I only do LL 12 and under so I have only purchased steel toe shoes to use as my plate shoes in the past. I bought a pair of red wing shoes for this past season which are great but during fall ball I was hit with a foul on top of my foot. So I started thinking that I have probably been pretty lucky in the past, first time in 13 years. Anyway does anyone know where I could buy a pair of metatarsal guards that would attach through the laces. Red wing does not have any.
Any information would be appreciated.

I am not sure if anyone just sells the metatarsel guards for shoes. The only thing I have ever seen is Gerry Davis Sports sells a plate/base shoe combo that has the removeable guard you are looking for.

Seeing how that they sell the combo shoe, you may try emailing them or calling them to see what they say about getting just the guard you are looking for. Their website address is http://www.gerrydavis.com.....Good Luck with your search.

It might be easier to find a pair of leg guards with an attached foot guard.

I had some.
I'll look around and see if I can find them.
I think I paid 4 or 5 dollars for them - not sure I used them much. Pretty well got plate shoes immediately.
I'll have a look see...

Forget about improvising. Spend the $100 and get a pair of plate shoes. If you take care of them they'll last a long time and you won't have any broken bones.

Hold on a minute
 

Here is an umpire that does only Little League. To me, that means he is a volunteer. Now you want to him to spend $100 out of pocket for a pair of shoes that only have one application - baseball. What is his wife going to say when he shells out $100 for something that produces no income and he gets abuse to boot? This is on top of the money that he has shelled out for a chest protector, cup, shinguards, etc.

Maybe his kids can go without Christmas presents this year? The wife, perhaps, can skip a couple trips to the hairdresser.

And I am the evil HHH for being down on volunteer umpires. The attitude that a volunteer should shell out hundreds of dollars to take abuse and deny amentities to his family is an idea that is truly bizarre.

Peter

If I were you I would invest in a pair of catchers leg guards with extended metatarsal guards, ie. long plates that cover the top of your feet. Combine them with steel toe shoes and you will be covered.

Ebay is a great place to get this kind of equipment cheap. I did a quick search for you and came up with two pairs that are the kind I am talking about. You could likely bid on them and get them for less than $20. Check them out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...113812213&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...113934492&rd=1

Re: Hold on a minute
 

What's his wife going to say if he can't do his day job because he broke his foot? What's his wife going to say if he trips over the extended leg guards and breaks his arm and can't work at his day job?

Just wondering.

Re: Hold on a minute
 

Being a volunteer is no excuse for not wearing the correct equipment to do the job correctly.

MTD, Sr.

[Edited by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. on Nov 14th, 2004 at 11:42 PM]

Re: Hold on a minute
 

Not necessarily true. You should not assume the gentleman is living in poverty (which you have made), or that these would deprive his family of shelter/food/ect. The hazards of the job are crystal clear. If there is a metartsal guard out there, great buy it. If not, then you are running the risk of serious injury behind the plate. Dont make assumptions or claim to be some great champion of volutneer umpires. The gentleman's service should be and is commended by myself, and probably everybody else on the board. Your quote of buying something that would produce zero income is not relevant, if it produces zero income and puts his health in jeopardy, there has to be some compromise made. Let him make that decision, dont criticize everybody else for offering him advice.

youre right garth. sorry bud. ill delete it.

Thanks.

And the next time MTD Sr. posts over here, we'll send an interpreter along from the basketball board. Just a little service that we offer.

BlueBob,

Don't let Peter/HHH get you down. I think he forgets, or never learned, that most LL umpires come from the coaching ranks, where dropping several hundred dollars per season on their team is the norm. For most of us it's a hobby. And far as hobbies go umpiring is fairly cheap. My last hobby was bicycle road racing, where bikes were $3K, entry fees were $50, and abuse.... Let's just say umpires who feel they are abused are weenies. If having some idiot Dad or coach yell at you is your definition of abuse y'all need to grow a pair.

As far as the instep protector, I tried to find the very things several years ago when I started out. Honigs had them in their catalog, but when I called they were out, with no more coming. As I recall SSK made them, it that's any help. I've seen throat protectors laced up to steel toes shoes. Not pretty, but effective.

Oh, and love the line about equipment that produces no income. I'll bet HHH has a set of golf clubs in his garage. I wonder how much income he derives from those?

JR:

I have been umpiring H.S. baseball and fastpitch softball as well as ASA and USSSA fastpitch softball since 1991.

MTD, Sr.

Hmmmmm.

Maybe you would have been better served to have taken some basic English courses during that time. :D

MTD Sr.--<i>"Being a volunteer is no excuse for wearing the correct equipment to do the job correctly"</i>

Or did you really mean that?

No, I don't really mean that. I am going back and editing my original post. I typed it so fast and did not bother to proof read it before hitting the "Submit Reply" button.

MTD, Sr.

..so what do the younger guys (say, 17-19 yo) who actually *don't* have hundreds of dollars to spend upfront on this do?

Wearing the correct equipment is no excuse for a volunteer to work a game incorrectly.

mick

Pray you don't get hit...


Or save your first few game checks and buy the proper equipment. As I stated earlier, you can get catchers shin guards with extended toe plates on ebay for less than $20. Those will save your feet in most cases.

Thanks for all of the suggestions and other commentary on assumptions that are made which seems to be the norm for must of the replies.

Re: Re: Hold on a minute
 

It would appear that I stirred up a mini s$$$house with my Friday post :D I have not lost my touch!

I believe that I should, in fact, assume that one is not taking care of his bills when he shells out a bunch of money on umpire gear as a volunteer. Consider the following:

1. 45% of all marriages in the US end in divorce. In over half these divorces, money is indicated as a major contributer to the breakup. (Sex is the other.)

2. Over half (70%) of all marriages have major arguments over money.

3. In 1 and 2 above, the money issues generally fall into two categories. The wife spends too much on shopping and the husband spends too much on hobbies. I mention this because someone referred to hobbies in response to my post.

4. Only half of all workers contribute to a 401k/403b/457/IRA/SEP/other pension plan. Of that 50% who contribute, only half of those contribute enough. That means that 75% of all workers have deficiencies in their retirement plan. The $100 that went to plate shoes should probably be going to retirement.

Given 1-4 above, its a fairly safe assumption that our umpire should not be spending $100 to do volunteer umpiring. Does this mean that he should work without proper gear. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is where at least one of the responses made a false assumption about what I was advocating.

He should not umpire at all unless the league will provide proper gear for free. Failing that, the league pay him adequately so that he can get the gear himself without shortchanging the more important responsibilities in his life.

To the poster who referred to the golf clubs in my garage, you are correct. The golf clubs have stayed in my garage since 1982 when my youngest child was born. At that time, I determined that it was irresponsible to spend 6 hours and $60 (2004 dollars) on a hobby when I could get paid $60+ (2004 dollars) for umpiring baseball.

Having your hobby/exercise/fun produce income prevents a whole lot of friction on the home front. To read more about this one must be a paid subscriber. I have an article coming out next week on this subject with regards to Little League baseball. Click on the "On Deck" button of officiating.com's home page for more details.

How's that for another shameless promotion! :D

Peter

I am twenty years old and have....

West Vest Platinum
New Honig's Mask and Leg Guards
Five Paris of Pants
6 Shirts
A Plate Jacket and Base Jacket
Plate Shoes
among other things....

My response is find the proper equipment to protect my health. As much as I love umpiring, my health/personal safety does not come second.

Yikes!

Somebody wants to get some better protection for himself, so he can volunteer his services at the local youth sports organization, and some self anointed gas bag has the nerve to say it's going to ruin his love life.

I'm sure glad my Dad doesn't take the same advice in his volunteer work. "Hey Pop, Pete says it's irresponsible to spend money for your top of the line gear. So take back that Glock, and get a BB gun".

Everybody comes to umpiring from different angles. My 16 year old son likes the 45 bones a game. It beats flippin' burgers, and mopping floors. A friend loves it so much he sponsors a youth umpire organization. Many dollars out his pocket to further the cause. To some it's a just a gig. It pays some bills, keeps them outta bars, and the extra dough keeps the little lady from walkin'. To each his own.

Me, I'm lucky enough to work my 40, pull six figures, keep my wife happy AND volunteer my skills to the community. And yes, I can afford to gear up properly, and fully fund my 401K. When I do work paid games, I either donate it back to another organization, pay green fees or "donate" it to my wife's favorite jewelry store by the beach.

Wow, HHH thanks for showing me the error of my ways. I've been doing it wrong all these years.

"lucky" doesn't begin to cover your happy situation. I'm glad someone is doing well in life!

Play nicely.

Speaking of assumptions, you just made a big one. I did not delete my post, the moderators did. They must be overly sensitive today.

I never assumed that I spoke for everyone of that they would agree with me. I fully recognize that most people are irresponsible with money and fail to intelligently meet their obligations.

Most people do not have six figure incomes. Unless otherwise stated, it is a fair bet that a poster is not in the $100,000+ range when it comes to his day job. I made the assumption that the poster was a person of average income and obligations. Obviously, that does not apply to wealthy people like you.

Peter

Mick;

What's wrong with you today? I did not insult Kyle and he certainly did not insult me and yet you have deleted both posts.

We were having an important discussion about finances and you have mucked it up. Volunteers pay a huge price with their families over finances. I have seen the havoc that men's so called hobbies have done to families. Yet in your nanny capacity, you have decided that this discussion is not important.

Peter

[Edited by His High Holiness on Nov 16th, 2004 at 04:57 PM]

Didn't want something to get started, Peter.
...Had that tone to me.
Maybe too much stress. ;)
mick

I found the things
 

email me at [email protected]
I'll send you these babies... they are leather, shiny... all good... just give me your address.
Man, I can't believe all the crap that was pitched here!

Low-cut or High-top
 

Biting the bullet and investing in a pair of plate shoes this year. Have been lucky over past couple of years, but can't afford to chance it anymore.

Leaning toward the Low-cut Plus Pos (PS1) over the High-top PS2's. Just feel more mobile in the low-cut. Is the high-top benefit more protection or support?

Thanks guys!

+Pos are some kind of heavy!
 

I'm getting other shoes because my low cut +Pos shoes made me feel like Frankenstein clomping around. I've ordered some Lehigh shoes (they are not built for umpires, but all leather high cuts with a running shoe sole and NO METAL (the toe is some super-strong plastic) adds up to a good thing.
http://www.lehighsafetyshoes.com/leh...tart=1&inv=123

Re: Low-cut or High-top
 

I used low tops for years, but two years ago I bought a pair of high tops and will never go back to lows. The highs give more protection, mobility is not an issue, AND, I don't get sand in my shoes during a game, which is a big deal to me.

Re: Low-cut or High-top
 

I have the low-cut Honigs. Very light weight (much more so than my older +POS), take Leather Luster great, very comfortable ...

Thanks for the input. I'm also considering the Tanel 360. Anyone wearing those?

Plate Shoes
 

I have been looking into getting a pair of plate shoes as well. Everyone that I have talked to is wearing a pair of Gerry's high tops, and they swear by them. Several of the people are ordering the patent leather high tops.

I know that the patenet leather looks good, but I think it will be a pain to keep them looking good (repairing the nicks). I just wish I could find a pair of the regular leather GD's.

Re: Plate Shoes
 

I believe that the GD patent leather shoes are made at the same place the +POS shoes are made at. If you that kind of shoe, but not patent, just get them from +POS.

http://pluspos.com/product.asp?which=448

Check this out on the umpire.org forum. There are a few guys who say the Tanel is excellent.

http://umpire.org/modules.php?name=F...fcb958a2257f93

I personally love my Tanel's but I will tell you that if you have a wide foot go to the honigs or gd's because they are a d and they do not and will not make a wider version... I work for a dealer and have gotten on my sales rep about it to no avail