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Home , Bill McGowan, Chuck Dressen, Eddie Dyer, Eddie Stanky

24 's SHRINKING

It's getting smaller all the time. Why? The rule hook is clear on what makei

Here's how the , batter and umpires ( on left; American, right) view the strike zone—and the catcher often disagrees with all of them. But the chief victim of a bad call is usually the pitcher

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 25 B^- STRIKE ZONE TOM MEANY a strike. But even umpires—let alone players—don^t always agree on the call

LOST. STRA YED OR STOLEN: One strike zone. mind freely about the controversial strike zone. Lari7 Goetz, a veteran National League When last seen it was safely locked in black and "There isn't any question that the strike zone is and one of the best in baseball, contends that the white in the Official Baseball Rules, 2.67. Finder shrinking," he says. "Not only is it hard for the accordion-stances of Lopata and Banks entitle will please return immediately to nearest league pitchei' to get the so-called 'low strike' but the 'high them to a shortened strike zone. "They can't be president in organized baseball or to Comrriissioner strike' has practically disappeared. In some of the penalized for batting th.e way they do," argues Ford C. Frick, RCA Building, West, 30 Rockefel­ games I've seen since 1 quit managing I've heard Lany. "It's their natural stance." ler Plaza, New York 20, N.Y. No reward. batters beef about legitimate strikes which were Buzzy Bavasi, vice-president of the Dodgers, called against them on high pitches. 'Why, it was takes exception to the Goetz theory. Buzzy once I 'FORTUNATELY, there is a comprehensive de- up around my letters,' they holler. That's still a fancied himself as a catcher, but not for long; he II scription of the missing article. It says right strike, of course, because the rule says 'armpits,' soon discovered that his administrative talents far * in the rule boolc: "The strike zone is that space but they're so used to having that type of pitch outweighed his physical skills. over home plate which is between the batter's arm­ called a ball that they honestly believe the umpire "Lopata and Banks both straighten up to ," pits and the top of his knees when he assumes his has missed it." claims Bavasi, "so I say that a crouch is not their natural stance." That's certainly plain enough for Brooklyn's is a who natural stance and the strike zone on them should anybody who can read. And umpires certainly shuns public utterance as he would public bathing. be the same as it would be if they were batting can read—most of them without glasses, too. Yet even the silent Alston last summer found him­ erect." The hunt for the missing strike zone started in­ self intrigued by the mystery of the shrinking strike The problem of a crouching batter always has nocently enough in the course of a recent conver­ zone—although from another angle. been thorny, even in the days of the preshrunk sation with . It seems Paul can't get "What happens to the strike zone when a batter strike zone. There was a rip-roaring rhubarb over enough work. Not only is he signed to manage crouches?" Alston wanted to know. "Take Stan it near the close of the 1952 season when Phila­ the Baltimore Orioles on both the field and in the Lopata of the Phils or of the Cubs. delphia was playing in Yankee Stadium in a game front ofTice—either task formidable enough to give They bend 'way over at the plate. That compresses which had an important bearing on the American pause to a baseball Hercules—but apparently he the strike zone against them to about two thirds League race—important, that is, for the has time enough left over to help out the umpires. of what it would be if they took a normal stance." Yankees. The A's had only an academic, dog-in- It is Richards' contention that the entire strike zone has shrunk like a $17 suit in a thunderstorm. "Practically every call an umpire misses is at the expense of the pitcher," he declares. "1 don't ex­ pect umpires to be perfect, even though sometimes 1 act as though I do. But 1 do think it's an injus­ tice to the to shade the strike zone as they're doing today. "Here's the point: suppose a pitch is an inch or two above the batter's knees and the umpire calls it a ball. You can't tell from a distance whether it's a strike or a ball. Now, let's take a pitch that's below the batter's knees. If the umpire should call that a strike, everybody in the park would know he missed it. It's the same way with the high strike. If the umpire calls a pitch a ball which is an inch or two below the batter's armpits, nobody notices it except the catcher and the pitcher. If the umpire were to call a pitch a strike which was higher than the batter's armpits, say around his Adam's apple, he'd have everybody on him. "I don't say umpires are consciously favoring the batters," continues Paul, "but the rule seems to be: when in doubt, call it a ball. That keeps everybody happy except the pitcher, the poor sucker who's trying to get the hitter out." Richards there put his finger on the first cause of the strike zone shrinkage—the very human de­ sire to avoid trouble. Other causes are the influ­ ence a top hitter unconsciously may exert on an umpire, the fact that batters have become accus­ tomed to getting the benefit of close pitches and kick like steers when such calls go to the pitcher, the physical difficulties of determining low pitches on the corners, and the fact that control pitchers in the majors—and far more so in the bushes- are in the minority. , who in his freshman year (1946) managed the St. Louis Cardinals to a world cham­ pionship and now operates a successful insurance business in , feels that he can speak his

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PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 26 Utnpire BUI Stetvart has no patience with batters wtho crouch deliberatett

the-manger interest in the race. New York had a When Cardinal manager was a but simply that what were strikes in our league one- lead in the top of the ninth. Philadelphia player, he was one of the worst offenders. He and weren't considered strikes in the American." had filled the bases with two out and catcher Joe Stewart had many a brush over the exaggerated Stengel is not convinced that there's a tendency Astroth was the hitter. The count was three and crouch Eddie adopted when he got ahead of the in the to call low pitches balls. one, and , then managing the A's, pitcher. Once when Stewart told Stanky to get off In fact, he thinks exactly the opposite is true— gave Astroth the "take" sign, meaning to ignore his knees, Eddie dropped his bat and indignantly that low pitches too often are called strikes. the next pitch, since a fourth ball would force demanded, "Are you trying to take the bread and "Maybe it's because most of the managers we got over the tying run. butter out of my mouth?" The question was rhe­ now grew up in the other league," explains Casey. An alert Yankee caught Dykes's sign and tipped torical, but Stewart's reaction was practical. He "The new fellow in Washington; the guy in Chi­ ofE pitcher AUie Reynolds that Astroth wouldn't be gave Eddie the rest of the day off. cago; that fellow with the two jobs in Baltimore; swinging. The Chief wound up and threw one right Lopez, who used to work for me, and myself all down the middle. Astroth, seeking the pass that Bill McGowan Wanted to Be a Columnist started in the other league." would tie up the game, bent down practically dou­ Having thus established that five AL pilots— ble as he took the pitch, which, although over the Bill McGowan, who died last December, um­ Chuck Dressen, , Richards, Lopez plate, was also over his head. pired in the American League for 30 years. He was and himself—all had almost exclusively National "Strike two!" called the capable Ed Hurley from so highly regarded that the players and, more to League backgrounds, Casey proceeded to ex­ behind the plate. Then the storm broke. Dykes, the point, his brother umpires called him "Mr. No. pound his point: Astroth and assorted Athletics crowded around 1." I remember Bill on his first assignment, com­ "The American League used to be the fast-ball Hurley as though he'd been caught with his hand ing north from Florida on a barnstorming trip in league and we were the curve-ball league. Now in somebody's pocket. 1925 with the Yankees and the Dodgers. Bill was the American League's the curve-ball league and "You'd have thought somebody stabbed Connie the only umpire I ever saw who carried a portable the National's the fast-ball league. As far as call­ Mack," grinned Yankee manager in typewriter, and he confided that his ambition was ing low pitches in the American is concerned, we've recalling the uproar. "And then, on the next pitch, to be an umpire and a sports columnist, like one of got some umpires who think anything between the when Astroth popped out and the game was over, his predecessors, , who had been a rank­ batter's knees and the ground is a strike, for crim- it busted out all over again." The storm, in fact, ing American League umpire until his retirement. miny sakes! Got so last summer, I went out to lasted for days, and it was thought by some that Bill did write, and sell, occasional pieces. In one one of 'em and said, 'Waddaya want my boys to Hurley lost a umpiring assignment of them he stated that the strike zone was mostly do? Get down on their bellies like a snake and hit that fall because of it. Ed worked in the 1953 guesswork, that an umpire, working behind the at it?' Got sore, too, the feller did, and wanted to Series, however. catcher, couldn't really see some of the pitches but put me out of the game." Bill Stewart, ranking National League umpire, had to rely on his judgment and experience. The point of the shrinking strike zone—and probably would have made the same call as Hur­ That may have been the last time an umpire re­ whether an umpire gives low strikes or doesn't, or ley. He has no patience when batters crouch delib­ vealed in print the tricks of the trade. , whether he calls high strikes or doesn't—is that erately to draw a walk. "Stand up there like a man then dean of the National League umpires, leaped certain pitchers are being done an injustice, un­ and hit," Stewart barks. on the statement like Liberace pouncing on a key­ consciously perhaps, but an injustice nevertheless. board. Bill KJem long had The pitcher who is a craftsman, like of contended, and without any the Giants, suffers more than a fire-baller like Bob undue modesty, that his sys­ Turley, the recent Yankee acquisition from Balti­ tem of umpiring was the best. more. Bob just blows the ball by without trying Bill insisted that NL plate to be cute, but a Maglie (or an Eddie Lopat or a umpires wear their chest pro­ ) has to pitch to a pattern. tectors under their jackets so as not to obscure their vision, Tight Pitching Needs Tight Umpiring and crouch over the shoulder of the catcher nearest the bat­ Maglie needs both the high inside strike and the ter. The American League low outside strike. It is the high, tight pitch which system, advocated by Tommy the Barber uses to drive the batter back from the Connolly, was for umpires to plate and set him up for the curve on the outside NAT(/RALV wear their protectors outside corner. Unless Sal—and his fellow craftsmen— their jackets and to stand di­ get umpiring as tight and as calculating as their rectly behind the catcher, pitching, they're in trouble. looking over his head. Nearly all breaking pitches break down. Conse­ It may surprise many fans quently, the curve-ball pitcher is a low-ball pitcher. to learn that there is a differ­ Lopat is an example. The chunky Yankee south­ ence between the systems, a paw is as leery of criticizing umpires as he is of difl'erence so marked that giving a batter a fat pitch. Steady Eddie doesn't some National League pitch­ believe there is any difference in umpiring be­ ers consider it a distinct dis­ tween the two leagues, only among individual advantage to work when an umpires. AL umpire is behind the "We have 'high-ball' umpires and 'low-ball' um­ plate. "They don't give you pires in the American League," hedges Eddie. the low strikes," they com­ "Naturally, because I try to keep my stuff low, I plain, "because they can't hate to have to pitch with a 'high-ball' umpire. see 'em." However, you work when Casey tells you to. If I Giant fans with long mem­ draw a 'high-ball' umpire I may give him a couple ories are convinced that the of hollers in the early , just to remind him only reason lost that low pitches are in the strike zone, too." two World Series games—to That there should be a variance in umpiring is the Yankees in 1936 and 1937 understandable. After all, no matter what the fans —^was that both times an may think, umpires are human. Just as Lopat con­ American Leaguer was work­ tends, some umpires are more prone to call the "low ing behind the plate. strike" than others, and Yankee , "Hub's screwball was catch­ who caught nearly 1,800 games for the Yanks, sees ing the corners, low, on the other differences. Yankee hitters, but the pitches "When I was catching—and it's still true today were called balls," says Gus —some umpires would give you a strike if an edge Mancuso, Hub's battery mate of the ball was over the comer of the plate," says in 1936 and 1937 and now a Bill. "Others wouldn't give you a strike unless Cardinal scout. "The result the entire surface of the ball was over the cor­ was that Carl was getting be­ ner. Since a baseball is almost three inches wide, hind the batters and had to you can see what a difference this made with come in with the pitch the corner pitches." Some players believe that umpires have tendency to string along Yankees were waiting for. It , the American League's Most Valu­ with judgment of top hitters on whether pitch is ball or strike wasn't a case of favoritism. able Player for 1954, could also be its most voluble Collier's for February 18, 1955

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 27 to druir a walk, ^'^Stand np there Mike a man and hit^^^ iiiU harks at them

player, too, when you get him started on the sub­ piring. Pitchers have long contended that the as though the top hitters get special treatment?" ject of the strike zone. He contends that an umpire known good hitters, the Williamses and the Stan Actually, umpiring is the most exacting profes­ couldn't tell a strike if he saw one—because quite Musials, get a "fourth strike" from the umpires. sion in all baseball. Many a retired big-leaguer has often he doesn't sec them. If that sounds as though In the days of playing-managers, it sometimes was found the job more difficult than playing ball, al­ the Yankee catcher has been taking elocution les­ called "the manager's strike." though some ex-players have become exceptional sons from Manager Stengel, let Yogi elaborate: Tom Sheehan, Giant scout who once was a umpires. Furthermore, umpiring is not a reward­ "Only a catcher and no one else—umpire, pitcher and therefore might be a bit prejudiced, ing profession. A class-D-league arbiter may re­ pitcher, batter or spectator—can tell whether a thinks umpires have an unconscious tendency to ceive as little as $200 a month, plus five cents a pitch has caught the outside corner of the strike string along with the judgment of a top hitter. If mile for the use of his auto. zone. I'm not saying umpires are incompetent. In he lays off a close pitch, the umpire, Tom believes, fact, some of my best friends are umpires. I'm may be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. Uin|(ire,s Learn Their Trade at School simply stating a fact, and I'll prove it. "Back in 1925," recalled Sheehan, "I was pitch­ "Everybody will agree that had one ing for the Pirates and we were fighting for the The majority of young umpires today come into of the sharpest eyes for the strike zone of anybody pennant. , playing-manager of the baseball through the medium of umpiring schools, in the business. Remember how he used to guard Cardinals, was batting, Earl Smith was our catcher most of them run by retired umpires. Strangely that dish? He'd lean 'way over the plate and prac­ and Uncle Charley Moran was the plate umpire. I enough some aspirants who enroll in the schools tically follow the pitch into the catcher's glove— got Rog two strikes and no balls. Don't ask me lack all essential requirements—good eyesight, if he didn't swing at it. how 1 did it—probably two screaming foul-line good judgment and agility. They're just desperate "One day a couple of years ago in St. Pete, when drives. Then I threw him a curve which got a good to be in some part of baseball. Mize was with us, we were playing an intrasquad two inches of the outside corner. Such a youngster once badgered Klem when Bill game at Field. A pitch caught " 'Ball one,' said Moran. was supervisor of National League umpires with about four inches of the outside corner and the "I tried another curve and caught the inside cor­ offices in New York. Almost every time Klem umpire called it a strike. Johnny claimed it was ner with it. 'Ball two,' said Charley. looked up from his desk, the boy was there, seek­ about four inches outside the plate. Now I caught "Then I tried Hornsby with a change of pace. ing employment in some league, any league. He the ball and I know exactly where it was, yet here's It was risky, but at least he'd have to supply his claimed he had 20-20 vision, that he could read car a man with a sharp eye making a mistake of eight own power. He swung, missed and turned for the license tags a couple of blocks away. "He was," inches in a pitched ball. And the plate i.s only bench. Smith ran after him. 'Thank you, .Mr. says Bill thoughtfully, "what you would call a nut." seventeen inches wide! Hornsby,' said Smitty, 'for swinging at the fifth Patiently Klem explained the facts of life. "The "When a man with an eye like Mize, standing strike.' " pay in the minors is so small, it wouldn't be worth right there at the plate, can misjudge a pitch like To all such testimony. Umpire Stewart sniffs, your while," said Bill, "If your eyesight is as good that, you can see how hard it is for an umpire to "Nonsense. No umpire is influenced by a batter's as you say it is, you ought to be able to find that know if the pitch caught the outside corner or not. reputation. I called Musial out on strikes twice in much money in a month just walking around the Yet when you're squatted down there catching you one game in St. Louis last summer. Does that look streets!" .*..A.,^ know whether it got the corner." Al Lopez, who managed Cleveland to the Ameri­ can League pennant last season and who caught more major-league games (1,918) than anybody else in baseball history, was queried on the point PLAY BALL Berra raised. "I don't know if I can entirely agree with Yogi, although when T was catching 1 used to umpire a pretty good game myself," said Al with a grin. "In fact, I don't think I ever missed a strike. Of course. I may have been influenced by the fact that, as a catcher, it was strikes I was looking for. Maybe 1 saw a couple where they weren't. "However, Berra is right when he says nobody is in a better position to judge a strike than a catcher. And I do think that a strike on the outside corner is the toughest of all for an umpire to judge." , the Dodgers' slugging . swings his evidence toward Berra. "Yogi may have something about that outside corner at that," says Gil. "When I was in that horrible slump early in 195.^, I was convinced that the umpires were call­ ing strikes against me on pitches that were a foot outside. Then Chuck Dressen, who was managing Brooklyn, had movies taken to convince me 1 should change my stance. When 1 saw the pictures, I discovered that the pitches J thought were balls were actually getting the outside corner and that the umpires had been right all along."

Have Umpiriiift Skills Shrunk? Nevertheless there is a widespread belief in base­ ball circles that umpiring skills have shrunk along with the strike zone. This theory received a boost last .September 10th when , playing a night game with the Red Sox in Cleveland's Mu­ nicipal Stadium, made the first protest of his career to an umpire. Hank Soar, working behind the plate, called Ted out on a third strike, pitched by Mike Garcia. Williams angrily flung his bat away and growled at Soar. When the ended, Williams trotted past base-umpire Hurley on his way to his position in the outfield, and mumbled what might pass for an apology. "Heck, Ed," said Ted, "Hank thought it was a strike and I thought it was a ball. What dif­ ference does it make?" The fact that the Cleveland incident was Wil­ Yankee catcher Yogi Berra claims an umpire couldn't tell a strike if he saw one—because liams' first squawk points up another fact of um- often he doesn't see 'era. Only a catcher, says Yogi, can see where the ball really goes ('ollier's for February 18, 1955

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BEGINNING A NEW FOUR-PART SERIAL

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