Do the participants really care how we are dressed

[mikebran]

I'm hearing old SNL routines (Fernando).

There are some truisms we need to agree on. (Although for some it will be painful).

UMPIRES as a species, are some of the most anal retentive bipeds on the planet. When the discussion gets to tee shirt colors and "piping" (who ever knew what that was)... please, make it stop!

However, in my long experience as a LLJV official, it find it MUCH EASIER, to take the path of PROFESSIONALISM (or as we call it here, Professional Amateur).. and that is to LOOK SHARP (or as much as I can). Shoes are clean, proper belt, (Ok, the right T Shirt). Since I get PAID to officiate I SPEND money on clothes and gear. I wear the Honigs Premiums, and wash them occasionally.

Again.. why not do it this way?

The Crusty Vets (CVs) who are ESTABLISHED and know every HS Coach (and have for years) can get away with showing up looking like slobs. Everyone else, why make things difficult.

AND JUST AS IMPORTANT... we have MANY MANY CVs here in the Frozen Tundra... and the vast majority of THEM go the way of the Professional Amateur. Excellent Officials and who LOOK, and PERFORM.

Why not?

Related story from the past:

Many of us can remember our early years of first dabbling in 60' LL baseball, and yes (we didn't know any better).. wore Jeans and a sweatshirt and the shins on the outside and hat backwards and the raft and would go :
"Strike Three YERRR OUT!!" and had timing like ****...

and no parent or kid or coaches really cared...

But apparently they "noticed"...

So during this time I am convinced to join a real association and get training and I learn some stuff and buy clothes and am lectured about "looking the part".. and I do that. So Myself and (other good umpire).. go to volunteer a couple LL games on a SAT and we walk on field with proper uniforms clean and shined and professional, and you can HEAR the crowd (yes there was one).. and it grows eerily quiet as we walk to the plate meeting and you can hear someone say, "Look, we have REAL umpires"

[Rich Ives]

Let me expand a bit.

A few years back (and I don't know if it was in a post or in an article here) someone said (paraphrased) that a college coach once told him that the well pressed uniform was only good up to the first pitch.

Tee's comment ( "I am only saying that a well dressed umpire will normally command a certain amount of respect UNTIL THE FIRST MISSED PITCH OR CLOSE CALL ON THE BASES!" ) goes in the same vein.

Post game discussions about umpires amongst coaches invariably revolve around how the game was called. I've never heard a comment like "Did you notice the piping on their shirts didn't match".

I wrote on this site once that I didn't care if an umpire showed up in cutoffs and a tank top as long as he could umpire. Having lived through many hundreds of games, my view hasn't changed. I've seen attrocious umpires and excellent umpires - both sharp dressers from associations and small town volunteers (attire varies considerably). The manner of dress as an indicator goes away very quickly once the game starts. Once you comprehend that, you can see why attire drops down list considerebly.

We can also see from this and other forums that some umpires have a far greater grasp of the rules and game management than others. I'm not convinced that attire is a factor.

As for store clerks, sometimes it's pretty easy to tell that the hotshot in his store "uniform" is more interested in selling you what benefits him the most versus what benefits you the most.

But it does boil down to how well you umpire. We DO want a consistent strike zone. We don't care if you yell "foul" on a ball popped back over the backstop.

It's about the effort one makes to be good, not unlike the athletes and coaches. To many of us, that means being good, not looking good.

[Emperor Ump]

Great topic.

I do believe appearance matters and wrote about it. Others have made some good points about vets getting a pass sometimes on appearance but they may have earned that by the quality of their work, but if they sharpened their appearance they would be the complete package.

For people with lesser experience looking sharp my be able to buy you a bit of wiggle room or "political capital" when a coach may want to challenge you. Coaches are predatory animals and if they sense weakness they will go in for the kill. Looking sharp on the field my be able to camouflage other secondary shortcomings on the field. Not to say a coach will grant you too much leeway if you blow one, but you may get the benefit of the doubt.

I think this has to do with the air of authority that comes from a sharp looking umpire who also knows how to use body language and posturing. If you stand upright with your chest out, shoulders back and chin up you look like a much more authoritative figure than someone who is a slouch.

[aschramm]

Originally Posted by Emperor Ump

Great topic.

I do believe appearance matters and wrote about it.

I just read that article, and thought it was pretty good. Just one question though, in your list of what not to wear, you mention "Nylon Mesh Hats". Do you mean the ones like this:

http://www.lestersupstatesports.com/...Hat-p-151.html

-Only I'm referring to the Cliff Keen baseball combo hat.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by aschramm

I just read that article, and thought it was pretty good. Just one question though, in your list of what not to wear, you mention "Nylon Mesh Hats". Do you mean the ones like this:

http://www.lestersupstatesports.com/...Hat-p-151.html

-Only I'm referring to the Cliff Keen baseball combo hat.

I think he is referring to the adjustable strap style nylon hats that you can actually see daylight through. The Cliff Keen style, like the mesh football hats are tightly constructed and look fine, plus they are fitted, which is the most important consideration. Nothing beats a fitted wool hat though. They take a crease better and look really sharp if you replace them in a timely manner. We used to tell guys with ugly hats to get an oil change in their hats.

[Emperor Ump]

Originally Posted by aschramm

I just read that article, and thought it was pretty good. Just one question though, in your list of what not to wear, you mention "Nylon Mesh Hats". Do you mean the ones like this:

http://www.lestersupstatesports.com/...Hat-p-151.html

-Only I'm referring to the Cliff Keen baseball combo hat.

Thank you!

Unfortunately here at work I cannot access any "shopping" sites so I cant see specifically what you are speaking of available at Lesters now.

I am primarily referring to the "trucker" style hats that you can see through. But, I personally don't care for some of the higher quality mesh caps overall. The ones I've seen vary widely among the color, the material, etc... I saw one which I liked you could barely tell from more than 5' away it wasn't wool, but was not able to find those myself.

Our association in their appearance guidelines does not allow any mesh caps and is speciffic to fitted wool navy caps.

Originally Posted by Emperor Ump

Our association in their appearance guidelines does not allow any mesh caps and is speciffic to fitted wool navy caps.

Man, I wish our association would get rid of the mesh caps. I think they look awful! I have never seen the better umpires wear them. So, what does that tell you?

For that matter, I wish out associations board of directors (hint hint Tim C) would nut up and require that we all get the same darn hat! Right now, we still have guys wearing these old caps that are a lighter blue than the newer hats. Then, we have a bunch of those cheap ATL's, and are still selling them to guys. At least last year it was decided to go with the Richardson's, which are SO MUCH BETTER than those cheap ATL's that fade quickly and don't hold shape very well.

Also, insignia's on shirts! They piss me off!!! I could care less if you buy Gerry Davis, Majesty, or Honigs. But you know what, I already PAID for that shirt, and I don't need to be reminded of what I bought! But gosh dangit, why does everybody have to have a stupid insignia to GIVE AWAY the fact that the umps are shopping at different places. While a small thing, it is just another hole in the armor known as "uniform".

Between fading plate pants to fade to pink of purple, shirts with different insignia's, differing hat colors and styles, belts, shoes, umpires are a mess to look at.

[justanotherblue]

You can cover some of the insignia's with a sewn on flag.