How To Choose an Indicator to Track Balls, Strikes and Outs

A umpire “clicker”, more appropriately named an Indicator, can save a Plate Umpire, or cause them much anguish. This is a very simple piece of equipment, but there are several things you need to consider when making your choices.  

Umpire Indicator Physical Considerations

1. Size: Make sure the indicator fits comfortably in your Left Hand, and you are able to manipulate it into a 2 finger hold, as well as turn the dials.
2. Effort: the dials should be easily turned, but must also be solid in their position so that they do not change a count without the Plate Umpires knowledge.
3. Weight: Their are different materials which translate to different weights and costs. Determine if you like a light indicator (plastic) or a heavy one (stainless), or something in between. 
4. Contrast: Probably the most important aspect of your indicator. Make sure that on a badly lit baseball field you can still see the numbers. Some indicators will have the numbers inset in the small windows, and the wheels are white and have light red numbers. These are very hard to see in bad light. Take a black sharpie and change the color of the numbers. This step is key for aging or bad eyesight. You don’t want to be forced to take an extended look at the indicator just to figure out the count. 
5. Simplicity: Some indicators will keep track of balls, strikes, outs and innings. Simplicity is the key. Only really concern yourself with balls, strikes and outs. Get the rest of the information from elsewhere on the field. 
6. Plate Only: Indicators are for Plate Umpires only. If you want to keep track of the count on the field, use your fingers to help remind you of a count. We will do a future Blog Post on how to accomplish this. 

Tips from Experience on Tracking Balls and Strikes

Here is some advice that has been learned through experience that may help better handling of keeping the count. 

• Don’t worry about a lot of bells and whistles on your indicator. I find that an OUT indicator in High School and College ball serves no purpose. If you get lost, consult the official scorer.  
• Get an indicator that feels good and fits in your LEFT HAND. I suggest that you get one that only shows 0,1,2 for strikes, 0,1,2,3 for balls, and 0,1,2 for outs. Having 1 less than the max will allow you to better handle tracking the count. 
• Know your indicator. Practice with it off the field. When you make a call for the batter, simply continue to hold your indicator and make a single “click”. You should know what you started with and what a single click will give you. Once you get an opportunity, you can peek quickly to verify what you know to be the count. This will allow you to keep your eyes on the batter and the field in order to continue arbitration of the event. You never know when something crazy is going to take place and another set of eyes is needed. 

Tips and Tricks of Keeping Balls and Strikes

• Be comfortable and totally free up you body, learn to track pitches a different way. Use a method developed to match your own personal style, but do it in a way that is repeatable and you don’t have to hold anything. I use my fingers, but you may also try a football referee’s tactic of using rubber bands. The advantage of this is when you show up to the plate meeting and realize you forgot your indicator in the locker room. You will be forced to use this alternate methodology … and likely will learn that you feel so much freer behind the plate!
• If you lose the count, don’t be afraid to confer with the batter or the catcher. You might also just wait a pitch or two and see if the game will fix the count for you! 😉 
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, make sure that you consciously choose when you want to drop your head and eyes to check you indicator. Keep your eyes on the field as much as possible! I can’t stress this enough. Even when you reset an indicator to all zeroes, do it without looking and use a quickly appropriately timed glance to confirm it.