know that they're going to get a strike zone that won't shrink if they're not exactly painting the corners on a particular day.