Does anyone have the instructions on how to make the crease in top of your umpire hat? There is a specific way of doing this to get a perfect crease. I read it somewhere a while back on how but cant seem to find it now.
Thanks.

the way i did it was different than the fold method, but gets the same results. i just crease it with my fingers, rubbing that crease so it stays creased and iron the edge of the crease just a bit. all of my hats are creased that way and it looks professional*. ive done it this way for a few years now

* - some say creases look like garbage, some say it looks sharp. my reference to professional was to actual professional umpires that do the crease, as theirs tend to look better than joe schmo's creased hat. i personally like creases, so i do them.

[Edited by briancurtin on Feb 8th, 2006 at 09:32 PM]

yeah i wouldnt recommend it on one of the mesh ones (people wear those?), and you are right about the iron. dont set the iron too hot - just enough to keep the crease, but you dont want to burn it.

A minor league ump told me that he does the same thing as brian, but he takes a towel and puts it on top of the hat which keeps it from melting the hat

Check out this link...

http://eteamz.active.com/softballump....cfm?id=350266

Is that what you're talking about?

Ta-Da!
And it's a poly-mesh slow pitch umpire's hat!
:D

Actually, I have one without the ASA and it is slightly cooler to wear in July.

Well, it could be a FASTPITCH umpire hat!

Use iron and towel...if u don't use a towel make sure not to melt/burn the hat.

I say it looks very professional. I have always made the sharp crease in all my hats. One time I heard a veteran umpire talking to a rookie who was working with him. He asked the rookie if he was going "fox-hunting," referring to his hat not being creased and having a big, tall, rounded bulge at the top. I never forgot that message, and made sure my creases were crisp.

I always wanted to get mine to look as good as the pros, but they never quite looked the same. Do they do their own, or do the people who do their uniforms put in the creases?

And,
 

I would never, ever crease my hats.

In case you missed it, never.

I suspect this is a very different subject by region of the country. But honestly, if you crease your hats around here (North Texas), you might as well get some liquid paper and write "BUSH LEAGUE" on your hat as well. Every evaluator I've come across frowns on this practice whole-heartedly. The Texas League guys I know don't crease their hats (at least last year's bunch didn't... we have a lot of new ones this year).

Gee, when my friend Pete Lopez worked the Texas League, his hat was sharply creased, just like the MLB guys' hats. I think uncreased hats look like crap myself. All the MLB and MiLB umps from my association crease their hats, so I'll just go with that.

You have MLB guys in your association? If creased was the way to go, they would come creased.

Arguing about creased hats is as much a waste of time as arguing about pleated vs. unpleated pants and the virtues of patent leather.

blah, blah, blah

for sure
 

For sure this issue is not high on anyones list of importance, but as a matter of course, it is best to follow the lead of your local chapter on items of this nature....If its the accepted practice of your chapter to crease the hat...then crease the hat.....if not....then dont....

Stan

Stan:
 

We are faced with another fashion issue in Portland:

Our high school association has many umpires that are also members of our college umpire association.

The Northwest College Umpire Association has selected to all wear the Honig's Wool/Poly Blend pants. These pants are a considerably darker shade of grey than the other Honig, Davis and +POS pants that other members of our association wear.

I have questioned our college umpires: "is it right that you wear a uniform, when working high school baseball, that does not match your partner?"

As they look at me their eyes sorta fog over.

I know that look.......
 

that fogged over look is the same look I get when we talk to our lower level umpires about dress code.........

Actually at our NFHS state rules meeting(PA) the interpreter was stressing Uniform issues as well. Seems some NCAA umpires are wearing college accepted uniforms to do HS and the state is not happy about it.....

Now I know how you addressed the situation.........How many pairs of the college pants did you buy?....

Stan

Re: Stan:
 

For college games around here you can wear a powder blue shirt, but not for High School games. Showing up for a High School game with the darker shade of grey pants is akin to showing up with a powder blue shirt. It ain't right.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DG

Quote:

You have MLB guys in your association?

Yes, we have three. Mike Winters, Brian Runge, and Mike DiMuro.

Well,
 

San Diego Steve noted when asked if they have MLB umpires in thier association:

"Yes, we have three. Mike Winters, Brian Runge, and Mike DiMuro."

Just for a minor clarification:

Are these three umpires currently "dues paying members" of your association or did they simply get their start in umpiring in your local group?

Thanks,

Re: Re: Stan:
 

Ive never seen the Poly/Wools in person. Does anybody have any pics?

Re: Well,
 

Mr. Tee,

Thanks for taking such an interest in semantics. As I am not the Secretary/Treasurer of this association, I am not exactly sure if they are dues paying members or not. They are recognized as association members (perhaps Associate Members). I do know that Mike Winters is the Rookie/Probationary instructor from January until he leaves for spring training. Whether or not he is required to pay dues, I'm not sure.

The association advertises that they supply four umpires to MLB, but for the life of me, I couldn't tell you who the fourth active MLB umpire is. There are several other former MLB umpires that were also members of this association, so perhaps that number includes one of them. I believe that they are honorary lifetime members. Perhaps Brian Runge and Mike DiMuro fall into this category, but I'm not sure.

I was fortunate enough to work with both Runge and DiMuro prior to them receiving their first minor league assignments.

P.S. - I just went to the association's new website, and it refers to Mr. Winters as a "former association member," so I would guess the rest are as well. We do still claim them as our own, as they were members when they became professional umpires.

OK Steve,
 

So Portland then lays claim to:

Ted Hendry
Terry Cooney
Dale Scott
Jim Joyce
Scott Higgins (I know that is a stretch)

Okay Tee (or My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad)
 

Okay, Tee

Since you dragged it back up:

Doug Harvey
John Kibler
Paul Runge
Ed Runge

Just because you threw in Cooney and Higgins:D

BTW, we have about 7 or 8 associations here, but all these guys came from the one that I have been a member of since I started. How many associations are there in Portland? Just curious to know.

[Edited by SanDiegoSteve on Feb 24th, 2006 at 09:52 PM]

Well,
 

We have one association.

Your right PIAA our interpeter made a huge issue of it at our rules meeting and rightfully so. They had guys doing sections and states showing up with no patches,didn't inspect equipment and gave there own sportsmanship message.That didn't make the head of the state officials a very happy camper I guess.

Re: Stan:
 

We are in a transition to the darker grey slacks. This year they may be worn at HS games if both partners have them, next year they will be the standard.

Thank goodness my state has a "clean shirt" policy (no patches allowed) and doesn't force us to give a scripted message at the plate.

Rich,
 

Oregon is the same.

ONLY at the state championship game are patches worn and the "sportsmanship card" is read . . . the "sportsmanship card", however, is read by the public address announcer.

T and Rich,
PIAA here in PA mandates that any official( not just BB ) have the PIAA patch on there uniform shirt.We also are under direction to READ (PIAA's emphasis ) the sportsmanship message that is in the NFHS rulebook. That way if there are any problems with uniforms, or equipment it is on record at the begining of the games that the Head coach has agreed that his players are legally equipped. It also focuses the teams and coaches on how PIAA feels about "good" spotsmanship.
Each official dresses in the same manner and does the same pre-game which hopefully makes the officiating groups seem more professional.(At least to start the game) LOL

I started my officiating "career" in PA, so I remember the keystone patches. I don't remember wearing a PIAA hat back then, though....it was almost 20 years ago. The thing I find funny is that people actually think the patches "mean" something. Heck, I had a patch at 18 years old and knew nothing, but some people would pay more for "patched" umpires.

My plate meeting involves ground rules and lineup exchanges and I ask whether the players are legally equipped. I might mention good sportsmanship if I don't know the coaches. It's a quick meeting.