Our blue had to ask the scorekeeper what the count was multiple times last night and also his strike zone was way too low and I kicked his ass in the parking lot after the game for it (jk, I just told our pitcher to aim at the catchers shoes and told our scorekeeper to lie by 1 strike either way to benefit our team each time, like an adult)
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It always seems like the younger the umpire, the tighter and lower the strike zone.
1. They don’t yet understand the difference between youth baseball and baseball for teens and adults.
2. They aren’t used to the perspective of calling balls and strikes behind the plate.
As they gain experience the good umps open the strike zone and make kids swing the bat.
I think a good youth zone is top of the letters to the top of the knees, black on the inside and a few inches off the black on the outside, especially w/ two strikes.
The worst thing that can happen in youth ball is a walk-fest. If a player/team is going up there looking to walk unnecessarily, blue should expand the zone a bit and encourage swinging the bat. Nothing outlandish, it’s a judgement call.
