Helmet v Mask

[LilLeaguer]

Originally posted by Tim C
RW may be OLD, but there were a type of inside protector since the 1930's.


The real question would be: 'what was the affect when the AL umpires lost the raft in the 70'4.'

HOWEVER, these are two separate issues that have nothing to do with each other.

RW explicitely mentioned the transition from the balloon to the ICP during his active umpiring years. I'm interested in the psychology of the change, and I'm not sure yet if the two subjects are unrelated.

We all know, and RW actually establishes pretty forcefully, that the uniform we wear is a result of nothing more substantive than fashion. And so, I'd expect an argument over which shirt color, for example, is "best" to be a content-free snipe fest.

But equipment could have tangible differences that really matter, so I'd expect more. I don't understand much about how these things change, but isn't the adoption of the ICP the last major equipment change we have seen? Wouldn't the pattern of that change help us to understand whether a mask-to-helmet change could happen, and perhaps even to see if it is happening?

Dating the AL change to the 70s means that you would also be an eye-witness, wouldn't it? Did the AL umpires organization (union?) promote the change, as you say is necessary? How did the other organizations (NCAA, FED) follow suit? Were they ahead of the AL with the NL already?

-LL