Yes, get a better friend. This one wants the best games unless it is inconvenient to him and then he is too stupid to use equipment he has already.

This has happened to me twice that I can remember, but in both cases I was missing only one shin guard, had the other one.

I had the plate in a legion game last season. In the top of the second I took an untouched foul ball right off my left bicep. The following inning I took another untouched foul off the right bicep. I ended up with matching bruises.

I don't recall ever being hit in that location before. What are the odds that I'd take one in each arm in the same game?

I took an upper 80s fastball in the bicep a few years ago. I work the GD system and was locked in nice and solid, the catcher scooted outside during the windup, ball came up and in, and he didn't even get a glove on it. The bruising wasn't so bad color-wise, but it was tough to straighten the arm out for a good two or three days.

I've never been hit on the bases and can't even remember a close call.

I have never said I have never been hit working the pads, because it's something a superstitious person never says. Never.

My first season doing Fed ball, I was 2 days out of my first mechanics clinic. It was a V - JV double header. My partner was a 20 year veteran. JV game I was PU 1 out runner on 3rd. Suicide Squeeze. I popped out, mask off in hand stepping up to see the charging 1st baseman pick up the bunt near the line and I give it a hard sell-fair ball. I forgot all about the play at the plate: I'm in the middle of my fair-sell and see the 1st basemen fire a rocket right at my nose, I duck, got pegged off the side of my head and then to make mattters worse the runner slid into home, taking out my legs. My first train wreck at the plate and I'm in the carnage. The next thing I remember is my partner saying, "That was the best fair-ball sell I've ever seen!"

One More

I can say when working the field/bases I've never been hit by a ball from my game. However: two years ago in Illinois, I was working the field for a softball game. The softball diamond and baseball diamond were adjacent, our 1st baseline was parralel to and about 20 feet from their 3rd baseline. Usually they try to avoid games on the same day, but we were making up a softball game.

I'm behind first, pitcher is about to deliver the ball and for some reason I was calling time, hands up. THe moment my hands went up I caught a foul ball from the baseball field with my gut. It wasn't a line drive, but it still hurt.

I enjoy feeling everyone else's pain. I now know why I wear reinforced shoes even when doing the bases...(no need to change between games)

The impact seems to be near the back of the leg. How did this happen? Did you attempt to turn your back on the ball?

In umpiring 20 plus years I have been hit many times. When I first started, I was hit at just about every plate game (rarely on bases).
Two instances of note:
Plate game many years ago. Took foul ball to left forearm - just about where my watch would have been. Arm swelled up to almost size of baseball. One coach who came to my aid stated "Thats broken !" Needless to say I took myself out of game and my partner took over solo. I took off some of my gear and then walked across the street to the emergency dept of our local hospital.They wanted to get x rays but I refused and showed them how I could still move my wrist. They almost took a fit when I did this. Ended up checking it out and getting an ice pack. I returned to the field (tournament in progress) and worked bases with ice pack on sidelines for use between innings !
Second. Another tournament working third on a 3 man. Man on third. I am on line. Batter hits a screamer about foot and a half off turf. Some how the ball made it past the leading off runner, third baseman, and third base coach - but not me. I was able to move a half step further into foul territory - wrong move. The screamer curved and caught me in the shin - ouch ! However I was able to stay in and also work the next game - plate !!

I broke two cups working the same HS JV game last year. Two pitchers who would've been great from about a 55' mound and two catchers who should have stayed home to play XBox made for a long day.

The first one one-hopped in front of the home catcher, snuck between his legs, and then caught me between mine. I grunted and waddled to the car, thankful to have a spare, as my partner laughed it up and explained the situation to both coaches. (At our next association meeting, a poll was taken, and nobody else there carried two cups at the time. I can't say whether my experience has changed this.)

An inning and a half later, another "perfect" shot into the fresh cup. I turned green and finished on the bases. I'm pretty sure nobody blames me.

I have been hit in the arms, legs above the shin guards, lower rib cage below the protector, and throat (bouncing balls). Most notable problem was getting hit in the hand on an inside pitch that broke my left hand pinky finger, in the first game of a college game DH on a Saturday. I completed both games and went to doctor on Tuesday. Wore a splint for about 6 weeks.

I changed to GD stance not long after this and have still been hit, but not in the fingers.

Mid 1990's. A colleague of mine in C, drilled to the head by a liner, knocked unconcious.
Got a helicopter ride to the Shock-Trauma Center at Uof MD Hosp.
Luckilly, no serious injury. nasty knot and bruise, still umpires.

Nope, I didn't try to turn my back on the ball, it was side on. Point of impact as just between the scar (on the fron of the shin) and the knee just to the right of the bone. The doc said that it wouldn't have bruised so much if I'd stopped and iced it immediately. Instead I stayed in and finished the game. :p

Btw, the pic was taken 3 days after the game.

I took a shot last year while in C. Ball hit the side of the mound, changed direction right into my left leg. Working a Men's game about 10 years ago, no bat rule, metal bats, this guy drills a laser right into my left hip (I only had time to "turn a cheek.") So 2 in 20+ years. Those that think it's cause of bad umpiring should just know you're one pitch away. Sometimes it's just hit too hard or, in my case, hits something and you're too close to do anything but call time and award bases while both teams complain.

I moderate an email list of umpires, many of whom work college ball and good high school baseball and SIX of us got hit last season. I think there's no doubt that when the pitching gets worse and the hitting gets better (harder), this kind of thing happens more often, but SIX?

Hey Rich: 6 out of 12, or 6 out of 1,500?