Umpire Leaders

Umpires Lance Barksdale and Fieldin Culbreth both worked the most games behind the plate in the major leagues this year with thirty-seven and thirty-six appearances. Thirteen umpires called thirty-five games behind the plate in 2005.

The vast majority of umpires called between 62 and 63% of all pitches strikes. There were no serious outliers this year. Of the regulars, Doug Eddings at 65.9% and Derryl Cousins at 60.9% were the most severe outliers. 'Calling strikes' can mean foul balls with less than two strikes, called strikes by the umpire or batter swings and misses.

Over the course of a nine inning game if both teams throw a combined three-hundred pitches then the difference between having Eddings or Cousins calling your balls and strikes is about fifteen strikes. Another way to look at it is to say that approximately every 3.6 batters Eddings oversees one more pitch that's a strike than does Cousins.