I have ordered and received all my equipment and uniforms for umpiring (live in IL, so not alot of games to do below H.S. baseball yet), and I like everything and the way it fits except for the Wilson-Davis chest protector. It fits nice, but its awfully bulky at the shoulders (and I am sure it offers great protection), but I prefer something not as bulky but something that has good protection. I look like a football player in it. Can anyone suggest a protector (not the west vest, it's overkill for the games I do {pony league, little league, AABC, etc.}) that is not bulky and fits almost unnoticably under my shirt?? Thanks for your help.

OK,
 

Honig's K1

I agree with Tee. My first year I bought a +POS BB2000 Protector that made me feel like I was going to tip over half of the time. I gave the +POS to my brother the following year and bought the K1. It's light enough that you can wear it comfortably and continously all season. It's also sturdy enough for any level. Good luck.

IG3

And it's fairly thin through the shoulders correct? Not bulky and I won't look like a linebacker with it on?

The Honig's K1 is very light but it is bulky. I just upgraded to it at the end of last year and it was bulkier than the other protector I had. My shirts fit tighter.

But honestly, who cares. The protector is there to keep you from getting hurt when the ball eventually hits you. Besides, the bigger you look the more intimidating you can be, the less crap your likely to take.

I wouldn't worry about how big you look. Worry about how protected you are. Most protectors are bulky, that's why they stopp baseballs from hurting you when they hit you at great speeds.

Who cares how bulky it is? You're there to umpire, not take place in a fashion show. Get good protection.

If you want to look thin in the shoulders get a catcher's chest protector. And wear base shoes behind the plate too because they are less bulky and lighter than plate shoes. And there are some shin guards available that will be really light weight and not noticeable at all under your pants. And when you break a collarbone, or a toe, or a shin bone, you will wish you had bought equipment that made you look like a linebacker.

I have a WV Platinum...and I understand your concern but it really is NOT important. If youre concerned, go up a shirt size for the plate. I wear my Platinum behind the plate with the same shirt size I wear for the bases. You will appreciate the "bulky" protector when you take a real shot....trust us.

Oh brother.

If you're worried about the thickness of your chest protector, and if it makes look big, or not, try football.
Those vertical stripes are very slimming.

Wear good gear. Don't get hurt. Me, I dig looking like RoboCop.

I have to agree about the "look".. No one will think the less of you for that linebacker look when you are behind the plate. Not breaking a bone is more important to me. Depending on the grade/age you are calling, my first year calling 3rd-5th grades, I used what turned out to be a female softball catchers chest protector. It had plastic shoulder pads and cut across the belly, like a normal baseball protetor. It was good enough for that level.

DG those shin guards are called soccer shin guards 8-) You know little things that slide into your socks. Also if bulk is a problem, definetly skip using a cup.

Sort of; I went down on a knee when a foul found a gap in my WV shoulder pads. From the dugout "get up you wuss, with all that padding you shouldn't go down!"

Ohhh sounds like someone needed to make an early trip to the parking lot.

Jason,

I am second year umpire and just purchased the K1. I received it 3 days ago and have yet to use it in a game. It is extremely light and it does bulk you up a little but not too much. Like the others have stated, it will be well worth it when you take that first one off the shoulder.

Honig's K1 -- it's light, cool, won't slow you down on the run. It's all you should need through HS Varsity level.

Bud, buy a West Vest, or a Honig's K1, but get GOOD protection. I was calling a 10 year old game with a friend who wore an old Rawlings protector. Same as a cathers but with shoulder caps. He took a foul ball that broke his collar bone in the 3rd and I had to finish the game alone. It doesn't matter how big you look, all that matters is how well protected you are.

You don't know looking bulky unless you are 5'2", slightly built and trying to put any chest protector on.

I look like the Michelin man in tight pants.

Rita

Rita
 

Bet the michelin man never looked so cute

At first I questioned a 10 year old could break a collarbone. But I once coached one who was clocked at 65 MPH, and with a cheap protector this could break a collarbone. He was nearly unhittable once we taught him a changeup.

DG
 

It was a foul ball that broke the collar bone.

Re: DG
 

I never dreamed a fair ball could break the PU's collarbone. This was a chest protector discussion, right?

DG
 

Okay, Okay, you got me, I'm doing 6 things at once here.

The Michelin man wears tight pants?

TMI! lol

I use a WV Platinum and I'm a big guy (overweight). I don't care how it looks because when I get a foul ball tothe chest, I don't feel a thing!

Here's some advice jason181988, I took a foul ball to the chest 2 years ago. I went down like a stone with more pain than I had during my first heart attack. I suffered an arythmia from the hit that I took and spent the weekend in the hospital. Use equipment that protects you and don't care what it looks like. You may underestimate your players, this was a 14U game that I got hurt in.

When I got home from the hospital, the first call was to Gerry Davis Sports and I purchased the WV Platinum. Best investment I've made in 20 years of umpiring.

Buy larger pants!!!

Doh.

Imagine the Michelin man in tight pants. That is how I look.

My pants fit just fine and my new Honigs womans plate pants fit even better.

Just looks stupid when I have the chest protector on.

Rita

All;

I have not heard of anyone's career being derailed because of the way that they looked in a chest protector at the high school level and below but...

I have known of an umpire at the NCAA D1 level who was told to get a proper fitting chest protector if he wanted to work any more D1 ball. The assignor told him that he looked too bulky. He was a weird size and I was told that he ended up buying a Carlucci, which is a custom fitted protector.

At the NCAA level, which is cutthroat, umpires are evaluated on everything to include how they look in their equipment. There is a reason that MLB umps do not look bulky in their equipment. If they did not pay attention to fashion, they would be passed over by someone who did. It is all about image.

The number one mistake that I see new umpires make with regards to a protector, is that they get one that is too long. The protector should come one inch below the sternum. That is about 4 inches above the navel. Buying a protector of the proper length goes a long way towards eliminating the bulky look. Almost all men over 21 have 2-3 inches of fat on their stomachs and do not need the protector to cover their stomach. For a man 5' 9" to 6' 0", a 13 inch protector is more than adequate. Shorter men can use a 12 inch protector and only those men over 6' 1" need the 15 inch protectors.

However, if you are a teen aged umpire, still growing, and have no fat on your gut, a protector covering your entire stomach is a good idea. Although common when I was growing up, this type of teenager is a dying breed. Fatness reigns surpreme, even among the young today.

Peter