Do the participants really care how we are dressed
 

Hi all:

Nigel's recent thread and Rich Ives response prompted me for this thread.


Whenever the word "Smitty" comes up I believe the first comment on the list is the way the umpire was dressed and then all the "other stuff"

Other than our peers and association mandates regarding dress apparel ie; HS, College etc. the question?

Do people really care how we look out there.

Let's take Nigel's case. Perhaps at the beginning of the game the participants got a good laugh but as the game progressed as long as they saw Nigel Hustle and call a good game is what is most important.

We talk about the BU carrying a ball bag or the PU wearing shin guards on top of their jeans etc.

BUT if they call a good game isn't that what is most important?

Before, everyone "jumps on me" I am in no way advocating that the BU carry a ball bag on the bases or wear shin guards on the outside of jeans etc.

I am merely pointing out that as Rich Ives suggested the dress issue is more of a concern for Umpire vs. umpire or association protocol than the participants.

I am sure we all know some umpires who are dressed sharp have the latest and greatest apparel etc. but when they step on the field the coaches "cringe" and say to themselves "Not him again"

So let's take away umpire associations for a minute in which we are mandated to dress a certain way. Is apparel that important of an issue for the participants or is it more of an umpire vs. umpire issue


Hey guys/gals it's been slow or

Perhaps it's "Pete are you for real with this" but like I said it's been slow

Pete Booth

Wow!
 

Excellent post Peter -- let's look at it from two different sides:

1) Cliff Gustafson told me that when an umpire walked onto his field he could "tell" which umpire he was going to have trouble with.

2) I have said repeatedly over the years that only "other umpires" and evaluators care what umpires look like.

While these two items seem to be disassociated thet are, in fact, related.

Until the internet I never heard of umpires disagreeing on what color an undershirt should be . . .

Until the internet I had never heard that shirts of crew members should match all the way to the order of the piping on a sleeve.

Here's what we run into, in my opinion, with umpire decorum:

As more and more professionally trained umpires come into groups that umpire non-professional games there is a change in standards. Because these school graduates were evaluated heavily during school those requirements begin to find a road into local associations.

Any time there is an evaluator involved they must, by nature, find something that separates one umpire from another that is more lowly rated. What we wear starts to show at this level.

Like you I am not an advocate of base umpires with ball bags, or leg guards on the exterior of a plate pant . . . 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!

We exaggerate EVERYTHING about umpiring on the internet because there are only a certain amount of topics that can be discussed.

I am glad we have standards and over the last 40 years that I have worked I have seen a marked change in the overall professionalism of sport officials. How we dress and what we wear is a small part of that.

Regards,

I believe that what you're wearing and how you carry yourself is of greater importance the higher up the ladder you go. Parents of six year old players want to watch their kids play and don't pay a great deal of attention to how an umpire is dressed. On the other end of the spectrum, at the D1 NCAA level an umpire's appearance is the first impression of how serious the umpire is about his craft (not to mention supervisors' requirements).

Of course, I've always told young umpires, "If you can't BE good, you can at least LOOK good!" :D

JJ

Good post and I agree.

You only have one chance to make a first impression that day.

If you were walking down the street and there was a guy who had stringy hair, not shaven, dirty/worn/wrinkled clothes on, worn and dirty shoes, and he approached you needing "help", you would distrust this person, and worry that it is possibly a set up for a scam or to be robbed.

A lesser example would be you go into a store to purchase something, and the sales person is wearing high water pants, and a shirt combo that doesn't match very well. You would immediately assume that this person does NOT know what they are talking about (unless this is a Radio Shack! ;)) and would be looking around for somebody that looks more "professional".

Lets face it, the second you walk out onto the field, people are sizing you up! The fans, the players, and the coaches. If you have dirty shoes, wrinkled pants, dirty shirt, people are going to subconsciously think that you don't care about what is going on. As an umpire, YOU ARE A PERSON OF AUTHORITY, and people assume that a person of authority will be well dressed. If you aren't, they doubt that you take what you do seriously.

The reason it is called a "UNIFORM" is because everybody is supposed to wear the same thing. When you get some dingbat that wants "something a little different from everybody else", you have problems as being perceived as a "TEAM" on the field. Yes, it is subtle, but if the two umpires are not attired EXACTLY the same, people are going to assume that you two are not on the same sheet of music, and they are going to look to badger the person they perceived as the weaker partner. UNIFORMS remove the bias, that is why we are asked to wear them.

I spent many years "being a little bit different". Wearing oddball plate shoes, combo pants while on the plate, pants that were a shade of gray a little different than the "norm", etc... I was not taken seriously by coaches and players, because simply, I did not look like the good umpires they have had! That is the bottom line. The GOOD UMPIRES dressed a certain way, and when they seen me not dressed like that, every judgment call I had to make came into question. All that simply over the way I dress!

I DO think people notice and care about how we dress. Certainly it isn't something most people are going to be able to articulate, but, it makes a difference.

It actually pisses me off royally that the two associations I belong to have VERY loose uniform standards. :mad: I am all for expecting a certain brand/style of pant, shirt, undershirt, ball bags, hat, and maybe even shoes! but I would settle for just pant, shirt, hat. But crap, we don't even have every guy matching in that way! :( It is embarrassing to go out not looking like my partner.

Anyway, just my .02 worth.

It matters to me
 

It does matter to me as a coach how the umpires are dressed when they arrive. This could partly be because this is something I am a stickler about with my players. I had an umpire last year who had his shirt tail out most of the game and wore his hat backward under his mask. Guess what? He was also one of the worst umpires I have ever had. Shortly after having him, his assigner sent me an email appologizing for his umpire's unprofessionalism. However, clothes to not always make the man. One of the umpires that I frequently see is probably the most sharply dressed in the world. This does not make him a good umpire. He is one of those guys that make you cringe when you see him walk onto the field. Outside of these two examples, pretty much the rest of the umpires I have are both sharply dressed and high quality umpires.

It is better to look good than to feel good
 

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"

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.

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.

In a word, yes.

Years ago I was discussing this with a D-iii skipper. He made this observation:

"I have seen a few sh!tty umpires come out looking like top flight umpires, but I have never seen real top flight umpires come out looking like sh!tty umpires."

Up here in CT, most of the HS coaches know what you should look like on the field. Old cronies such as myself are known to almost all of the Varsity coaches, so if I were to show up without my uniform and do the bases, they know what kind of umpire I am. They know that they will get the same umpire no matter what I am wearing (alright, I heard that wise-a$$ remark, Tim :D). Of course, I would not dream of stepping on a field without the proper attire because that is part of my preparation as an umpire.

On the other side of the coin, I have seen spotless, perfectly pressed uniforms coupled with perfectly shined shoes, patent leather belt, cap creased in a professional manner, only to encrust a hopeless individual. It's like anything else, you can lead a horse to water and you can put the pigs in the barn, but in the end, integrity is what really wins out.

I recently had the opportunity to watch my fearless Commissioner work a Dimaggio championship game. He was U1, wearing shorts, with white socks, his partner behind the plate was properly dressed. Both had different powder blue shirts on. Mr. Commissioner had the powder with navy/white piping, the plate umpire was wearing the powder with black. The comments ran from, "these guys are a joke", to "these guys don't care about the game", to "these guys are clowns". And they were putting on a show for the crowd. The plate umpire engaged the crowd several times, as U1 was OOO, with his mechanics and game managment. To the degree of having more comments from the crowd saying how they think the game is about them. I had worked multiple games for both of these teams, and I was un-recognized as an official. As I was talking to another official whose son was playing, and another players father who made these comments. I take that as a compliment to not be recognized as an official. So does appearance matter, I guess it's just how you want to be perceived.

Overall, It's a matter of respect.

It's respect for the game, there is no reason or excuse to show up with a mustard, dirt and sweat stained shirt, that hasn't seen a washing machine all season.

It's respect for the league your representing.

Most importantly it's respect for yourself.

You can be an average at best umpire, there isn't any reason not to have over all respect for the game, league and especially yourself. Coach's can see if your out there working hard, trying to get into position to make the correct call. They can tell if your out there attending clinics and at least trying to improve yourself. They can and will argue just about anything that happens on the field, fighting for their team. It's your actions that will take away that respect, why take it away before the first pitch with your appearance.

But the point is, you DON'T show up like that. That's what the skipper in my post was alluding to. Top umpires know to look the part.

Not all umpires who look good are good. But nearly all umpires who look like sh!t, are.

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.

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.

Man, I wish our association would get rid of the mesh caps. :mad: 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!!! :mad: 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. :(

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

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.

I'm confused. How does a hat "not work" forward?

It's probably a regular hat in which the brim is too big- so it would "not work" forward.

I have accidentally grabbed my base hat for doing the plate. while a bit "snug", I have had no problems with getting my mask on. When taking the mask off, I just have to pull a tad harder out to clear the bill. No big deal.

Wearing a hat backwards just looks silly!

I use 8 stitch "normal" hats for all my umpiring. I just takes a bit of practice.

I don't do combos or beanies, per the request of Jimmy Dugan.

I wore 8-stitch hats for everything until I got the new titanium Wilson mask, which is lower profile. I broke down and bought some 4-stitch hats.

For most masks, an 8-stitch works just as easily as a 4-stitch if you remember the mask goes out, then up.

I typically wear a 6 stitch hat behind the plate, I really don't care for the 4 stitch ones. But like Kyle & Rich have said an 8 can be worn with out too much problem, depending on the mask. I have worn my 8 stitch twice with my dynalite mask and all works fine, but it takes some conscious effort to remove your mask swiftly.

Sure it would. I will occasionally work the plate with a regular (8-stitch) bill, sometimes a 6-stitch. Loosen the mask straps, remember to pull out first, etc., etc...

I wear my base hat (8 stitch) when instructing the younglings at the clinics. When we get the part of teaching how to properly remove the mask, I watch for the youngling having the most trouble, borrow his/her mask and show them that even with the "wrong" hat and a borrowed, unfitted mask, it is the mechanic that removes the mask and leaves the hat in place.

That stated, I use a combo hat at the plate when I work (6 stitch) because it is comfortable (fitted of course), looks good, and I don't have any doubt that it will remain on my head. Beside, I never had any of our customers come out and measure the brim of my hat. Hat - cap who cares what you call it!

Oh yes, and we have several of our members who have ordered new "bird's bill", Jimmy Dugan specials over the last couple of years. No one (except your's truly) dares to say anything to them about their hats! :D

Well, this thread has (predictably) strayed away from the original question, and has become once again a fashion topic. Or the ever-popular "how long is your bill?"

My strongly held position, based on attending way too many baseball games in my role as a dad, is that the participants truly don't care how an umpire is dressed. At the D1 level, if a plate umpire were to show up in blue jeans, with the leg guards (necessarily) worn on the outside, it would be noticed because it would be completely outside the norm. But the participants wouldn't care or withhold respect. (Of course there are some participants who would be unhappy regardless.) Respect stems from competence, and competence or the lack of shows up quickly for a plate umpire.

In reality, except for new umpires, the participants already have formed their opinion based on previous games.

There's nothing wrong with dressing the part, and I suspect it helps some umpires be confident and competent. It almost certainly is an important aspect of moving up in the ranks. But the participants form their opinions based on primarily an umpires actions.

You have (predictably) missed the point many were trying to make in this thread.

I guess I'll reply to the topic of "participants"...once the game is going for a couple of innings, and you show you have control with good zone, timing, and all the other tools....it just doesn't matter what you look like, but how you act and how your field presence shows you have been there with the polish of the above skills...It proved itself in my OP on "smitty"

Good fodder though Pete..we have people in our association who like being that "not him again" guy...I would like to be under the radar myself when it comes to that quote..

fwiw..l wear a 6 stitch on the plate and 8 on the bases...richardson is all we wear..

I strongly disagree with you being an ex-professional player, an ex-coach, an umpire, a father of a pitcher and being in the game for almost 45 years! But then, what do I know...... I'm just a dumb umpire!

I would tend to agree with the above post...to a point...in many leagues all the players care about is that the umps shows up on time and does a good job. Just because that's might be the case, that doesn't mean we as umpires don't care about our appearance simply because our customers don't care...

my .02
 

I took this thought to heart...I applied this to my 2 associations....man by man with my regular partner and our assignor...The 3 of us went down the roster and almost to a man we agreed that the umpires that are consistently rated as the best are also the better dressed umpires...

The only few (3) exceptions were very senior umpires who have allowed thier uniforms standards to lag as they transistion out ...

If by "missed the point" you mean "not convinced of the point", then I plead guilty.

No, you definitely missed it. You should re-read it all very carefully.

Now if you got the point many of us are making, and you are still not convinced, then really, there is nothing to say to you. You would never advance very high in any kind of officials association, and would probably never amount to any kind of decent official, and frankly, would have an opinion that no decent official would really care about.

I know plenty of coaches who also umpire. Come dressed like a hobo, and they're going to ride you like a rented mule.

My son, who is a pretty decent umpire, is coaching 13u travel ball. He kills umpires who show up dressed improperly. It's a big red flag that states "I have no idea what I'm doing out here".

Combo hats are 4 stitch. Short-bill base hats are 6 stitch. I find that the bills on combo hats are too short for plate work. I too like the 6 stitch for the plate and 8 stitch long-bill hats for the bases.

Oh My Gosh,
 

Rei and I are in the same high school association. I am an umpire observer for his college group. I post this so you all can recognize that even two umpires in the same group can see things through different colored glasses.

The Portland Baseball Umpires Association is made up of around 175 people from varied backgrounds.

We have umpires of all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and ages.

I couldn't disagree more with Rei on this specific subject. The Original post asked do "participants" care how umpires look. My answer to that is a firm "no."

From my experience the PBUA still sends guys to upper level (and playoff) games that dress horribly.

All the regulars know that I am a grear junky. I have both plate and base pants in heather and charcoal and I carry 47 different shirts to every game. I STILL CANNOT MATCH EVERY OTHER PBUA MEMBER WHEN IT COMES TO SHADE OF PANT OR SHIRT OR PIPING PATTERN ON SLEEVES.

Participants want a good solid job of umpiring. While having never worked a small diamond game I have heard gasps and "gee, we get real umpires today!" when I have been near a game of young players. That isn't how I viewed this original post.

Rei and I lament annually about the caps our umpires wear. We have ba$terized that selection by using several different suppliers over the past five years. As umpires that work non-professional games how much investment (money) can we expect our members to pony-up?

Wear a clean uniform and wipe dirt and dust from your shoes before each game. That will "impress" those that count and leave the "uniform police" to worrying about each other.

And Rei, just because Dave Reed doesn't agree with you does not mean he should burn in he11 . . . he has a right to an opinion.

Regards,

Post this question on a coaches board, or players board and I would bet that 99.9% of them could care less about what the umpires wore.

They want a consistent strike zone, hustle into positions, confident calls etc. etc.etc.

And way down at the bottom of the list "appearance".

As we all can see, post this on an umpires forum, better than 80% think you cant go anywhere without dressing the part.

I personally do not dress the part, for a couple of reasons:
The main one, is that I am confident enough that my umpiring abilities will overshadow my dressing abilities.
I do not wish to advance at this time. I do mostly volunteer games anyway. I have done some V and JV high school games, where there is pay, but I can assure you, in my area, they could care less about how you dress.

Perhaps it's a local thing.

But trust me, in SoCal, if you show up for a game not looking sharp, coaches take note. And you'll never hear it directly. They won't say "You goof, you've got your hat on backwards, that's way you missed that call!". They'll just say "Aw S@#$" to themselves as you walk on the field.


When I'm in the dugout, I'll size up the umpire when he hits the gate. Polished shoes, black ball bags, no beanie, etc. means he might have a clue. If a guy rolls out with pants that are wrinkled, he's saying he doesn't care about the GAME. No just himself, that's obvious, but the GAME.

They say that looking the part will get you through the first two innings. Maybe it's a personal thing, but I just like looking good, no matter what I'm doing. If you don't care about your apperance, perhaps you've chosen the wrong hobby. Remeber, there's always fishing.

Rei with all due respect Dave has a point. We all know that for the most part in order to advance in an umpire association there is a certain dress code. However, that's not what I asked.

Here is the crux of my OP

I am not talking about our peers or specific umpire associations. I am STRICTLY speaking as Tee said about the participants view.

I am assuming you read Nigel's thread about doing a game in shorts because he left his "stuff" home. At the beginning perhaps some got a laugh but as the game progressed IMO, the particpants cared more about how good his zone was etc. Granted he was solo but as long as he was hustling etc. that's all they really care about.

If Nigel did a good job he would most likely be requested to do another of thier games.

Our peers and umpire association perspectives are vastly different from that of participants.

Pete Booth

Shame on your son for being such a rat. If he truly is a decent umpire, he would never "kill umpires" or let anyone from his staff do the same. Let your son know that he can be an umpire or a rat, not both.

I agree. Here in SoCal it's all about looks. I've sat in the stands and heard people saying things about a raggedy umpire's appearance, so I know that people are paying attention.

There is this guy in my former association who I had never met and I was assigned to work an adult league game with him. Like me, he was around 40 at the time. I rolled up into the parking lot, and he was finishing up getting dressed. I looked at him and could not believe how wrinkled his pants were, and all purple from being old. His shirt was equally wrinkled and his shoes were dirty and his hat needed an oil change. He wore a totally worn out brown belt.

He did a really good job during the game, which surprised me. He was a darn good umpire, but because of his appearance I had prejudged him. He told me after the game that he didn't know why our assignor kept giving him JV and other lousy assignments. I suggested that he get himself some new pants and to press his shirts (at the time they were Elbeco) and get a shine on his shoes, replace his hat, etc. I told him that perception is reality, and nobody is going to give him a favorable rating because of how he looked.

Well, the moral of the story is that he took my advice to heart. He bought a pair of patent leather plate shoes that another umpire was selling, purchased real umpire pants and new shirts. He got himself some new hats and a new belt. He squared himself away. He started getting good varsity games and then was recruited by the college association to do college ball.

By that time, we had become pretty good friends and ended up working some really good wood bat collegiate summer games together several years down the road.

I know that umpires place more importance on appearance than most coaches or players do. But there are those out there who know what an umpire is supposed to look like, and aren't shy about pointing out ugly when they see it. Not everyone thinks that umpires wear their hats backwards or their shin guards on the outside of the pants.

Come dressed like a hobo, and they're going to ride you like a rented mule.

I've seen some pretty well dressed umpires in my area get railed pretty good conversely, I've seen the other side as well. TimC's post just a few above mine, pretty much sums it up for me.

OK Kyle, and be honest now, did you think like that before you took up umpiring?

The point is that many coaches and players are also umpires and know what an umpire is supposed to look like. Even those who don't umpire still know what crap looks like and don't step in it. Maybe you don't care what the umpires look like but out here if one of the two partners is dressed poorly, the response is that "the umpires looked like sh!t today." I've overheard it on several occasions.

I personally have never just wiped the dust off my shoes to work a baseball game. Even between games I washed and re-polished my shoes. I wouldn't have dreamed of going on the ball field looking anything but sharp, and can't imagine anyone not having the same amount of pride in their appearance. I just don't understand how any umpire could walk on the field looking like they escaped from a homeless shelter.

This is a great point...

It goes to pride. Those who take pride in their work are going to dress better, work harder on their mechanics, study the rules more in depth and therefore be better umpires.

Back to the original post do the participants care? I believe yes, to a lesser extent than other umpires, but they do still care. Maybe in my area and it sounds like in SoCal too (based on SDS & Kyles comments) the expectation has been set and the participants and parents know what an umpire should look like. I do also agree that they will probably be able to set aside their prejudices once an umpire demonstrates his ability, for better or worse.

IMO, Tee's response sums it up best

"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!"

IMO, it's like many things in life.

When we played and had to pick players that we have not seen before etc. we picked those players based upon how they dressed meaning did they look like a ball player or an athlete because that's all we had to go on, however,

Once we saw them play if they were good they could come to the next game "naked" for all we cared

We all come from different parts of the country and YES it's been known that a well dressed umpire will command a certain amount of respect etc. however, once the game begins the coach inevitably wll be concerned with the following:

1. Positioning of the umpire crew.
2. PU's consistency calling balls / strikes
3. Umpire teammwork meaning does the PU bust his but covering third base when needed.
4. Overall hustle of the umpiring crew and perhaps one of the most important
5. Umpire demeanor.

Now if the umpires in addition to looking bad also call a horrible game then I agree the first words from the coaches would be based upon dress and then get into all the other stuff.

I have umpired games when I didn't have my apparel because of emergencies etc. Ultimately how I called the game was how I was judged.

I dress appropriately becasue of pride just like when I go to work and also as many of us - To remain in good standing with our various umpire associations. BUT

Suppose we were independent meaning had no association to report to so to speak and no mandates on dress code what would happen.

The umpires who indeed dressed the best would most likely get the first assignments however, after the "dust settled" those umpires who were qualified would start getting the bulk of the work.

Not a bad topic when things are as slow as they have been.

Pete Booth

Tim, while I appreciate your input, I don't like having words being put in my mouth, or having things I have written intoned to be something other than they are.

I don't recall you "observing" ANY NCUA games this last season.

Also, the PBUA roster is currently at 159, and this includes the commissioner who works maybe 1 or 2 games a year, and a few other guys that maybe work 1 game a week during high school to "help out". I would put our number at about 150 tops! I would estimate that less than 100 of them do more than 40 games a year!

Dear Rei:
 

At seasons end we had over 170 umpires that had been part of the PBUA (school and summer seasons).

Also you can check either with the President of your College group or the assignor (I think you know him) and confirm that I was indeed a college umpire observer. I have already agreed to do it next season also.

You are correct in the number of games that I actually had a "for pay" evaluation last season.

I have stayed silent in respect to our association(s) when you have made several wild statements on this board. I will no longer offer you that professional respect.

You wrote your words and I only corrrectly quoted them.

Live in your own mess.

Regards,

LOL...ok Tim. Remember though, that does work both ways! ;)

Honestly, I started umpiring about the same time I started managing. There were a pair of hobo's umpire a LL game I was coaching, and instead of complaining out loud I decided I could do a better job than they could. (Kind of a put up, or shut up thing).

Patris, quare me repulisti?

Suppose you go to watch your favorite team play - and they play poorly. As you leave you just might say "Boy, they sure looked like crap today".

Are you referring to their performance or their attire? Got a picture of Ben says you're talking about their performance.

Why do you think a similar comment about the officials would be about their attire?

You would lose. I'm talking about appearance, their dress, etc. They have gone on to elaborate about specific things such as "looked like he slept in his uniform" and other such comments.

I am also speaking generally that if one partner looks really sharp, and the other partner looks like a bum, the only thing the coaches will usually remember is that "they looked bad," not "he looked bad." The poorly dressed official reflects negatively in the perception of the entire crew.

Now, yes I have been lumped in with a partner who blew several easy, obvious calls on the bases. I ended up being scratched from that teams playoff games because the JV coach had the varsity squad that day, and couldn't tell the varsity coach which of the two umpires sucked that day, so he scratched us both.

Typical coach mentality, present company excluded. :)

Guys,

It must be an area thing. Last year our LL area held the district tournament. While I was checking the equipment, I overheard the manager tell his kids we had really good umpires today ( me and two of my brothers ). Now were we dressed to the nines? NO, but by the same token we weren't dressed as hobos either, I had shorts on that day because it was very hot and humid.
I did not know this guy at all, maybe word travels about umpiring ability.
By the same token, I think word travels about non umpiring abilities as well.
Maybe bad attire is the final icing on the cake as to completely sucking, but what is the difference if you hear "Looks really, really sharp but sucks on the field" ?

Ha!

IF you were within listening distance, what you heard was the coach kissing up to you.

Shorts?! Umpire shorts? Really?

:confused:
Shorts? At a district tournament? It must either be an area thing or LL has a slowpitch softball division I don't know about.

I saw the Major League Lacrosse all star game on ESPN and the officials were wearing shorts. I've seen NFL officials wear shorts in scrimmages. Shorts in high school and youth football are common. In Summer basketball many officials wear shorts.

What is the big deal with someone wearing shorts to officiate baseball?

Easy. In most other sports the officials are more (how can I put this nicely) athletic. Baseball umpires have lots of fellows that are under no circumstances allowed in public wearing shorts.

Here's a visual for you: Joe West wearing shorts at second base.

Case closed.

p.s. this goes for cops too.
http://www.bwilms.com/pictures/2003/...23_reno911.jpg

I haven't posted before this... just read a lot of what you guys say, but this one thing rings very true with me. I literally got into umpiring as soon as I could after seeing my son through high school as a coach. The umpiring was so poor and downright disrespectful to the game that I had to get into it just to make a contribution. And just by knowing the game very well and also being the best-dressed umpire I could I soared through the ranks fairly quickly. And most of the time I was advancing, my partners with the sweaty adjustable uncreased mesh caps, wrinkled and faded combo slacks, dusty shoes, and shiny nylon shirts ...or some combination of all of those things were always wondering aloud why they aren't getting evaluated or assigned to better games.

The participants that are just happy to have umpires show up don't care if they are adhering to our true standard so their audience doesn't care. But first tier varsity level H.S. and J.C. level participants and audience members expect us to look the part ... all shiny and creased. Youth ball which I still coach during the fall is definitely not seasoned enough audience wise to care or know better. So I guess they start caring somewhere between JV and varsity in high school.

I don't care what the players, coaches or fans think about how I dress. I'm the only one that counts, and I choose to look professional (actually, better than MLB guys) whenever I step on the field. It's a personal thing.

Whenever I am asked advice about anything regarding attire and equipment, I freely offer my advice to my partners. But if they don't ask what i think, I just let them go out there looking like they look. But I'm with you, I cant go out there unless I'm dressed to the nines.