Well, I tried one for two years. I gave it two full seasons of a tryout. When I return to umpiring, I'm going back to a mask and 6-stitch hat. Typical reasons, the heat, the noise, the ringing of the ears. You really do feel like you have gotten your bell rung much more than with a mask.

Now, Nick...I think you need to respect everyone's opinion on the subject of HSM's, not just the people who have tried them. You don't need to eat horse poop to know that it doesn't taste good, and some folks know without a doubt that they would not like the helmet either. You can't expect people to switch over, or even try the HSM. Their opinion is just as valid as those who have tried them.

He does not have to respect everyone's opinion on this or any subject. I just do not understand why he spends so much time beating everyone over the head with something he likes. I do not like Blondes and I really do not care what others think about my preference. Who cares what you use as a personal item?

Peace

Nobody has to respect anything, of course Rut. It is just impolite to only respect a certain group's opinion over another group's.

You completely missed the point. Whether he respects other's opinions is not the issue. Even if he respects everyone's opinion, it is frankly not going to change anything. It is not an issue of respect of one’s opinion. Get over it already, no one is going to change something like that based only on a thread or two about non-related issues.

Peace

No, the point of his post was that he only respects people's opinions who have actually tried an HSM. The point I'm making is that he should respect those who choose not to try them. Their opinion is just as important as anyone else's opinion. Just like my opinion here is just as valid and important as the point you are trying to make.

I didn't miss any point. Your point is your point, and you look at everything from your point of view. I have my own point I'm making here, and you keep arguing with me about what the damn point is. Whether he respects others' opinions is the issue here, for me, and only for me, apparently.

I was not responding to your point to begin with. My post was separate from yours. All you had to say on the subject was that he would never learn. I had other things I felt like saying. Me, not you, OK? I mean, is it alright if I express my own opinions, make my own points?

That is nice, but you seemed to have more of a dog in this fight than I do. ;)

Peace

Woof, woof, bow wow.:)

Maybe he got hit in this mask???

http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gal...1C_pobj_MINI_1

I have seen several catchers hit with the HSM and have seen everything from nothing to the mask shattering (Rawlings Coolflo).

Well, now he has the perfect HSM accessory in his new forearm guards.

(LLDan ordered the DeLuxe Guards-w-Sweatband (c) option)


Somehow, it just seems fitting.

If you're positioned properly a thrown bat will not be able to hit you in the back of the head. They say lightening can strike out of a clear blue sky. I suppose we should start dragging around an electrode with us to keep safe from that anomaly too.


Tim.

If you feel that you need to wear a suit of armor to protect yourself from balls and bats, feel free to wear that. Just don't complain or try to qualify your decision with stupid citings. If you want to wear a HSM, go ahead and wear it! If you want to wear arm guards, go ahead and wear them!

Just don't preach as if you are the sole authority on the dingle-dangle or HSM! For just as you can come up with your feeble citings, there are many of us that have been umpiring better than a quarter of a century that have never had any of this stuff happen to us!

Yes. I read about it here: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/umpire.asp

Umm, ya know, it's like, ya know, you really do need someone to, like, give you, ya know, umm, a clue here. You, like, really don't have, umm, any experience if you are 16 years old, while most people here were, like, umpiring way before you were just a gleam in yo daddy's eye.

Only experience you have is at being young.

Tee, is there no "n" at the end of your name on e-mail address?