I've Seen It All!!

[milkmandog]

Since, I only wear a mask and steel toed shoes behind the plate, I don't look at all stupid in shorts. I wear either pleated dockers style shorts or coaches shorts, If I wear shin protection I wear soccer shin guards under my socks.

[CecilOne]

I've never been convinced that shorts are cooler than light weight slacks, especially if knee socks are required with the shorts.

BTW, for those who never know which to wear, several manufacturers now make slacks with a zipper to remove the lower part.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by milkmandog

Since, I only wear a mask and steel toed shoes behind the plate, I don't look at all stupid in shorts. I wear either pleated dockers style shorts or coaches shorts, If I wear shin protection I wear soccer shin guards under my socks.

I hope you only do slowpitch or 10U.

[milkmandog]

I do all levels up to high school. My fellow TX umpires can attest to seeing me do pony, colt and palomino games.

[Al]

Originally Posted by justmom

JEL: NO!, you haven't seen everything!

Summer rec league, (about 6 towns/schools play each other) 7th/8th grade girls fastpitch game. Umpire looks like a H.S. boy. He put on shin guards with his hometown-school-colors baggy athletic shorts, (Bad enough, right) but THEN he puts on a chest protector and pulls a tank top over it! It was one of those tank tops with the REALLY low cut armpits, too. I'm thinking, "Boy, why bother with a shirt at all"?

Must have looked like a mini-Herman Munster! So we have Otis Campbell on one field and mini-Herman on one field, and perhaps a couple of Gomer Pyles on another.

P.S. eek is right!... But even worse that the visual you and others have described is having to view a coach yelling out "What about the base-line ump"? And hearing a few of the same comments from a few fans who don't even have a clue about the base-path rules! In watching a video of the game where I ejected the head caoch I enjoyed watching again one of the best base running performances I have seen. And this from an eight year old girl. But along with this thing of beauty I had to see, and hear, one of the worst coaching performances I've ever seen from a head-coach with his "What about the base line ump" nonsense. I also got to hear the head-coach get a mouth-full from a woman that didn't like him pulling his team into a forfeit just because he was ejected! I enjoyed hearing their 3rd base coach fighting with another assistant coach because he sent a girl home from 3rd when a throw to the catcher was off line and got passed her. During the actual game I heard all this, and almost went over to their dugout to remind them of ethics rules and sportmanship, but the kids seemed to be oblivious to him yelling back at the other coach... "I'll turn in my Jersey! I don't need you to tell me what my job is! I have to watch the whole left end of the field"!

But it really was a terrible choice to send her because (at this field the backstop is close to the plate, the runner he sent had just been held up on 3rd base, (no momentum), and there was no one out!). Bad choice for sure, especially knowing the catcher is a good player. Well, that out, and lost run that would have scored later, just added to the frustration of seeing their lead go away in the next inning. I guess it also helped put the head coach into a foul mood that ended up getting him ejected. ...Nothin like fun at the ole' ball park. ...Al


I have a question. ..When the ejected coach called his team to line up and told me the game is over should I have told him you cannot speak for the team you are no longer coaching the rest of this game? My wife watched the video and asked me why I let him line up his team and speak for his team, when he was ejected. I didn't have an answer accept to tell her I think she had a good point! ...

[greymule]

We can add poor or even nonexistent mechanics in with sloppy dress. Far too many umpires simply pay no attention whatsoever to where they should position themselves, how they should announce calls, etc. Last year, in a large annual FP tournament (90+ teams) run by one of our members, I saw a BU never leave the A position once, even to call a play. Bases loaded? Start in the A position and stay there as the play unfolds. I also saw a PU with no hat, improvised Wal-Mart shirt and pants, sneakers, and a towel for a plate brush. (Equipment on the outside, of course.) He was calling balls and strikes from about 8 feet behind the catcher, almost against the backstop, helpfully announcing, "A little high, also a few inches outside," "Inside corner, strike two" "Bring it up a little," and so on.

Unfortunately, umpires are in very short supply, at least around here. If the director insisted on proper dress, he couldn't cover the games, even at $45.

There's a guy who has been doing varsity HS around here for 20 years, and he still bails out on every pitch (though over the years he has learned to disguise his bailout a bit).

One thing I like about doing college FP is that every single guy I work with cares about dress, mechanics, and decorum.

[JFA67]

Originally Posted by milkmandog

Since, I only wear a mask and steel toed shoes behind the plate, I don't look at all stupid in shorts. I wear either pleated dockers style shorts or coaches shorts, If I wear shin protection I wear soccer shin guards under my socks.

No Cup??
I hope you never take a foul ball off your knee cap or collar bone.
Most umps I have seen with this minamal protective equipment hide behind the catcher and bail out often. Some are extremely brave/tough and actually work the slot.
HS Varsity pitchers around here throw 60MPH. I am just not that brave.

[milkmandog]

I'm sorry I didn't mention the cup, I work the slot in a modified Gerry Davis stance. I never bailout. I have taken a few shots on my chest. Usually less than 3-4 a year. The most pain I have had is forgetting to wear steel toes and taking a shot on the end of the shoe. Most foul balls go over the head, it is usually missed balls that hit me anywhere else. I have seen one or two guys in my area try to go without a cp after watching me and flinching on every pitch. I tell them if they can't stay put wear the CP. It seems to me there are a bunch of umps hiding behind the catcher while wearing full armorment. The other thing I have noticed is if the catcher and pitcher are no good You get hit, but the ball is traveling with little velocity, if the pitcher is throwing heat the catcher is usally catching heat.

[JFA67]

The worst shots I have taken are fouls when the catcher shifts outside at the last minute, the pitcher misses a little inside and the batter fouls it straight back. It only happens once every few years, but I can't imagine taking that shot in the sternum or collar bone with out the CP.
You are right about umps in full gear hiding behind the catcher!

[azbigdawg]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

az - normally I agree with you 100%. And with you being from AZ, I'm sure you have some experience with those 100 degree days (although I WILL say that 100 degrees and 5% humidity is hot - but 100 degrees and 95% humidity is downright awful).

But this is an exception to the rule - and we WILL match each other, with nice navy blue docker-style shorts (not tattered or old) with creases. And we wouldn't have even considered it except for the fact that due to shorthandedness, the umpire working the LEAST among us will be working for at least 6 hours, with most of us working 10, and one of us (me! yeah!) working 12.

Other than this one weekend, we are a professional looking group 100% of the time. It irks me when I see 2 of my guys looking sharp, and then look over at the adjoining baseball field and see the base umpire in ratty bluejeans and flipflops, sometimes with, sometimes without a hat. I don't think it's too horrible a sin to make this small concession to the elements on this one weekend.

And yeah, I agree it looks a little odd to wear shinguards over bare legs. But it is what it is.

I'm originally form Alabama..so Ive seen both ends of the heat and operated in both. I gotta be honest with you...I still don't like the idea...there are lost of ways to keep cooler, and its just as important to keep that sun off your legs...

One thing we also try to do here is mid tournament field breaks. We have an 18 Gold Sector tournamnet(42 teams) here the first week of June. Its not "hot" yet then, (usually only 105 or 106), but the commisioners side grabbed an extra complex, and we are scheduling games at 7,9,11 a.m. and 6,8,and 10 pm. It sounds like a LOT of wasted time, but it works WELL. The out of town teams love it, and it gives the umpires time to stay fresh. Something like that may also help your umpire shortage issue.

Good luck this weekend. Stay cool.

[azbigdawg]

Originally Posted by milkmandog

Since, I only wear a mask and steel toed shoes behind the plate, I don't look at all stupid in shorts. I wear either pleated dockers style shorts or coaches shorts, If I wear shin protection I wear soccer shin guards under my socks.

If you dont think you might look a little unprofessional..there is probably nothing I could say that would convince you to consider that you do. If you are one of the FEW in your area that does it..why do you think that is? If a LOT of you do it..... oh well....... Also... No chest protector? what level ball are you calling?..never mind...we had an umpire here last year take a 12u pitch OFF THE GROUND onto his collarbone and break it....consider wearing one.........

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by milkmandog

I do all levels up to high school. My fellow TX umpires can attest to seeing me do pony, colt and palomino games.

No offense meant here, but this doesn't make you a tough guy. It makes you foolish. A fastball at any level you mention there can break a collarbone or rib, and a shot right on the sternum CAN stop a heart. You're just asking for a problem. 3-4 shots a year is low, so if you're not bailing on fouls, you're EXTREMELY lucky, but even at that low rate, why take the abuse?

[milkmandog]

If ASA can approve shorts and shirts with hats, socks and belt, shoes, Why can't they be worn. How would that make you look unprofessional? I see more unprofessional looking umps in long pants then I ever look, Their pants are too small for the enormous girth around their waist. Or everything fits, but they still have that huge pot over their belt. That is unprofessional, yet the majority of my fellows in blue are too lazy to run or walk and too undisciplined to push away from the table. It also seems the vast majority of my fellow umpires spend less time reading the rule books then the coaches. I know I'm not speaking of most of us on this board.. But it seems I am working almost all my games alone even when I have a partner. The sad thing is when I work with these idiots and they make a bonehead call, and since I don't throw them under the bus, it makes me look as stupid as they are, so I tell them to make the obvious calls and I will make the close ones. If some 3rd world play occurs I have to work over time covering them. I work the majority of the games behind the plate as it seems they like to call strikes for pitches that sometimes bounce over the plate. when I try to correct their stances and giv ethem instruction on tracking pitches they say they could see it better when they hid behind the catcher and almost sat on the ground getting low., which is why they are calling shin level pitches strikes anyway, Waht really infuriates me is they get the same check I get when it is all said and done. Oh well rant over.

The real shame is, in our little corner of nort san antonio we have about 4qualified umpires to cover 16 fields anight, so we have to deal with the guys that just come out for a part time job, which is why this may be my last year to call baseball or softball.

[mcrowder]

AZ, looks like you were right.

[azbigdawg]

Originally Posted by milkmandog

If ASA can approve shorts and shirts with hats, socks and belt, shoes, Why can't they be worn. How would that make you look unprofessional? I see more unprofessional looking umps in long pants then I ever look, Their pants are too small for the enormous girth around their waist. Or everything fits, but they still have that huge pot over their belt. That is unprofessional, yet the majority of my fellows in blue are too lazy to run or walk and too undisciplined to push away from the table. It also seems the vast majority of my fellow umpires spend less time reading the rule books then the coaches. I know I'm not speaking of most of us on this board.. But it seems I am working almost all my games alone even when I have a partner. The sad thing is when I work with these idiots and they make a bonehead call, and since I don't throw them under the bus, it makes me look as stupid as they are, so I tell them to make the obvious calls and I will make the close ones. If some 3rd world play occurs I have to work over time covering them. I work the majority of the games behind the plate as it seems they like to call strikes for pitches that sometimes bounce over the plate. when I try to correct their stances and giv ethem instruction on tracking pitches they say they could see it better when they hid behind the catcher and almost sat on the ground getting low., which is why they are calling shin level pitches strikes anyway, Waht really infuriates me is they get the same check I get when it is all said and done. Oh well rant over.

The real shame is, in our little corner of nort san antonio we have about 4qualified umpires to cover 16 fields anight, so we have to deal with the guys that just come out for a part time job, which is why this may be my last year to call baseball or softball.

How many others in your area wear that outfit? And do you ever give thought that your appearance and uniform might be one of the reasons they dont take your advice seriously? Uniform is only ONE part of being a good umpire, but uniform relfects attitude.

And San Antonio explains a few things....