AboutBrian Flaspohler Expertise Questions about baseball rules, general information about the game, statistical analysis, questions about players, questions about Baseball records. I am a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and a lifelong baseball fanatic. Don't ask me questions about training - this is not my area of expertise.
Experience Lifelong fan, article about player movement from team to team throughout history.
Question When the ump is calling a strike, I never heard the word "strike." It sounds like "arghh" or "onk" or ... well I think you get my meaning. What word or words are they actually saying, and more importantly, why aren't they saying "strike?" Thanks.
Answer David,
The umpire is saying 'strike.' Or at least that's what they are supposed to be saying. They are also supposed to say the call loudly so they develop a way to say strike loudly many times without losing their voice. That's why it comes out not sounding much like strike anymore.
