I bought a helmet earlier this year and have been using it about 50% of the time -- on really hot days I've been working with the mask/hat combo since with a helmet I have no hat to catch the sweat.

Anyone else using the helmet this season? Any ideas for keeping the sweat under control?

Rich

I use the helmet, but so far no way to beat the heat. Although I do wear a promesh combo hat that makes for a little relief

I would suggest a black or blue headband that tennis players wear.

The headband is a pretty good suggestion but I just use a hand towel that I keep with my water off to the side of even a wash cloth or hand towel in my second bag.

Two ways to keep heat off with helmet. One keep hair very short .Two wear a black UnderArmour skull cap to keep the sweat off, IMO looks better than wearing hat backwards.

eek! Backwards caps! blah!

never seen the skullcaps before, they seem like a good idea, about how much are they?

Skull caps are about $10.

Just do like the umpire I saw on an ajoining field a couple of years ago. He was wearing a black "dew" rag tied on his head with ASA emblazoned on the front. Oh, and he was also standing in the first base coaches box, talking to the coach, with an R3 while the ball was live and in play!!!!

Roger Greene

Another thing you can do is put a Cool-Max patch inside to stop the sweat from running into your eyes

Better yet
 

Wear a mask and cap.

No good reason to, except the sweat. A helmet gives better vision -- it's no contest.

I predict that a majority of umpires will be wearing helmets in 10 years.

Rich

Rich asked: <b> Any ideas for keeping the sweat under control? </b>

Staghorn answered: <b>Wear a mask and cap.</b>


Rich replied: <b> No good reason to, except the sweat. </b>


Uh....wasn't the question about the sweat?

I can deal with the sweat.
What I cannot deal with is lack of vision created by a mask compared to my helmet.
What I cannot deal with is the whiplash and the mask twisting all over my face when it is hit by a foul tip. That does not happen with my helmet.
And in response to most umpires using one in 10 years, I have to agree. I was the only one in Tulsa that I knew of that used on last season. I now know of better than a half dozen using it now and a number of others saying the are going to one in the next year or 2.
I have even noticed a few more MLB blues have gone to it.

My experience hasn't been as positive. The damn thing kept slipping downward, obscuring my vision. I tightened it to the point of a migraine and it still slipped.

Shots from foul balls rattled the thing and were LOUD.

My WV mask has excellent vision and stays put until I take it off. My mask spins and comes off like it's supposed to off when hit by a foul, sparing me of the full impact and noise. My cap fits well under my mask so when I do take my mask off I don't have a barehead and strange looking hair. (Okay, my hair might be strange looking, but at least it's covered by a cap.)

And contrary to what you have "seen", reports are that there are one or two fewer MLB umpires using the helmet this season.

I'm not anti-change or anti-progress. I work best with what is both comfortable and safe. For me that's a mask. For some others, that's a helmet. I don't believe that either one will fit the bill for everyone. I have an occasional partner who wears one and swears by it. I have another partner, who, like me, gave his away after a few games.

I believe in the concept of "Whatever floats your boat," which I believe Garth is trying to say.

If you feel more comfy with the helmet, then go for it, if the mask gives you thrills, then all the better.

In regards to Umps "converting," In a way, you might consider it fashion. Sure it may create some psuedo "trend." But nothing more than a Fad. It just seems so cumbersome. but thats jmho, and doesn't really mean anything to you guys heh!

Garth, just curious, but why did you "try" the Helmet?

Some umpire associations, in their infinite wisdom, are telling umpires that they are welcome to wear a helmet, but a uniform includes a hat and the umpire is required to wear a hat.

Ha ha ha.

Last three games -- mask twice, helmet once. I like switching it up.

Rich

Lonewolfe:

The reputation of better vision coaxed me to try. The peripheral vision WAS better, but as far as calling balls and strikes, my westvest was just as good. Since I take my mask off when making other calls, the helmet came in second in regards to vision in that regard.

I learned long ago not to take head shots straight on, so the extra side protection meant little to me. With the helemt slipping problems, it was an easy decision to stick with my mask.

I tried the helmet- it just wasn't me. What I did see though was the ump whose mask it was had a sweatband attached to the inside of the mask on top of the forehead padding- like in a hockey goalie's helmet- I'm sure you could find one in a hockey store for barely anything.


Bainer.

Joe Cool.....
 

I am a mask/cap person. Helmets are for catchers.. why would an ump need head protection, unless he's blinkin and dancin back there? JMHO... What I do not like from my perspective is the few guys I've seen using helmets is the reluctance to pull them off for plays, the "joe cool" attitude encompassd with not pulling them off and the fact that I've seen guys discussing stuff with the skipper with the helmet on. Sorry, I like to discuss whatever with a skip face to face, not hiding behind a mask...JMHP

Garth has a point with the noise issue, those things rattle like a bad jalopy cruising the ol route 99! I've had F2's get wacked and it sounds like his head shoulda come poppin off!, I could imagine my ears in one of those, no thanks!! To each his own.....BUT,beware guys..ASA has required tourney umps to wear a cap under the hel/mask...beanies may come back:)

Re: Joe Cool.....
 

Three times in my life I have seen umpires get struck in the head with a bat. Once was in Major League Baseball. The other two in local games. One of them was a broken wooden bat.

I'm considering going with a helmet. A lot of our leagues, MSBL and Rhode Island Amateur League to name two, have gone to wooden bats. I've been struck twice by broken bats, once on the arm, the other on the leg. Neither caused injury because they barely grazed me, but the one that hit my leg tore a small hole in my plate pants where the jagged end hit me near the top of my leg guard.

I have a real concern that I'm going to take one in the noggin one of these days.

Umpire helmets and sweat
 

I have the POS Ultra Light mask and also the new Titanium Umpire Helmet.

I use the POS mask about 60% of the time. There are several fields in my area that have a short backstop and a couple of the fields have a looping backstop that ends about 25 feet high and right over the catcher's area. It's on these fields I wear the helmet. I'm finding that I actually stay cooler in the helmet than I do with the POS mask and hat combo. My field of vision is also better using the helmet. So far I've only taken two shots off the helmet and there was no rattling involved.

Michael

I've been a catcher for the past 12 years and an umpire for 7 and I'm too used to the hat/mask (or for catching, the helmet/mask).

I have no problems at all with my +POS single bar mask and have no intentions of switching to hockey style. Too me it seems like too much of a hassle and I can't see it being better than what I am used to. I am sticking to the hat/mask combo until we are forced to wear the hockey style, which I doubt ever happens.

Re: Umpire helmets and sweat
 

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You be talking about those "clamshell" backstops, we had a field with one of those, the top front of this thing was right over the plate. I had some pop ups nail the big pipe and come down very fast and hard....thank goodness that got changed!!! Never got one on the noggin, but it coulda happened.....

Never used the helmet/mask, but have a problem with sweating and the resultant pulling down of the bill of my combo cap by the weight of the mask (ultralight), which makes me readjust almost every pitch. This is the second year I've used fitted caps. Although I've found that I have to buy them one size smaller to keep them jammed on my stupid head for any time at all. Any smaller and it's 'brain-pinch' time. Been thinking about either a surgically attached velcro patch on the back of my head or a composite mask which is even lighter. Ideas/comments?

Would using a longer bill hat help you? I've always used an 8-stitch behind the plate and never have a problem with the hat not holding up the mask.

Rich

Maybe. It seems that it would just be more to pull down on though. I've got a couple, maybe I'll try it this fall. Thanx. The major part of the problem is the dreaded head-sweat.