Hope Youre Wearing Proper Equipment!

wadeintothem · #1 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 02:38pm

I dont understand the umps who dont spend the money for the proper equipment.. lessee in the last nights 12U, I got pummeled.

I took a shot - pretty fast pitcher for 12, foul tip straight to the throat so hard my jaws clacked and hurt through the night... I wear extended frame and throat protector.. thankfully.

Shot to the finger.. thats a nice one.. nothing to protect there.. i know to use the catcher to protect my hands.. ooops..

Shot to the foot.. saved by proper shoes.

Foul tip under the catcher straight to my gnards.. saved by cup.. thankfully.

Man, something wrong with my Karma or what.

If youre new and dont have the stuff.. buy it and wear it.

Dakota · #2 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 02:51pm

I agree - and I get pummelled more at the lower levels, but it seems quite a few umpires around here don't bother at 10U and 12U.

OK... I've tried to resist this, but I can't...

Quote:

Originally posted by wadeintothem
I took a shot - pretty fast pitcher for 12, foul tip straight to the throat ... Foul tip under the catcher straight to my gnards..

Those aren't foul tips - those are foul balls - especially that last one!

wadeintothem · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 02:57pm

Oh yeah!

Rachel · #4 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 04:50pm

If an umpire doesn't wear the proper equipment they need to hide behind the catcher in order to not get hit. How then could they call a consistant strike zone? If you are in the right place you will get hit, that's why you wear the stuff. Unfortunately, sometimes it will hurt even through the pads. I called a college game with a guy that didn't wear even a cup. From the bases all I could see of him was his head peeking out from behind the catcher. Needless to say the coaches were not real happy with the zone. He claimed to be a real tough guy though.

wadeintothem · #5 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 04:58pm

Ive seen an ump not wearing a cup take a shot.. after 10-15 mins of suffering combined with the snickering from the girls on the bench and various statements / remarks from the stands.. the game was continued just fine.

I was a catcher.. I never have gone without one.. but the potential for embarrassment would be enough for me to wear one.

SWFLguy · #6 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 07:21pm

I'm 6'3" 275, work the slot and obviously
a huge target--- I get hit a lot too.
My gear keeps me fairly safe, even when
a catcher sets up on the outside of the plate.
A few years ago I got hit on my left hand
by a foul ball that bounced up out of the dirt
and my wedding band cut my finger.
After that I started working with tucking
my hands behind my thighs. It works.
I've since seen a few major league baseball
umps who do the same thing !

FUBLUE · #7 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 10:08pm

I too am not a small guy (6'2", 300 pounds)...wear all the gear. Several years ago when I was young and stupid, I wouldn't wear my gear because it was hot. I took a FOUL BALL off the shoulder. The pitcher was throwing (men's A fastpitch) around 95 miles an hour. I'm lucky it wasn't broken...by the end of the game (30 minutes later) my shoulder was black and blue and swelling.

Today, I wear plate shoes, shin guards, cup, chest protector, mask with extended frame and extended throat protector, etc. Don't even do the little girls without it.

In fact, I would be less likely to get hit in a college game.

Let's face it, if we use the slot then we are going to get hit.

BigUmpJohn · #8 (**permalink**) Tue Apr 20, 2004, 11:06pm

Quote:

Originally posted by FUBLUE
Let's face it, if we use the slot then we are going to get hit.

Agreed. Got hit twice today, each getting more painful. Top one. The first pitch of the game was inside corner about chest high. How did I know? Let's just say I had a good look at it. WHACK!!! Right off the facemask. Catcher turned around and apologized. I asked if that was going to happen again. She said, "No guarantees." Apparently she was right. Bottom seven and the next to the last pitch of the game. (Hint: If you are going to buy a cup, make sure you buy something to hold it in place.) The pitch was about waste high and again inside corner, and when I squatted down to see the pitch, my cup shifted just a little. After about 3-4 minutes, I called the third strike and slowly walked with my partner to the cars.

Robmoz · #9 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 21, 2004, 09:58am

New to the U corps this year. For slow pitch would it benefit me to invest in a plate shoe for protection or is it unlikely that I would get drilled in the toe? Any war stories for the slow pitch game regarding foot/toe jobs?

mcrowder · #10 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 21, 2004, 10:08am

For slow pitch, and the younger girls, I think you're ok without the plate shoes. Our pastor took a baseball from a 12 year old in the toe last Saturday, and is black and blue - may be broken. Anything over 10U, I wear all the gear.

At 10U and 8U, I don't wear the chest protector - but I wear the shinguards (thrown bats) and facemask. I'm sure I'l be told 10 times now to wear the chest protector at 10U, but I've not seen the need for it, and I HAVE been hit in the chest a few times.

FUBLUE · #11 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 21, 2004, 10:37am

Quote:

Originally posted by Robmoz
New to the U corps this year. For slow pitch would it benefit me to invest in a plate shoe for protection or is it unlikely that I would get drilled in the toe? Any war stories for the slow pitch game regarding foot/toe jobs?

I wouldn't buy plate shoes for slow pitch. I don't do much, but what I've done I haven't been hit in the toe at all.

Striker991 · #12 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 21, 2004, 10:50am

I have already taken two shots directly (without any hindrance from even a glance off the bat or glove) to the cup, once in JR BB and once in JR SB. Since I use the prescribed box stance in the slot, I am very open to this kind of hit. I would NEVER, EVER do a game behind the plate without appropriate protection.

ALSO, to all the newbies out there, spend a little extra and get a GOOD chest protector. My first year I got the Allstar protector that has the strap-on shoulder pads. They don't overlap, so there is a small space there where the buckle is. Sure enough, I got hit with a high, hard fastball right on the buckle. Bought a Honig's K-1 the very next day.

Skahtboi · #13 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 21, 2004, 10:54am

Quote:

Originally posted by mcrowder
At 10U and 8U, I don't wear the chest protector - but I wear the shinguards (thrown bats) and facemask. I'm sure I'l be told 10 times now to wear the chest protector at 10U, but I've not seen the need for it, and I HAVE been hit in the chest a few times.

I had a friend who was working 10U one time a few years back who separated a shoulder taking a foul shot off the bat. Lost the rest of the season.

The thing about protection is simple. You paid good money for it. It isn't doing you one damn bit of good if it is sitting in your equipment bag. I would rather have it on, be hot, and not need it, than to be cool and have that one time happen when I wish I had it on.

Skahtboi · #14 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 21, 2004, 11:43am

Speaking of working the slot, what is more embarassing that having your picture taken and put out on the World Wide Web showing you hiding behind the catcher as the person in this picture has?:

http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publ...le_15597.shtml

FUBLUE · #15 (**permalink**) Wed Apr 21, 2004, 02:05pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Skahtboi
Speaking of working the slot, what is more embarassing that having your picture taken and put out on the World Wide Web showing you hiding behind the catcher as the person in this picture has?:

http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publ...le_15597.shtml

Isn't the pitcher leaping?