jicecone can vouch for the fact that there used to be 2 guys in our association that never wore a cup, shin guards, or a chest protector. One of them didn't wear a mask for little league either. After a couple years in the association I couldn't stand to watch that from the field so tried to work the plate with them.

WOW! I'm sure they're reasoning was "I've never been hit before."

Same here. Everytime an umpire tells me he doesn't wear one when he works the dish I just shake my head.

But, I do tell them that if they go down because they take a shot to the jewels that I'm not gearing up...they are on their own!

Yowsers!

If it's Little League, all the gear is required by rule. The locals are running a HUGE risk when, not if, this kook gets clocked.

When I was managing 13-14's, we ran across a guy who didn't wear shinguards. He just hid behind the catcher, and claimed to have never been hit. Fair enough.

So I instructed my catcher to set up a foot off the plate for every pitch. Not shift over, but to squat straight down in the other batter's box. Sure enough, DumbDumb was calling strikes a full foot off the dish all day long.

We never lost a game when this guy was calling. Loved 'im. But what a tool.

what if the question were changed to "do you wear a cup in the field?"

we would get some who say they do and some who say they don't.

i will bet the ones that have seen someone hit or been hit would say yes and the others would be future victims.

I wore one before I was hit. It's a risk/reward thing. For me, the "discomfort" of wearing the cup in minor compared to the large cost of getting hit times the (low) probability of getting hit.

Others may reach a different conclusion.

I wear a cup when watching ESPN!

I know a guy that doesn't wear one. He got bashed a few years ago and started wearing one for couple of months and then went back to working without one. I could never do it, but to each their own.

I always wear a cup behind the plate, but tell the hot moms that I'm not !! :):):)

What about on the bases? I personally don't wear one but I know guys who do. I wore one when I played but that was when I was trying to get in front of the ball. Now I try to avoid it.

I wear one every time I step onto the field.

It's the ethical and morally responsible thing to do. :p :rolleyes: :D

Years ago when I was only a middle-aged bald geezer and not the bald old geezer that I am now I used to officiate H.S. soccer.

The OhioHSAA plays it boys' and girls' H.S. soccer in the Fall and one year I had a boys' JV game in early October when some early Winter weather came through NW Ohio. Everybody from both teams were bundled up wearing stocking caps (which it made it somewhat difficult to tell who had long hair and who had really long hair), long sleeve undergarments, and gloves. I was checking the Home teams shows and reminding them not to wear jewelry when I made the comment (thinking that I everybody on the team was a male): "I hope everybody is wearing their fur lined cups." No sooner had I said it a very feminine voice said: "I don't know about my teammates but my cups are fur lined." Everybody burst out laughing, even me.

It started snowing half way through the first half and never stopped the rest of the game.

MTD, Sr.