How not to clear the catcher

What this clip points out to me is the importance of the proper mechanics. As soon as the ball fouls off the bat he follows it with his head, so he already is not sure of where the catcher is , with his head looking upwards his body stands up and he starts back peddling his feet trip him up and down he goes. Proper mechanics would have saved him this embarrassment, clearing the catcher is one of the first things the plate umpire must accomplish on almost every play , letting the catcher lead me to the ball is the next. Last year at Sac City Greg Houser gave me a tip for reading balls that are fouled off, try and read the ball off the bat, easier said than done. As the year went on I kept hearing those words in the back of my head, believe me having Greg's voice in the back of your head is scary at times, but the advice was sound. About 50 percent of the time it would work for me, seeing the ball off the bat saved me from not knowing where the ball went, and from vocalizing a foul ball that everyone already knew was foul. Concentration and focus are key, knowing how to do the proper mechanics without think about them will help keep you out of this situation and many others.

Thanks Dan for posting this clip,

Larry Loeffler