Nonetheless the plate umpire, to a certain degree, can influence how a particular game is played by the way he calls pitches. Every umpire has had games in which pitchers had command of three pitches: in the dirt, above the batter’s head and in the opposite batter’s box. There isn’t much that can be done about those games, but hopefully they are the exception. The more strikes that are called early in the game, the greater tendency that batters will swing. Here are tips for optimizing the strike zone.

One of the essentials to being a good plate umpire is sound positioning. There are three accepted plate stances: box, scissors and knee. In the amateur world, there are many others, invented and incorrectly adopted by ill-informed or poorly trained umpires. There are four fundamentals that will enhance success.

Lateral position. The “slot” has been determined to be the best overall position to see the entire strike zone pitch to pitch, regardless of what stance the batter and catcher take. The slot is roughly halfway between the space between the batter and the catcher. Jim Evans says it is halfway between the batter and the inside shoulder of the catcher and others say it is halfway between the batter and the catcher’s inside ear. If the catcher takes a position centered on the plate, a good slot position may be with the umpire’s eyes directly in line with the inside edge of the plate. From the slot, the plate umpire can watch the pitch all the way into the catcher’s mitt without moving his head. It is by no means a perfect position for all situations, but any other position will cause more problems. It also facilitates taking the same position pitch after pitch; an essential ingredient of consistency.

Head height. The chin must be above the catcher’s head (top of his head). If the umpire sets up lower, the risk is run of the catcher blocking out the lower part of the zone. If an umpire is having trouble calling low pitches, setting up higher is better, not lower.

Stability. Stability is important for comfort and for consistency. Your head must stay still until you are ready to make the call. Calling pitches with a bobbing head is like taking pictures with a moving camera. Head movement will negatively affect consistency on high speed and quality breaking balls. Professional umpires rarely move their head and when they do it’s a ball. The head unconsciously follows the pitch out of the strike zone.

Timing. Consistent time will help establish a rhythm. Each umpire must develop a routine for getting into a final stance, calling the pitch and coming out of the stance. Relaxing between pitches is part of the routine. If an umpire gets set too soon, he will tire quickly. Getting set too late contributes to missing pitches because the head will be moving while the pitch is en route.

When the pitcher engages the rubber, the umpire should go to a “ready” position. That is a semi-relaxed, preliminary position that facilitates getting into the “set” position. The precise moment an umpire actually gets set (assuming the position from which the pitch is called) is a matter of personal preference. It will vary depending on the pitcher’s mannerisms and position.

The strike zone. The three baseball codes have found three different ways to essentially define the same strike zone. The pro rules state, “The strike zone is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants.” The lower limit is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap. NFHS says the lower end of the strike zone is simply “the knees,” while NCAA uses, “the bottom of the kneecaps.” NFHS and NCAA specify those positions are when the batter assumes a natural stance, but the pro rule says to determine it from “the batter’s stance when he prepares to swing at a pitch.”

Despite the precise definitions, the strike zone becomes whatever can be called without massive complaining. With that, every umpire’s zone is slightly different.

Does the “area over home plate” include the black edging around the plate? Technically no, but the best umpires include it. How about the top of the zone? Some umpires still believe the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the belt is the navel. Most coaches have learned to accept high strikes if they are consistently called.

The bottom of the zone has the greatest potential for error. An umpire sets up with his eyes closest to the top, inside portion of the zone. The outside and the bottom of the zone are the farthest away. Umpires cannot only look good with a wide zone, but also with slight inconsistency on the outside. The ins and outs of the zone simply cannot be discerned from the dugout. However, coaches get a clear view of the height that is being called (some would say better view). Pitches below the knee are not hittable and calling them strikes will get an umpire in trouble.

The count. The next section carries a warning. Please do not infer there are pitches on which you can relax. Every pitch is important, but missing certain pitches can have greater consequences. The 3-2 pitch is clearly the most critical. If the batter doesn’t swing, your call will determine whether he becomes a runner or is out.

The more attention the game garners, the more visible those calls become. When the pitch is a “decision pitch” ­ one that is so close it requires extreme concentration and a tough decision on the part of the umpire ­ the intensity is ramped up even more.

The fourth inning of game three of the 2003 World Series between the Marlins and the Yankees included two 3-2 pitches that illustrate that point.

The Yankees were trailing at the time, 1-1. Derek Jeter broke up Josh Beckett’s no-hitter with a double. Then Jason Giambi ran the count to 3-2. Beckett aimed a braking ball at the outside corner ­ a decision pitch, to be sure ­ that plate umpire Gary Darling called ball four. Giambi trotted down to first base.

Three batters later, the bases were loaded. Jorge Posada was at the plate. On the seventh pitch, Beckett threw a fastball he hoped would nip the outside corner, but Darling called it ball three. On 3-2, Beckett tried to throw a fastball to the lower part of the strike zone. But he missed, Darling’s right arm never moved and the Yankees had tied the game. They eventually won, 6-1.

At the time Darling was making those calls, Beckett didn’t quite look like the president of the Gary Darling Fan Club, mouthing a visible obscenity on camera on his way to the dugout. But afterward, Beckett acknowledged to ESPN’s Jayson Stark that all three of the pitches could have gone either way.

“Yeah, I got some tough calls,” Beckett said. “But the way I look at the umpires, their job is just as hard as mine is. I never, ever say anything bad about umpires. I’ve got to throw every pitch. He’s got to call every pitch. Š I just throw the pitches. If he doesn’t call them strikes, he doesn’t call them strikes.

“Guys who complain about umpires are excuse-makers,” Beckett said. “And I’m not an excuse-maker.”

Every umpire likely wishes pitchers (or hitters, if a call on a decision pitch favors a pitcher) would take the same high road that Beckett traveled that night. It’s also important to note that the Yankees were equally certain Darling got the calls right. As any umpire knows, that’s the rub that comes with the job: Fifty percent of the people are going to be sure you’re 100% wrong 50% of the time.

A full count is perceived as a crucial situation, but so is a 2-0 pitch. There’s a big difference between a 2-1 count ­ considered an “even” count and a 3-0 count. It’s a great hitter’s count. Many pitchers become preoccupied with avoiding the walk and tend to strive for the middle of the plate.

A few words about the 3-0 count: There is no automatic strike and expanding the strike zone for that type of pitch will cause trouble.

To begin with, there should be a liberal strike zone for all pitches, but the umpire who displays consistency is on solid ground.
Everyone talks about consistency and the best umpires can deliver it. If you wouldn’t strike the batter out on a certain pitch, then don’t call it a strike on a 3-0 count. Keep the same zone regardless of the count, the inning, or the game situation, and you can’t go wrong.

Psychology. Major league umpires miss anywhere from one to three pitches per game. Amateur umpires, no matter how good they are, can be expected to miss a few more than that. It’s tough to beat the consistency developed from working the plate every other day for 10 years in the minor leagues.

Accept the fact pitches will be missed and learn to live with it. Dwelling on a missed pitch is prone to causing additional missed pitches.

Knuckle down on two-strike counts. Take a doubleheader with two different plate umpires. Let's say each misses three pitchers per game. If the first umpire misses the pitches on two-strike counts and calls out three batters, while the other misses all his pitches on the first pitch to batters, the latter will be perceived as the better umpire.