Baseball umpire training apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus for training a baseball umpire to visualize a strike zone over a home plate, the strike zone having high and low inside and outside corners. The apparatus comprises a frame, first and second inside baseballs, and first and second outside baseballs. The frame is adapted to extend about home plate. The inside baseballs are coupled to the frame and located such that they are adjacent to the inside corners of the strike zone, respectively. The outside baseballs are coupled to the frame and located such that they are adjacent to the outside corners of the strike zone, respectively. A method of training oneself to call balls and strikes includes the steps of positioning oneself behind the above-described training apparatus, assuming a desired plate stance, and examining the positions of the inside and outside baseballs relative to the home plate.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for training a baseball umpire to visualize a strike zone over a home plate, the strike zone having an inside side between high and low inside corners and an outside side between high and low outside corners, said apparatus comprising: 
 a see-through frame, configured and dimensioned to extend substantially about the home plate and extend to the inside and the outside corners of the strike zone;    first and second inside baseballs coupled to said frame and located such that the first and the second inside baseballs are adjacent to the high and the low inside corners of the strike zone, respectively, when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate; and    first and second outside baseballs coupled to said frame and located such that the first and the second outside baseballs are adjacent to the high and the low outside corners of the strike zone, respectively, when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a third outside baseball coupled to said frame and located such that said third outside baseball is adjacent to the outside. side of the strike zone, between said first and said second outside baseballs, when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a third inside baseball coupled to said frame and located such that said third inside baseball is adjacent to the inside side of the strike zone, between said first and said second inside baseballs, when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of inside baseballs are coupled to said frame and located such that said plurality of inside baseballs are adjacent to the high inside corner of the strike zone when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of inside baseballs are coupled to said frame and located such that said plurality of inside baseballs are adjacent to the low inside corner of the strike zone when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of outside baseballs are coupled to said frame and located such that said plurality of outside baseballs are adjacent to the high outside corner of the strike zone when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of outside baseballs are coupled to said frame and located such that said plurality of outside baseballs are adjacent to the low outside corner of the strike zone when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for adjusting the positions of said first inside baseball and said first outside baseball such that when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate, said first inside baseball and said first outside baseball are adjustable up and down relative to the home plate.    
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said frame includes—
 first and second elongate inside support members, said first and said second inside baseballs being coupled to said first and said second inside support members, respectively;  
 first and second elongate outside support members, said first and said second outside baseballs being coupled to said first and said second outside support members, respectively; and  
 means for adjusting the positions of said first inside support member and said first outside support member such that when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate, said first inside support member and said first outside support member are adjustable up and down relative to the home plate.  
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said frame further includes—
 means for adjusting the positions of said second inside support member and said second outside support member such that when said frame is operatively positioned about the home plate, said second inside support member and said second outside support member are adjustable up and down relative to the home plate.  
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said frame includes: 
 first and second inside uprights and first and second outside uprights, said inside and said outside uprights being substantially vertically positioned;    first and second inside ball support members and first and second outside ball support members, said first and said second inside baseballs being coupled to said first and said second inside ball support members, respectively, said first and said second outside baseballs being coupled to said first and said second outside ball support members, respectively,    said first and said second inside ball support members being mounted to said first and said second inside uprights and being substantially horizontally positioned, said first and said second outside ball support members being mounted to said first and said second outside uprights and being substantially horizontally positioned.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said first and said second inside uprights and said first and said second outside uprights each comprise first and second upright members arranged in a telescoping manner, such that the first upright member can be extended and retracted relative to the second upright member, 
 said first inside ball support being mounted to the first upright members of said inside uprights, and said first outside ball support being mounted to the first upright members of said outside uprights,    whereby the positions of said first inside ball support and said first outside ball support are adjustable as the upright members of said uprights are extended and retracted.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said first and said second inside baseballs are slidably mounted to said first and said second inside ball support members, respectively, and wherein said first and said second outside baseballs are slidably mounted to said first and said second outside ball support members, respectively.  
     
     
         14 . A baseball umpire training apparatus, comprising: 
 a home plate having an inside edge and an outside edge;    a see-through frame extending about said home plate;    first and second inside baseballs coupled to said frame and located at high and low inside positions, respectively, the high and the low inside positions being substantially aligned with the inside edge of said home plate; and    first and second outside baseballs coupled to said frame and located at high and low outside positions, respectively, the high and the low outside positions being substantially aligned with the outside edge of said home plate.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein said home plate includes a strike zone associated therewith, the zone having an inside side and an outside side, and wherein said first and said second inside baseballs are located outside of and substantially tangent to the inside side of the zone, and wherein said first and said second outside baseballs are located outside of and substantially tangent to the outside side of the zone.  
     
     
         16 . A baseball umpire training apparatus involving a strike zone having high and low inside corners and high and low outside corners, said apparatus comprising: 
 a home plate having an inside edge and an outside edge, the high and the low inside corners of the strike zone being associated with the inside edge of said home plate, and the high and the low outside corners of the strike zone being associated with the outside edge of said home plate;    first and second inside baseballs;    first and second outside baseballs; and    means for supporting said first and said second inside baseballs along the high and the low inside corners of the strike zone, respectively, and for supporting said first and said second outside baseballs along the high and the low outside corners of the strike zone, respectively.    
     
     
         17 . A method of training oneself to call balls and strikes more accurately and consistently using the umpire training apparatus of  claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) positioning the frame of said umpire training apparatus on a surface and about a home plate;    (b) positioning oneself behind the training apparatus such that one is positioned behind the home plate;    (c) assuming a desired umpire plate stance, such that the inside baseballs, the outside baseballs, and the home plate are substantially visible with both eyes; and    (d) examining the positions of at least the second inside baseball and the second outside baseball relative to the home plate.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (e) withdrawing from the desired plate stance;    (f) attempting to resume the desired plate stance; and    (g) assessing whether one's position in the resumed plate stance is the same as one's position in the desired plate stance.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of: 
 (e) examining the position of the second outside baseball relative to a reference mark.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (e) making a reference mark on the surface; and    (f) examining the position of the second outside baseball relative to the reference mark.