After watching the umpires more closely, I guess those are charcoal gray pants.
But I a game in the AAU Boys' 16U Nationals one year where the catcher from the one team took a shot like that and admitted to me that he takes his cup out when he bats because he doesn't like to wear one at all.
And, early this year MTD, Jr., took a pitch the was in the dirt which bounced up and caught him in his "reserved parking space". He was okay but it really stung and the catcher's coach made him request time and talk with his pitcher to give Mark time to recover. I, jokingly, reminded the catcher that he had to do a better job of protecting Junior because I wanted to a grandfather someday,
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MTD, Sr.