[BretMan]

I bought a brand-new, baby blue, still-in-the-wrapper Elbeco on eBay for a couple of bucks.

I break it out every once in a while for special occassions- like when all of my "real" shirts are dirty. Or maybe when I'm in an old school kind of mood.

But I only do this in cooler weather and in some local rec leagues that have a rather lax uniform code.

With all the complaints I hear about the old Elbeco's, I'm glad that they were before my time. When I first got into umpiring mesh polos were the norm.

The freshly pressed button-up style seems to get the attention of players and coaches. The reaction is always positive and the Elbecos seem to command a little bit more respect. Something about them just seems to say "real umpire" to the current crop of player who have probably never seen these shirts before.

I wonder if they could make these shirts in a breathable, moisture-wicking material?