Paying For It Today...............

[BigUmp56]

I'm sure I mentioned here a year ago that I messed up and bought the Spot-Bilt plate shoes with the "hard" toe. Last night I got to the park for a three game assignment only to discover that I'd managed to leave my GD's at home. I had the Spot-Bilts in the bottom of my equipment locker, and figured, what the Hell, it's only two plates tonight and I'm sure I'll be alright.

WRONG!!

Bottom of the third inning of the first game and I'm on the stick. You guessed it, whammo, I take a foul ball right to the toe area of my right shoe. I must be a glutton for punishment, because I didn't throw the damned things away when I broke a toe the first time I got hit wearing them. I don't think anything is broken, but looking down at my foot today I discovered a whole new "Color Purple."

So, if any of you still have a pair hanging around, go and find them straight away and send them to Sanford and Sons!



Tim.

[ozzy6900]

Tisk, tisk, tisk! Tim, I thought we had a long discussion about those (piece of $hit) Spot-Built shoes after the first incident! Hopefully, you will recover quickly with no perminant problems. Burn those shoes!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Tim,

I have an extra pair if you want them too! Size 14, so there should be plenty of room in the toe!!

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Tim,

I have an extra pair if you want them too! Size 14, so there should be plenty of room in the toe!!

Maybe he could stuff some old socks in the toe for some extra padding!

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Maybe he could stuff some old socks in the toe for some extra padding!

Is that speaking from experience, Walt?

Tim, hope nothing's broken!

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Is that speaking from experience, Walt?

Tim, hope nothing's broken!

Well, I have been known to .... but that's a story for another day.

[L.A. Umpire Guy]

I had no idea that the Spot-Bilts were such crap. I used them for one season, and just didn't like the feel of them, but I thought that they were good protective shoes, but I guess I never had a bad toe plate incident.

I took an uncaught mid 80s hard sinker on the toe of my NB 450s on Sunday, and it took it beautifully.

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by L.A. Umpire Guy

I had no idea that the Spot-Bilts were such crap. I used them for one season, and just didn't like the feel of them, but I thought that they were good protective shoes, but I guess I never had a bad toe plate incident.

I took an uncaught mid 80s hard sinker on the toe of my NB 450s on Sunday, and it took it beautifully.

Those are never fun, but when you take a hit like that, and you're not getting carried off the field...you know it was money well spent on the shoes.

[canadaump6]

I took a ball off the shoe last evening. I made sure to tell the catcher I was glad I have steel toes, and a couple other times I told him he needs to block the ball.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by canadaump6

I took a ball off the shoe last evening. I made sure to tell the catcher I was glad I have steel toes, and a couple other times I told him he needs to block the ball.

I never shy away from telling a catcher in no uncertain terms that his #1 job priority is to keep the baseball off me. Everything else is of secondary importance.

If I keep getting hit because a catcher isn't trying very hard, I bring up the fact that his backup is just waiting to get in the game, and that I'll give him a try, and that he couldn't do much worse.