Equipment Suggestions

mj · #1 (**permalink**) Wed Jul 02, 2003, 06:44am

I know this question has probably been asked a million times as I'm a regular from the basketball board, but I'm looking for suggestions.

I am going to start upiring softball and basball and am looking for suggestions, good or bad, on what equipment (chest protector, shin guards, mask, etc) to buy and where is the best place?

Thank you

soonerfan · #2 (**permalink**) Wed Jul 02, 2003, 08:48am

for baseball, it may depend on the level of play you plan on doing. either way, you want to be over-preotected rather than under-protected.

mask - wilson (west vest) this mask is great because of the form fitting pads for the face and the good visibility.

shin guards - if you are doing HS baseball and above, i would suggest you look into the douglas shin guard. (wilson west vest shin guards are pretty much the same thing) the protection is great and the added padding along the shin bone halps absorb that much more force. been hit a lot on the shin and have never been stung!

chest protector - if you skimp on anything else, DONT skimp here! you need to be sure and very securely protect yourself here, especially on the collarbone. i have had several, and my overall favorite is the Douglas chest protector. it is light-weight, non-bulky, and solid. i've been hit with an untouched 91mph fastball and never even flinched. i am highly satisfied with mine.

plate shoes - you need these. the best are +pos shoes. solid and great protection. same goes for gerry davis plate shoes, as well as honig's shoes. there are cheaper alternatives, but these are my suggestions.

uniform - be sure and buy "heather grey" slacks, both plate and base cut because there is a difference. shirts, you may want to start with just a normal blue shirt, but whatever the norm is for you area. i would suggest buying from Honig's, you may as well since they outfit major league umpires. you may want to stay away from ordering from +pos, they are slow as hell.

you can get you accessories anyplace and they are all pretty much the same.

as far as finding these things, i like to look at Honig's catalog. reasonalble prices. http://www.honigs.com. another place is gerry davis @ gerrydavis.com and +pos @ pluspos.com. for the douglas protector, go to http://www.coaches-choice.com

JEL · #3 (**permalink**) Wed Jul 02, 2003, 09:01am

mj, No specifics,that will be more a personal comfort choice. I use Schutt "Comfort Lite" chest protector, and removed the lower arm gaurds. Diamond DLD-UXG shin gaurds, and wouldnt want to work without my +POS lightweight mask, and also +POS plate shoes. I keep a close check on mask for cracks. It has been reported they crack in colder climates, being from GA, I can't say. I do softball, FP, through HS age, and baseball the same. I may (for older boys) up to a hard shell chest protector later. Dont forget throat gaurd, and cup (if you are so equipped), plate brush, indicator, ball bag, etc. I get all my gear in Atlanta, I would rather pay a little extra, and try it all on. Go for safety first, and then comfort. Price should be the LAST consideration. I am a mechanic, and have learned that to do a good job, I need good tools. Use good tools umpiring, and you won't regret it. You can buy cheaper stuff and move up also. I have about $600.00 invested in my stuff, but earned that back in about a month. Check out E-bay, there is always equipment for sale there.

Lonewolf986 · #4 (**permalink**) Wed Jul 02, 2003, 09:59am

Quote:

Originally posted by soonerfan

chest protector

Im sorry, i'd have to disagree...

I think the CUP is the MOST important item, vulnerable or not...the catcher doesnt catch everything

ANDDDDDD.....is the cheapest item

But again, I dont see anything faster then 70-75

I also think the mask is really important, especially a LIGHTWEIGHT mask. Nothing hurts more than neck fatigue, after the added weight of the shades (Markwort Sunglasses for mask)...and the extended throat protector.

chris s · #5 (**permalink**) Wed Jul 02, 2003, 06:51pm

Quote:

Originally posted by JEL
mj, No specifics,that will be more a personal comfort choice. I use Schutt "Comfort Lite" chest protector, and removed the lower arm gaurds. Diamond DLD-UXG shin gaurds, and wouldnt want to work without my +POS lightweight mask, and also +POS plate shoes. I keep a close check on mask for cracks. It has been reported they crack in colder climates, being from GA, I can't say. I do softball, FP, through HS age, and baseball the same. I may (for older boys) up to a hard shell chest protector later. Dont forget throat gaurd, and cup (if you are so equipped), plate brush, indicator, ball bag, etc. I get all my gear in Atlanta, I would rather pay a little extra, and try it all on. Go for safety first, and then comfort. Price should be the LAST consideration. I am a mechanic, and have learned that to do a good job, I need good tools. Use good tools umpiring, and you won't regret it. You can buy cheaper stuff and move up also. I have about $600.00 invested in my stuff, but earned that back in about a month. Check out E-bay, there is always equipment for sale there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
You be an automotive technician??? Me too, collision repair. Same way with both sets of tools, but damn that Snap-on ....they don't sell no ump gear

JEL · #6 (**permalink**) Thu Jul 03, 2003, 10:49am

chris s, Yep, I fix em. Run a one man shop/resto biz which allows me to stop early, and call ball games, an advantage for HS stuff. Only trouble w/SnapOn ump gear is, Who could afford it?

soonerfan · #7 (**permalink**) Thu Jul 03, 2003, 02:24pm

Im sorry, i'd have to disagree...

I think the CUP is the MOST important item, vulnerable or not...the catcher doesnt catch everything

okay, most important next to it is the chest protector...i figured i would not have to say "get a cup." i don't go betweem the whit lines w/o one. baseball thing.

As for the masks, the +pos mask does not have the vision that the Wilson West Vest that I have does. I have worn a friend's +pos and I had a hard time with it. It is light, but the WV mask is not a lead weight.

never sell short on gear. find the best you can if you plan on being serious. this crap is too expensive to buy for every age level.

Lonewolf986 · #8 (**permalink**) Thu Jul 03, 2003, 04:39pm

ya know, I noticed that. the POS mask looks bulky, but its pretty lightweight, unfortunately the vision is like looking through a pinhole in a sheet of paper.

JEL · #9 (**permalink**) Thu Jul 03, 2003, 04:39pm

OK, We gotta go to the cup thing. I tried to encourage my daughter to use the female style when she was a SB catcher. I also encourage the wife to do the same, at least when calling baseball. Soonerfan, you can't assume, how many do you know who don't wear them? I've met several! I'm with you though, that is the first item to go on, and I was glad to have it twice this season! War Eagle!!

Lonewolf986 · #10 (**permalink**) Thu Jul 03, 2003, 04:43pm

Fellas...I learned the HARD way my first season. And it was doing youth baseball!

STUPID STUPID STUPID!

Kid throws fastball, hits plate, catcher overestimates...and BAM!

Imagine the Star Wars Deathstar scene as Luke Skywalker is aiming for that little box!

Never underestimate it's importance...

chris s · #11 (**permalink**) Fri Jul 04, 2003, 10:07am

Quote:

Originally posted by Lonewolf986
ya know, I noticed that. the POS mask looks bulky, but its pretty lightweight, unfortunately the vision is like looking through a pinhole in a sheet of paper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~`
Honigs single bar mask.....got mine from Tee bout 4 years ago, its bent to hell, probabaly retire it next season. The vision port is great, I'll get another. Black mask with doeskin pads, Markwort shade(Looks cool, doesn't do crap)Nice thing bout it, no need for flapper...comes with the "cow-catcher" extended design..check it out at Honigs

chris s · #12 (**permalink**) Fri Jul 04, 2003, 10:15am

Just wondering, we got our UIH's on McGriffs board preaching the use of hockey style mask/helmet. We got a kid in our assc. using one, he thinks he is "joe-cool" with it, never pulls it....seems odd to me...JMHO

Lonewolf986 · #13 (**permalink**) Fri Jul 04, 2003, 10:39am

Haha, my very first game, I borrowed my friend's mask (he was a catcher.) And though it looks cool to wear, I honestly looked like an a$$. To me, its too cumbersome to take off and see the plays, it definately decreases your peripherals.

The only problem I see with my current mask is that it sometimes takes my hat with it when I pull it. And this is even with a "well" fitted cap!

In regards to your mask...yeah, I heard the Honig's mask is great, and I am real interested in the deerskin pads. (drool)

The added weight on my mask, to me, is worth it. The shades, I mainly use for dirt and sand. It helps block some of that when the catcher, reaches up above my head to catch, and the dirt from his glove flings off. I find myself wearing sunglasses during the day games, and my eyeglasses (instead of contacts) for the night game, for the same reason.

But with the cow catcher, I think the design still isn't long enough.(for me that is) I feel alot safer with my TP extension. guess its just me...

chris s · #14 (**permalink**) Fri Jul 04, 2003, 06:44pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Lonewolf986
Haha, my very first game, I borrowed my friend's mask (he was a catcher.) And though it looks cool to wear, I honestly looked like an a$$. To me, its too cumbersome to take off and see the plays, it definately decreases your peripherals.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

The only problem I see with my current mask is that it sometimes takes my hat with it when I pull it. And this is even with a "well" fitted cap!

In regards to your mask...yeah, I heard the Honig's mask is great, and I am real interested in the deerskin pads. (drool)

The added weight on my mask, to me, is worth it. The shades, I mainly use for dirt and sand. It helps block some of that when the catcher, reaches up above my head to catch, and the dirt from his glove flings off. I find myself wearing sunglasses during the day games, and my eyeglasses (instead of contacts) for the night game, for the same reason.

But with the cow catcher, I think the design still isn't long enough.(for me that is) I feel alot safer with my TP extension. guess its just me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
To keeping the hat on lies in the method of pulling mask off....pull downward, then up and out. I use a 6 stich on the sacks and plate, lotsa room in that Honigs mask!!! Big thing with the helmets, most guys do not remove them for play action...if ya got long hair, must look like crap.....all sweaty and knotted....

ref5678 · #15 (**permalink**) Fri Jul 04, 2003, 07:16pm

I use the helmet style. I like the vision. imho it gives you a better view than the traditional style, and i feel it offers better protection. I will still remove it though as if I were wearing the traditional.