Was PU with a BU that did primarily softball. After a play at 3B, he called time, took a plate (base) brush out of his back pocket and brushed off 3B. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I work with a guy that does it after every slide into 2B. He's big into softball. I too think this is an accepted mechanic in softball. He brushes off the rubber between innings too.

Hell, I would call time and go kick the dirt back on the base or pitchers plate. What a smitty.

Yup! Heck I've done it myself though only on a softball diamond. :)

Somebody
 

Somebody ought to post this thread on the SB forum, and then sit back and watch the sparks fly..

Or we could tell them how bad the hammer looks when SBumpires do it on every pitch and out.....

Cleaning the pitcher's plate is actually expected in softball. It's not a big deal to me. I don't usually clean the bases. If I can see the base, it's fine.

If I umpire softball, do I wear my tights on the outside of my pants?

Sorry guys, just trying to steer this back to the OP's question.

Some of the guys I saw in softball only wore shin guards under the knee (like soccer shins), so I guess there wouldn't be any need for tights.
I had one man who laughed at me for wearing baseball gear, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I secretly wanted him to take one off the kneecap that day.


Back to the OP, my McDavids seem to run just a little big, and I don't like the feel of the floating cup. I wear a pair of UnderArmor compressions with the tights over the top. I like the feel of the extra pair, and the UA cup pocket is more comfortable to me.

If you think that's bad, my partner wears the soccer-like shin guards for baseball!!! This is the first full season that I have worked with him and I'm just amazed by it. I grew up playing baseball with his son and he does a great job but he wears those tiny shin-only guards. I think he is crazy and I've told him that. I told him this weekend that I'm not going to pick it old a$$ up and take him the hospital if he gets hit in the knee on a foul ball straight back. He laughed and I replied, "no, I'm serious. Get yourself some real shin guards!". I just couldn't imagine not being protected.

-Josh

Yes. That is asinine. Totally.

I can sort of (but not really) understand it for LL stuff. He wears a westvest for high school and lighter chest protector for LL. I certainly like my knees too much to even take a LL foul ball. Obviously he has never taken one squarely off the knee.

-Josh

When I was coaching 13/14 PONY, there was a local guy who rolled without shin guards. I asked him about it, and he said he just got behind the catcher, and had never been hit. So it got me thinking.

I had my catcher squat down about a foot off the plate. Not move over, but start there. Sure enough, this PU went with him, and called those pitches strikes all game long. Needless to say, we won all of those games.

What a bonehead.

I use the McDavids, and when it is brutally cold , I think that is all season in Illinois, I wear a pair of windstoppers with them. Started wearing them in football and I wear them more in baseball season.

When you guys wear your tights behind the plate, how does the cup fit? I wore a pair of compression shorts with a jock strap on the outside holding my cup and it didn't feel like it protected my "guys." It felt like it rode up and they were hanging below the cup itself.

My summer tights have a cup pocket and it feels fine. My winter tights are long underwear with a standard jock and cup over. Also feels fine. In fact, I recently wore this combination and was quite comfortable. You using a bannana cup?