This thread reminds of the movie "Dumb and Dumber" when the guy appears on the slopes wearing racing apparel. I've worked with a few guys who had all the latest gear, carried it in an MLB roller, possessed a library of JEAPU-J/R-Carl C. books and looked like they stepped out of a 'how to make an umpire' factory. Their gear betrayed their talent and it wasn't fun to see them berated by coaches, players or fans.

I'll take talent over appearance any day. Still, those who write how they would encourage a post game or private phone call to promote a more professional look are on target. Constructive criticism is par and parcel of post game.

Thats funny, because when I was logging close to 200 games a year I used t keep track of all the different excuses I would hear of why people couldn't do the plate. My back hurts, I left my equipment home, I had this team before and we didn't see eye to eye, I hurt my arm, I have a college game tomorrow, I have a college game this weekend, my knee hurts, I like when you do the dish, etc, etc .........................etc.

Another thing to consider
 

This was a high school state semifinal game. His appearance made him look like he was in way over his head. His performance then showed that he was. How he got the assingment, I will never know. He also called the state championship game the next day on the bases. He was constantly out of position in a three man crew.

Why do I have to consider any of that? What does this have to do with your original question of whether we'd work with this guy or not? If I'm working a game with little kids playing or doing a huge state tourney game, there is NO reason why any official should decide to not work the game because of the other official's appearance.

In my state we do not have that choice. We work with who we get no matter what. And I do not get to decide what position I work either. That is assigned that way and I would never make that decision on my own. Now I might say something to those that make the assignments, but I would still work the game no matter what.

Peace

umpire99,

Yes, I would - and have in similar situations.

I have seen umpires "dressed to the nines" who absolutely sucked and umpires who didn't know the first thing about how to dress who were quite good.

As a generalization, I think it's fair to say that generally there's a correlation between umpires who "dress well" and "umpire well". There may be a stronger correlation between umpires who "dress poorly" and "umpire poorly".

When I first started umpiring, I was a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of "umpire fashion".

Some guys are compulsive about appearance, some don't GAS. I try to be in the middle, a bit to the compulsive side. To me, it's part of being courteous and goes to respect.

While "game appearance" certainly influences my "first impression" (...you never get a second chance...) of another umpire, it is not determinate.

JM

I have two experiences.

One day I was to work a game with a young man, 17. As we left his house, his dad asked him if he had all that he needed. He said he did, in the annoyed manner of teenagers. When we arrived at the site and started to dress, he let out an oath and "How does he do that!" He had forgotten his pants.

By chance, since he was a young man, I had a pair of pants that would fit him. (When I started umpiring, only men's pants were available.) They only just fit him. He did a quality job on the plate, we were both complemented by the coaches on the job we did. The coaches were able to look past the uniform.

The second experience was a bit different. I arrived at a Little League game to work with a new partner. He was wearing khaki pants. His shirt hung over his pants. I asked if he wanted the plate. Sure, he let me know he had been umpiring for 30 years. He showed up on the field with shinguards on the outside and hat on backwards. (I did say something about that.) You should understand that around here, Little League umpires hold themselves to a higher uniform standard.

It wasn't how he was dressed that was the real issue. Once he learned how we try to dress a little more professionally around here, he has done the same. No, it was how he umpired. His plate conference was mainly warnings, he signaled strikes with his left hand. He overall sucked. He has repeatedly shown that he is an umpire who has had "one year experience 30 times". He has used his "30 years experience" as a hammer to show how what he thinks goes.

So it's not how my partner is dressed. It's how my partner umpires that counts.

Rita

I have worked with umpires who wore neatly pressed new unis, looked like a million dollars and couldn't umpire worth a nickel.

However, I have never worked with, nor met, a quality umpire who looked like sh!t. I have never seen a truly good umpire who did not understand the importance of appearance.

I'll repeat my answer to the original question...would you work with this guy? Not twice.

My son plays 11U baseball and we've seen our share of umpires who work without mirrors. A couple days ago I saw a guy work a game in a blue polo type shirt, khakis and tennis shoes - he was in his early 50s. I was set to roll my eyes with his every call only to be pleasantly surprised. After the game I told him that he did a great job and asked if he always works in street clothes. He said that he was laid off from his job at Motorola a few months ago and has a daughter who will be attending college in the Fall. He had promised her a graduation gift and took on umpiring to pay for it. He couldn't afford to buy a uniform and this league didn't care. His equipment came out of a shared box at the field. He now has two of my shirts, ball bags, indicator and brush. I don't like working underlevel ball any more but I would work any game with that guy. He knew his stuff and his heart was in the right place. Appearance never trumps talent and spirit.

I often work with one or two of "those guys". They live check to check, working as many games as they can get, to put food on their tables and gas in their cars. Their uniforms are rarely clean, let alone neat. One's hygene is questionable at best. When on the field they work hard, that's all one can ask. It's not that they wouldn't like new base and or plate pants, new shirts and gear, it's a financial crisis they live daily.

The best plate umpire I know shows up in sweats and normally a 6 pack in the trunk. And he actually hustles to help me out, unlike just about every other ump I work with. The old saying is true, you can't judge a book by its cover.

Perhaps it's the level? I have NEVER, in D-111, D-1, JUCO or varsity high school worked with a true quality umpire that did not look the part. If, in any of my conferences or leagues, an umpire showed up like that he would never work again.

I can't believe what some of you experience.

Edited to add: In fact there is a rather famous sketch that Yeast and a couple others put on two or three years in a row at NCAA clinics that addressed this issue. It was somewhat overdone, but it got the point across.

13u and 14u travel. I'm not old enough to do high school and you've probably been umpiring since well before I was born. You have a hell of a lot more experience than me. But it really is incredible, he is probably the most consistent umpire I've ever seen. Coaches almost never ***** at him. I do acknowledge that he should dress properly(as I do), I'm just saying an umpire's dress doesn't necessarily equal what type of umpire they are.

I understand.

We all have different experiences and tend to view the activity from those experiences. I have been fortunate.

It takes only a minute to wash the dirt off the shoes from the previous game.

New uniforms? Sure, not everyone can afford those. But clean ones? I've seen guys pull pants from the trunk with a belt and ball bags still attached. No hangar, no pride.