Ball Bag Color HS: Blue, Grey or Black

[njdevs00cup]

Is there a specified color for the ball bag(s) while working a HS game?

[Klokard]

Blue with navy or HS blue shirt, black with black, cream or polo blue shirt.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

Is there a specified color for the ball bag(s) while working a HS game?

No, unless your local (or state) association has such a policy.

I use what Klokard does.

Some follow the "wear black; you purse should match your shoes" philosophy.

[kylejt]

I have to recant my black only stance.

Last week a friend of mine was working the dish wearing the GD gray pants, with matching charcoal ball bags. Now that's a sharp looking combo.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Too bad the GD ball bags are so inferior. Don't get started with them. You'll regret it if you do.

(This message is a public service message to all umpires from an umpire who made the mistake of believing that the Gerry Davis ball bags were professional ball bags.)

[kylejt]

Thanks Kevin. I haven't pushed the "CONFIRM YOUR ORDER" button on them yet. I'm down to my last set of black +POS bags though, and will need some sort of replacements.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by kylejt

Thanks Kevin. I haven't pushed the "CONFIRM YOUR ORDER" button on them yet. I'm down to my last set of black +POS bags though, and will need some sort of replacements.

Check these out.

Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by kylejt

Thanks Kevin. I haven't pushed the "CONFIRM YOUR ORDER" button on them yet. I'm down to my last set of black +POS bags though, and will need some sort of replacements.

Honig's are the definitive ball bags. Excellent fabric and double stitching. I haven't tried the new Ump Attire deluxe ones, but they were modified to comply with the professional appearance standard and are extremely well made.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

No, unless your local (or state) association has such a policy.

I use what Klokard does.

Some follow the "wear black; you purse should match your shoes" philosophy.

I used to follow your blue/black policy. Then I realized that I didn't change my belt and shoes to match my shirt, and began wearing black bags exclusively. It certainly makes it easier matching them in pairs in a dark laundry room.

But I don't think choosing a ball bag color is a defintive moment in an umpire's career, unless, of course, he chooses gray.

[bluezebra]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

No, unless your local (or state) association has such a policy.

I use what Klokard does.

Some follow the "wear black; you purse should match your shoes" philosophy.

You use a purse instead of a ball bag? Interesting!

Bob

[bbsbvb83]

The IHSA (Illinois) gives umpires the choice of navy or gray ball bags for baseball, and requires navy for softball. I use gray for baseball and navy for softball. They should update the Officials' Handbook since they are now allowing any color of umpire shirt for regular season baseball (as long as all umpires match).

[Tim C]

I don't own any navy ball bags. Makes my decision pretty easy.

Regards,

[Kevin Finnerty]

I work in a tiny area with about 10 million people, and their association says wear navy because black is not recognized yet as an official color. It is only an alternate. I like black and wear it whenever possible. But when a partner has only blue and I need to wear blue, I wear navy ball bags. And it truly is no big deal.

As for the Gerry Davis bags: Steve just about nailed it. They are flimsy, single-stitched bags, which come apart at the single-stitched seams. After five games, the interior pocket started to tear away on one, so I had to repair it and reinforce the other. (After you pay $15 for a ball bag, you have to work on it.) The tunnel loops are so thin that they bunch up, and they're so poorly sewn that your belt catches this flap of fabric as you try to slide it through. They're terrible. There's nothing about them that's even passable. They are inferior to Honig's in every way.

I'll replace the pair that GD sent me to replace the pair that sucked (a remedy that I still don't understand). And I'll probably get the reinvented Ultimate ball bags from Jim, instead of another set of Honig's. I didn't like Jim's old design with the thin loops and the elastic gather, but they looked like the best made ball bags I ever saw. The new ones are even better. And Jim deserves a lot of credit for listening to us and reinventing these bags.

[briancurtin]

I subscribe to the "match the bag(s) to the hat" idea.
With that being said, I can't remember the last time I wore navy bags because I also can't remember the last time I wore a navy shirt.

When I first started umpiring I bought a single grey ball bag and ditched it after my first game because I though it looked awful.

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by briancurtin

I subscribe to the "match the bag(s) to the hat" idea.
With that being said, I can't remember the last time I wore navy bags because I also can't remember the last time I wore a navy shirt.

When I first started umpiring I bought a single grey ball bag and ditched it after my first game because I though it looked awful.

I wish some places would ditch the "navy only" rule. I think navy jackets look sharp, but the shirts not so much. Black and MLB blue are the sharpest looking shirts IMO.