GD vs. Smitty pants

[etn_ump]

Originally Posted by Publius

In nearly 30 years of umpiring, I have appeared on the field looking like I walked out of a catalog, looking disheveled after doing 12 games in three days, and levels of dapperness in between.

I have never--not once--had anybody comment on my appearance, ever. Nobody who plays or coaches gives a damn about that, or anything except the quality of your calls. And if those go against them, they don't even care about that.

Polywools are nice pants, but they're a poor value. They are by no means the benchmark against which all others are measured. I don't even consider them. They're overpriced and offer nothing to justify the additional dollars.

Of course, that's true of just about everything Dick sells. I'm continually amused by how important northern umpires find one- or two-day delivery of orders in December. That's Honigs' biggest selling point.

1. 12 games in 3 days? That's insane.
2. If you look good, you probably didn't get comments. However, if you look like crap, you probably would.
3. I own Polys, GD and Smitty's. I dress to match my partner.
4. I don't live in the north, so I can't really comment.

[Rich]

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.

[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.

[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...

[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.

[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.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Umpires and assignors.

And at some levels, Game Observers/Evaluators.

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

And at some levels, Game Observers/Evaluators.

And I often don't know they are watching.

[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?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

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

It's a good day if the evaluator only cares about the brand of pants I'm wearing.

[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.