Interested in opinions on this. Should pitchers showing command receive the benefit of the doubt on pitches in the black or should the strikezone be the zone regardless of command.

I'm specifically asking about youth select, but am open to all opinions. Basically do Maddux and Moyer deserve to get an extra couple inches because they can or should the zone be the same regardless of ability?

My interpretation was that pitchers with great control do not get a larger strike zone, they actually make a bigger strike zone. My assumption is that all umpires actually want to set an immutable strike zone; however, Its harder for the ump to set clear standards for strikes and non-strikes when the pitcher continually dances on the fringe of the strike zone in the same spot. The pitcher basically cause the ump to navigate a slippery slope of decision making by forcing them to make repeated judgements that vary by millimeters.

That's a pretty interesting take. Umps have a difficult challenge when faced with that kind of pitching, but I still think they should do their best to call the zone as established by MLB rules. Pitchers have to know they sometimes will get a close call, and other times will not. Same for batters. This is my opinion on it, anyway.

Here's a question, though. Is the strike zone like the foul lines (or like the lines on a tennis court)? Just a piece of the ball has to catch the 'zone' for a strike, or all of it?

Just a piece. If any part of the ball passes through the AREA over homeplate it's a strike.

^ Yeah, what you see on TV bugs me, because that horizontal square isn't the zone, it's just the very front of it.