11.   But now some umpires call strikes on pitches that are several inches from either side of the plate.

12.   He got the idea from watching an umpire call a softball game from behind the pitcher.

13.   He became livid when a replacement umpire, Frank Ballina, called four balls on four consecutive pitches to Delino DeShields.

14.   He is reluctant to blame the edict that umpires call a more consistent strike and instead blames himself.

15.   I had to have a fresh ball ready when the umpire called, and I had to remove discarded bats from the field.

16.   If the umpire had called interference, he could have declared the batter out.

17.   If the umpire calls strikes generously, pitchers and the defense benefit.

18.   If the umpires called strikes on all pitches passing through the desired strike zone, Alderson believed, games would have fewer pitches and move at a faster pace.

19.   It was his belief that taller umpires called more high strikes and shorter umpires had a lower strike zone.

20.   Knowing, or at least thinking, that umpires will call pitches above the belt strikes, some hitters have changed their approach at the plate.