Strike zone

\nIn baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual rectangular area over home plate within which the ball is supposed to be thrown by the pitcher in order that the throw be counted as legal pitch. The boundaries of the strikezone are somewhat subjective; it is up to the judging of the umpire to decide if a particular pitch falls within the strike zone; to be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball. The general top of the strike zone is the mid-level between the top of the batter's shoulders and his belt, and the bottom is a the level just beneath the knee cap, with the right and left boundaries corresponding to the edges of home plate, although some extend the right and left edges past the edge of the plate. In 2001, Major League Baseball strike zone boundaries were changed to include high pitches (six inches above the waist) and inside strikes (whether the batter checks their swing or not), and to exclude outside strikes (that hit the catchers mitt two or more inches "off the plate"). Umpires are now supposed use the hitters lead elbow as a measurement line, however many still do not call all the high strikes. These changes were made, along with regulations prohibiting hard protective gear, in the hope that hitters (like Mo Vaughn and Barry Bonds) would be forced to back off from the plate; they had been intimidating pitchers by crowding up to the plate. Changes began in the 1970s, when umpires upgraded their chest protection in favor of more compact vests; allowing them more movement. Crouching lower meant lowering their line of vision, and caused the boundaries of the strike zone to sink lower. As pitchers lost the higher strike zone, they began throwing lower and to the outside, which caused hitters to move closer inside.

External link

\n*2001 Changes in Strike Zone - St. Petersburg Times article.\n* Strike Zone MLB website.\n\n\nCategory:Baseball terminology