umpire equipment

[bossman72]

I haven't found much that was "bad" in my days as an umpire. Here is a list of equipment that I have and a brief review of it:

Shirts - I like the Cliff Keen shirts the most. Smitty's "comfort tech" shirts are ok, but the local supplies store only sells Smitty, so I'm limited on selection.

Hat - Richardson hats are very good

Mask - I have the Wilson Dyna-lite mask and it has served me very well. There are lighter masks, but this one doesn't bother me and it's not that expensive.

Chest Protector - I have the Wilson MLU. I think it is the best value out there for a chest protector. If you buy one, you should get one that is hard shelled.

Pants - Smitty pants are fantastic. I've had my pair for about 3 years now and they are JUST starting to show some color fading. I had a pair of Cliff Keen combos and they lasted about 1 season before turning pink. Stay away.

Shin guards - Dime a dozen. Not really important which ones you choose. I have wilson shin guards and they work just fine (I cut the metatarsal flap off of it because it's useless with my plate shoes).

Shoes - I have the Tanel 360's and I love them. They are very light and comfortable. I also like the look of them (as opposed to the frankenstein Spot Built shoe). But there are many different brands of shoes out there to try. I have spot built base shoes and they are very good as well.


I hope this review was helpful!