Plate Shoes
 

Ok stupid question... Get ready.... I'll be waiting for all the smart comments. How many times has it happened where you actually got hit on the foot working behind the plate with the plate shoes on? I hear everyone recommending plate shoes (and I'm getting them), but on average, how many times do you get hit in the foot where your plate shoes protect you? Just curious is all......

1st year ump here....Go easy on me.

It only takes one hit to turn your metatarsal bones to pins and screws! They do not take too kindly to lateral pressures such as a ball hitting them. People can argue but I simply say umpiring is a side-job. If you get hurt on your side-job and it affects your real job, how do you pay your bills?

Around 20 years ago, I had a partner who took a simple foul ball off his baseball cleats that he always wore at the plate. After he had his foot rebuilt he was released from his job because he could not climb ladders due to the injury. Not bad, 24 years doing his job and a foul ball changed everything! Is it worth it?

Here's some food for thought.

The answer to your question, "How many times have I been hit in the foot," is I don't know. I'm sure at least once or twice.

If I wasn't wearing plate shoes, I would be able to tell you, because I'm sure it would have hurt. I'm glad I don't really notice when it happens. Just like many first year umpires, I purchased a "flimsey" chest protector my first year because I was shocked at the price of a good one. One foul ball to the collar bone and I ordered my WV. Don't take the chance... get good equiptment.

Don't cheap out on plate shoes or CP. If you get a cheaper mask, its probably not more dangerous, just heavier, so you have to decide that based on comfort. No plate shoes/poor CP often = injury.

If you end up not likin' this umpin' stuff, you can always "re" Bay the equipment to another suck..errrrrr, umpire :D Good equipment always holds its resale value, and the market is steady.

Also, you can get stepped on by catchers. And while you can get made that he stepped back and cut your shiny new shoes, your feet are happy that you have them on.

Thinking back to last year, over the course of about 100 games I can recall being hit in the foot maybe three times and having a catcher step on my foot once. But since I had good shoes, no harm, no foul.

When I first started out years ago I wore typical baseball cleats because I didn't know any better. Even though I might have taken a couple of hits to the feet, I dodged the bullet and didn't suffer any serious injury. After my first year I invested in a pair of plate shoes.

First game with my shiny new shoes and a batter fouls one straight down and back off my big toe! At least the damage was limited to a permanent scuff in the leather and not a broken toe.

I was once working with a real talented young umpire, who I thought had real potential. I strongly suggested he invest in some plate shoes, and lose the baseball cleats he was using along with the guards attached to his shin guards (which only covered the top of his feet, not his toes).

Well long story short, a direct hit and two broken toes later, this young man no longer umpires. Oh, he tried after his toes healed, but he became a 'dancer', bailing out on anything in the dirt. His game was ruined out of fear of another injury.

Don't skimp on protection.

Easy answer for me...zero, nil, nada, zip in 15 years of umpiring. :eek:

I've been an umpire for 17 years. The first few years I wore black sneakers and got away with it. One day a game was cancelled due to lack of players, I I agreed to stay on to do a scrimmage (I don't do that any more) and took a pitch on my big toe. It hurt like h..l and it took six months to grow my nail back but I bought a pair of plate shoes that day.
Plate shoes, a cup, a good mask and substantial equipment are worth the investment. It takes only one good injury to put you out of commission

Or you can try to return it to the original manufacturer/distributor, even if you didn't buy the product from them. ;)

Abolutely, YES!

I don't assign partners, my assignor does that. Scratching a partner is not an option.

Ha! ....... :D

I took a hard enough shot in an adult league 2 years ago, it bent the metatarsal plate down to where I simply bought a new pair of plate shoes.

It only takes one shot.

Twice in seven years.