GD vs. Smitty pants

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

Owning multiple brand of pants to match a partner, to me, is overkill. Only umpires notice stuff like this.

Umpires and assignors.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by kylejt

And, MLB pants don't come from Honig's.

Well not made by Honig's but they distribute them along with the rest of the MLB umpire's gear.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Umpires and assignors.

If you have centralized assignors, maybe. That's a big maybe. Trust me, none of mine care about crap like this.

Next thing people will carry different brands of shoes so all the base umpires match...

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Umpires and assignors.

And at some levels, Game Observers/Evaluators.

[etn_ump]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

I work college and HS varsity and I own one brand of pants. Davis. Owning multiple brand of pants to match a partner, to me, is overkill. Only umpires notice stuff like this.

In our college association, you and your partner will both be gigged on an evaluation if you don't match.

It's kind of a small price really for only 6 pairs of pants.

[etn_ump]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

If you have centralized assignors, maybe. That's a big maybe. Trust me, none of mine care about crap like this.

Next thing people will carry different brands of shoes so all the base umpires match...

I believe you, just find it hard to believe your college assignor doesn't require you and your partners to match. That would never happen here. Ever.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by etn_ump

I believe you, just find it hard to believe your college assignor doesn't require you and your partners to match. That would never happen here. Ever.

Never mentioned here. Seriously. I wear GD pants for every single game. So do 90% of my partners, so maybe they are the de facto pants around here. I do have some other pants I got for working some other tournaments (one Smitty, one Honig's non-polywool) and I find none of them to be as comfortable as the Davis pants.

That said, if the college conferences I work for did require a "conference pant" I would buy them just as I already buy the conference hats we wear.

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

And at some levels, Game Observers/Evaluators.

And I often don't know they are watching.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I think that the manufacturers should have a standardized color so that they all match up, regardless of brand. Charcoal gray should be charcoal gray, heather should be heather, etc. We should not have to choose between brands based on color alone, but rather on the quality and overall look of the pant.

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I think that the manufacturers should have a standardized color so that they all match up, regardless of brand. Charcoal gray should be charcoal gray, heather should be heather, etc. We should not have to choose between brands based on color alone, but rather on the quality and overall look of the pant.

HA! The Official's Choice has a business model of NOT matching other's colors, so you'd be obliged to buy their gear down the line. Off color, mismatched $10 shirts flood the marked, then BOOM, their prices go up so they can make a profit.

Honestly, it's working in some areas. So what do I know?

Didn't work for those near black pants, though.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by kylejt

HA! The Official's Choice has a business model of NOT matching other's colors, so you'd be obliged to buy their gear down the line. Off color, mismatched $10 shirts flood the marked, then BOOM, their prices go up so they can make a profit.

Honestly, it's working in some areas. So what do I know?

Didn't work for those near black pants, though.

I was referring to pants only. And it was just wishful thinking at that. Places like Officials Choice and most other places are a joke. There are only a few good gear places on the Internet. Places like Smiteez and OC are horribly designed and poorly stocked, and carry a lot of useless, substandard products.

Ump-Attire, Honig's, and GD at least have a fairly professional look to them, and carry the most popular products. Most shops' offerings are woefully limited. I would love to own a gear place, as it would only carry the best and most sought after stuff, and all you gear junkies would be buying from me.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I was referring to pants only. And it was just wishful thinking at that. Places like Officials Choice and most other places are a joke. There are only a few good gear places on the Internet. Places like Smiteez and OC are horribly designed and poorly stocked, and carry a lot of useless, substandard products.

Ump-Attire, Honig's, and GD at least have a fairly professional look to them, and carry the most popular products. Most shops' offerings are woefully limited. I would love to own a gear place, as it would only carry the best and most sought after stuff, and all you gear junkies would be buying from me.

I was forced to wear Honig's (non-Polywool) pants last season for a tournament -- those pants were provided for me. The pants were about as poor quality as I have ever worn. Thin material, odd fitting, didn't look good to me at all. Disgusting to me that they put all their time, effort, and care into the polywools, which to me are too expensive and too high maintenance.

I know I'm in a minority, but my pants get washed after just about every wearing. Plate pants especially -- they get dusty, sweaty, dirty and I don't really like the idea of wearing them twice without a washing. I don't feel like I could accomplish that with pants marked "dry clean only" even if there is a way to wash them (which I hear there is). Davis pants hold up wash after wash, even if they *do* look like umpire Dickeys.

[zm1283]

The polywools are superior to any other pants I have worn. I have had Smitty pants and the charcoal Honigs polyester pants (non-PW), and the polywools are better in every way. More durable, hold their color longer, fit better, hang better, etc.

I don't understand why people think the polywools are so expensive. Regular polyester pants (Davis, Smitty, etc) are about $50. You can get polywools for about $65 now. For the quality and how long they last (I have a set of plate and base pants on their fourth year), it is well worth the extra $15 or so.

It has nothing to do with Honigs either. I get my stuff from whichever place has the best price and whether they have it in stock or not. The Ump Attire polywools are just as good, so get them from there if you don't care for Honigs.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by kylejt

Honig's has recently lowered the price other premium pants. And yes, they require more maintenance, and are initially more costly to purchase. But the are a very high quality product. Gotta trust me on this one. The polywools by Honig's are the best availible to the public, and are the benchmark from which others are judged.

BS. I did get both plate and base ones. As I already knew, they wrinkle way too easily and require too much maintenance. Worse, my plate pants belt loops are misplaced, causing my right ball bag to be too far forward and not in sync with my left one. Because the pants are hemmed, Honig's won't do anything to help. They tell me I have to take them to a tailor and pay to have the belt loops repositioned.

Garbage. Give me my GD plate pants any day!

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

And I often don't know they are watching.

Yeah, we evaluators are sneaky like that, aren't we?