Martin still hot over moving strike zone
Jays catcher cites inconsistencies in Anaheim
• The complex subtleties of Russell Martin’s job can be enough to get the better of him some nights, especially during games when frustration rises to unhealthy levels.
At the top of the list for the Blue Jays catcher, of course, i s managing his pitchers and calling a game that will keep opposing batters guessing. Then there are his own responsibilities at the plate, especially on a team that has too often been starved for offence this season.
But when the umpires forget where the strike zone is and go devoid of consistency as they did for the previous two games against the Angels in Anaheim, well things get a little more complicated.
Like all of the Jays, Martin — who made his 10th career start at third base for the Jays against the Cardinals on Tuesday night — was particularly annoyed by the work of home plate ump Toby Basner in Monday’s 2-1 loss to the Angels that resulted in that four-game series ending in a split.
To be generous, Basner’s strike zone was a moving target and a called third strike on Martin that was well outside caused Jays manager John Gibbons to lose his composure and get ejected for a second consecutive night.
Martin does his best to reason with umps when things get “confusing,” but admits it can be a delicate piece of business. No official in any sport appreciates getting shown up, but some have a higher tolerance.
“I try to keep my cool, I try to talk to them,” Martin said of his relationship with the roving bands of umpires. “Some are harder to talk to than others. I don’t think anyone really enjoys being told they made a mistake and I still haven’t learned how to let an umpire know that he’s made a mistake without him getting ticked off.
“I just try to be honest with them. I’m not really there to console their feelings. They want to get the job right at the end of the day, too. Sometimes they don’t want to hear it and those are the ones that are hard to work with.”
Like players, umpires do not have a universal disposition. Some get cranky easier, some have a more liberal tolerance for back talk. So once again, part of Martin’s task is to figure out the personalities he’s dealing with.
“The ones that are human understand that they do make mistakes and try to make an adjustment, just like players do when they are playing the game,” Martin said. “The game is a game of adjustments and it’s the same thing for umpires.
“It’s frustrating when they don’t want to believe (what you’re saying). The veteran guys are often easier. The young guys tend to get a little tight and let things bother them and let situations linger a little bit instead of forgetting about it.”