Best/Worst ideas and innovations in umpiring and baseball in general.
 

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days and one of the best things to happen in Major League Baseball was to merge the AL and NL umpires together into one officiating body.

Share your thoughts as to the best or worst ideas to come alpng the pike over the years. It does not have to refer to MLB specifically.

By far the best innovation is the Mudd Rubber machine which not only automatically rubs up the baseballs but also makes the perfect mudd by mixing just the right amount and consistency of speacial dirt and water.

UES

The inside chest protector.

Worst Idea: You Tube.

Second worst idea: Televising the LL world series.

Bestest: Them miracle fiber long johns with the cup recepticule

Almost bestest: The WestVest

Third worsetest: The K-Zone and its brethren

Penultimate worsetest: QuesTec

Absolute worsetest: Timothy McCarver

Ace

I hear the local San Francisco association loves this item!

:D

Worst: The extinction of the plate coat virtually all levels.

Best: The extinction of the '76 NL hat.

Hey! I still wear a plate coat! I do not wear a pullover at the plate! :D

So do I. It has made, I have noticed, a small comeback on the MLB level.

Tied for Worst: Brush with integral bat gauge....
Three or two seam Umpires cap (Beanie type)

Best for umpiring: Micro Mesh Shirts

Worst for umpiring: Little League Umpire's clinic (It should be One system of umpiring for all governing bodies)

Best for Baseball: Artificial Lighting.

Worst for Baseball: Bud Selig as commissioner

I bought a penis hat (cause when you wear one, you look like one, with ears) as a joke this season. In black. I figure I'll bring it out at the right moment, like when I need people to laugh at me rather than yell at me. :)

:D
Be sure to wear coke bottle glasses with it. :D

Methinks you should wear it on a base job--with ball bag and brush, of course.

One time, a well-meaing friend bought me a "fab" ump's kit for my birthday: Adjustable p-hat, vinyl ball bag, indicator with 15 wheels on it--the works. I donated the stuff to the local LL.

Ace

Worst: Partners who make up excuses why they can't do the plate! They then say they only have navy, when it is 95 degrees!