[mikebran]

I'm hearing old SNL routines (Fernando).

There are some truisms we need to agree on. (Although for some it will be painful).

UMPIRES as a species, are some of the most anal retentive bipeds on the planet. When the discussion gets to tee shirt colors and "piping" (who ever knew what that was)... please, make it stop!

However, in my long experience as a LLJV official, it find it MUCH EASIER, to take the path of PROFESSIONALISM (or as we call it here, Professional Amateur).. and that is to LOOK SHARP (or as much as I can). Shoes are clean, proper belt, (Ok, the right T Shirt). Since I get PAID to officiate I SPEND money on clothes and gear. I wear the Honigs Premiums, and wash them occasionally.

Again.. why not do it this way?

The Crusty Vets (CVs) who are ESTABLISHED and know every HS Coach (and have for years) can get away with showing up looking like slobs. Everyone else, why make things difficult.

AND JUST AS IMPORTANT... we have MANY MANY CVs here in the Frozen Tundra... and the vast majority of THEM go the way of the Professional Amateur. Excellent Officials and who LOOK, and PERFORM.

Why not?

Related story from the past:

Many of us can remember our early years of first dabbling in 60' LL baseball, and yes (we didn't know any better).. wore Jeans and a sweatshirt and the shins on the outside and hat backwards and the raft and would go :
"Strike Three YERRR OUT!!" and had timing like ****...

and no parent or kid or coaches really cared...

But apparently they "noticed"...

So during this time I am convinced to join a real association and get training and I learn some stuff and buy clothes and am lectured about "looking the part".. and I do that. So Myself and (other good umpire).. go to volunteer a couple LL games on a SAT and we walk on field with proper uniforms clean and shined and professional, and you can HEAR the crowd (yes there was one).. and it grows eerily quiet as we walk to the plate meeting and you can hear someone say, "Look, we have REAL umpires"