Do the participants really care how we are dressed

[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.

[yawetag]

I'm loving this thread.

As a fairly new umpire (2 years experience and just getting ready for my first year of HS ball), I don't have much experience to back me up in situations. With that, I made sure I had two things working for me:

1. Knowledge of the rules, and
2. Appearance.

At least, I thought I did.

When I signed up for my first umpiring gig (a small city league that teams up with other cities), all I got uniform-wise was a velcro-backed hat and a red umpire shirt. When I asked about pants and shoes, I was told, "We prefer black pants, but wear whatever you want." I didn't know how true this statement would be.

That night, I asked my wife what color would look good as an undershirt. I was told black, so that's what I did. I had an older, but still good-looking, pair of black slacks, so I used those. I went out and bought what I'd worn for years on a ball field: cleats. I also poured over the league's rules, as well as OBR, since they used them when league rules didn't specifically rule it out.

When I arrived at the field the next afternoon (almost an hour early), I was fully dressed, minus the cleats. I walked into the field house, and only the UIC was there. About 15 minutes before the start of the games, MOST of the umpires were there. What surprised me was that the "whatever you want" statement was true. Some were wearing shorts, one was wearing tan pants, and others were wearing jeans. I was confused. Not only that, some didn't even have the shirt that was given; most were wearing a red t-shirt, but a couple weren't. It looked like the UIC had just walked down Main Street and randomly picked people to umpire.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I wasn't perfect. I wore my shin guards on the outside (I didn't know any better, and that's what everyone else did), and I still wear a hat backwards (I was never given one that would work forward, and I have yet to find one in a store that would work) and cleats (plate shoes weren't worth the expense for the league I was umpiring).

I have since learned my lesson, and will make sure I'm correctly clothed for next season. I don't do it for the coaches, the players, or the fans. I do it for me and my crew.

A wise man once said that you "only have one chance to make a first impression." I hold this very true and try my hardest to make sure I'm looking the best I can when I walk onto the field. I can only hope the rest of my crew feels the same.