[Rich Ives]

"Were you ever in the military? If so, didn't you learn the importance of appearance there? If not, never mind."


I was.

I was a member of an Honor Guard company where appearance was a top priority.

But in the military, the uniform rules are about dicipline, order, obeying orders, and being part of a whole. It's to say you are not an individual, you are part of a BIG team. The stakes are REAL life and death, not metaphorical life and death.

And, for the life of me, I can't imagine why having, or not having and indiclicker on the bases is even a matter of metaphorical life and death.

And I completely agree with the quote Tee posted:

Cliff Gustfason (SP) often was quoted when he was head guy at UT: "Yeah, shined shoes, a clean shirt and a razor sharp hem last ONE PITCH when you work for me!"

To a coach, it's all about how you perform - just like it is with the players. Ever seen a headline like "Damon Optioned to AAA - Hair too Long" or "Clemens Dropped from Rotation - Beard too Heavy"?

Ever see a manager quoted as saying "The umpires sure looked good today in their new shirts colors"?

We care how you perform. We don't much care how you look.

BTW, the red shirts make you look heavier.