MLB teams are scouting umpires

Ron Washington flips the pages of his three-ring notebook, filled with inside info on the other team's pitchers and hitters.

The Texas manager gets to the back of the black binder, reaches into the pocket and pulls out another scouting report - on that night's plate umpire.

It's a color-coded computer printout showing his strike zone - how he tends to call balls and strikes - and whether he usually gives the pitcher a break if the ball sails just off the corner of the plate. In this ump's case, the calls on the edges are too inconsistent to be predictable.

"We do have their tendencies in the dugout on the wall. The name of the umpire and his tendencies, what they call and what part of the zone they call strikes," Washington said. "When I was playing, we just knew he was a high-ball umpire or a low-ball umpire, whether he was a pitcher's umpire or a hitter's umpire."

The difference now? "Technology," Washington said.

For years, baseball teams have scouted the opposition - which pitch is most effective against a certain batter, which catcher has a strong throwing arm, and the like.

Now teams are taking it to a different level by scouting the umpires - compiling information on how consistently they call balls and strikes, how quick they are to eject someone arguing a call, where the crew comes from, the next time they're in town.

The Rangers aren't the only ones taking advantage, either. Several teams track umps on a daily basis and give their players the reports.

Here's how one team assessed Hunter Wendelstedt: "Inconsistent zone, both in-game and from game to game, seemingly losing focus at times by balling pitches over middle and calling strikes on pitches well off plate. Seems to want hitter to put ball in play."

Or this look at Gerry Davis: "Hesitates to punch hitters out. Toward the top of the league in umpire ERA in 2009, with low K and low BB rate in 2009 and has continued in 2010. Need to earn strikes with him behind the plate." In other words, the report says Davis is reluctant to call strike three when a batter doesn't swing.

Some teams attach headshots of the crew, along with a short bio about each of the four umpires. Such as this nugget on Marty Foster: "Attends as many Wisconsin Big Ten football games as possible." And this about Ed Hickox: "Is a sworn police officer in offseason, working as a detective for the Daytona Beach Shores Police Dept."

"It's just more of a reference to get to know them better, a communication tool," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "We like to get the players to know who's going to be there, get to know them and give them a little bit of background, so the players can say hello. We keep umpire media guides in the dugout. Guys feel uncomfortable if they go out and don't know who they are - and we have a lot of young players."

Advance scouts sometimes prepare the reports. Other clubs rely on watching video. Stat services and websites also compile the numbers.

At Fenway Park last week, longtime crew chief John Hirschbeck shook his head when shown a team's scouting report on a different set of umpires. "I'm surprised, but I guess I'm not surprised," he said. "Everyone is looking for an edge. We try to call every pitch the same way. The stats, those can depend on the matchup, who's pitching that day. Luck of the draw."