Fisrt of all hoss, I only wear the shorts when I work alone and the only when working 10 and under, When I work upper levels I wear umpire uniforms, not sears blue pants, but +pos or honigs. I actually polish my shoes between games and I know what appearance is. I was picked for championship games because of my appearance and mechanics. The reason most of these guys don't take my advice is because they take no ones advice. as far as appearance. Let's meet up and see which of us looks the most proffesional even in my ASA shorts I would look more professional at 170 lbs then one of you 40" waist guys with rumpled shirts and long pants that are old and about to rip apart in the seams because they are hold 20 lbs of lard in the 10 lb bag.

Hoss?

Hey, "Hoss", we're just going off of what you said. Now you change the story - don't blame him for commenting on what you said you wore - YOU SAID YOU WORE IT. I'm wearing shorts this weekend, as I said, but I would never say we were going to be looking professional this weekend - we're making a concious decision to give in to the elements just this once. You, however, seem to think you look good in what OBVIOUSLY (to everyone else) doesn't.

Your attitude is likely representative of EXACTLY the reason no one listens to you. You may know what you are talking about on the field, but if you present it the way you come across here, I can't blame people for blowing you off.

Im not talking about how YOU look physically...I am asking you to consider how you look wearing shorts with FP gear. In my OPINION, you look less professional by DEFAULT. I actually am MUCH more concerned by the fact that you dont wear a chest protector for your personal safety. but like I said earlier....I could reason with you all day...


and WHY arent 10u girls worth your best uniform? you have something against them?

I have heard all about why you believe we should be wearing a chest protector. I have just not needed one. I noticed after about 5 years of wearing one that I almost never got hit where I needed one. As far as my best uniform If all I have on is a mask, how is this not a good uniform if it is acceptable for slow pitch why not fast pitch, I would never wear shorts with shin guard or even plate shoes with the metatarsal guard. And I agree that we should all look our best, I just believe that physical size makes many umpires look sloppy and slow as well. My uniforms are always clean and pressed, My shoes and belt always shined. My bib line always straight. I even press my ball bags. I buy new hats every year and rotate them to make sure they are clean and with a garrison crease. I apologize for my attitude, It comes from a season of working 2 games a night with clueless joes. That are wearing pants, but nothing is pressedor shined and their rule books haven't even had the spine creased in them as of yet.

I'm staying out of the "shorts don't look professional" discussion - at least this time around.

But, heck, guy, I get hit more at 10U than any other age level. Sure, the pitches are not 65 mph, but the "foul tips" :rolleyes: still hurt, and I can't imagine calling a FP game at any level without shin guards. I'm not into pain, no matter how temporary.

Please don't get too big a bruise from the doorknob hitting you on the way out.

Milkman - I wear shorts and look cool

Everyone else - Wearing shorts cannot look good.

Milkman - No I look cool because everyone else is fat. Plus, I'm tough because I don't wear a chest protector or normal shinguards.

Everyone else - Wearing shorts cannot look good, and you're really endangering yourself by not wearing at least the chest protector.

Milkman - Nuh, uh, Hoss... everyone else is fat - they look horrible. Besides, I only look cool in shorts for 10U, which don't deserve the full uniform.

Everyone else - Wearing shorts cannot look good.

Milkman - Yuh, huh - cause everyone else is fat.

I can't help but picture Ben Stiller in Dodgeball when I read toughguy's posts...

STFU.

ok I'll be a real smart ***, how do you get hit by a foul tip?

Quotes and smiley apparently lost on this one...

So if I concede the point on shorts, How do you feel about out of shape overweight officials?

I think they are great and are some of my favorite people !!

I work softball, baseball, and football. I would say that locally I have only really worked with one softball umpire that I would consider significantly overweight - and he buys clothes that fit and busts his hump to get in position. He's very knowledgeable and fun to work with. OTOH, I would have a problem with a sloppily dressed umpire (whether overweight or not), and I would have a problem with a lazy umpire (whether overweight or not).

In football, however, we seem to have more than our fair share of plus-size officials. Some of them hustle, look good, and do their job well. Some of them don't. I do have a problem with those that don't, although again I would say I have the same problem with "in-shape" officials that look crappy or don't get into position.

Perhaps in your locale, you just have more than your fair share of overweight guys, and those guys also happen to be either lazy, sloppy, or both. I have no problem with you focusing some ire on their laziness or sloppiness. I'm not sure I agree with the bitterness solely directed to their eating habits though.

ASA does not approve of wearing shorts. They are simply made accessible for purchase as a convenience to the membership.
That doesn't make you look any more professional, just makes them look bad, also. What does Walt think about you wearing shorts doing FP games?


That is a reflection on YOUR association. Instead of "covering" for them, maybe there should be some instruction taking place by the association.

Again I apologize for my bitterness, it comes from a couple of seasons of working with these clowns that are fat, slow, lazy , unlearned and unkempt. I joined the high school association to work with the proffesional guys and found the same guys there for the most part, maybe we are handicapped by the fact that San Antonio is considered one of the fattest cities in the world. Any way I got to polish the shoes and shave the face for a double header tonight with a guy that will probably be wearing track shoes, dickies and have a strike zone that is everywhere but in the zone

Well, I am one! I like me! My wife is one! I like her! Worked with another tonight! I like her! Watched a MLB game this afternoon, saw a couple there too. I like them. Watched Miami vs Ga Tech tonight, saw at least one big guy there. I like him too. All were very professional in appearance and practice.


My wife and I called an NCAA game earlier this year, and went out to eat afterwards. Us fat folks gotta keep shoveling it in you know. While eating, in walks one of the catchers from the game, with her family and a couple of teammates. This young lady is rather rotund, perhaps more so than I and the mrs combined! Her shirt caught my eye, on the front it said "I AM IN SHAPE" and on the back was "ROUND IS A SHAPE". And yes she was an awesome player.

milkmandog; You may look fine to yourself, but from what I've seen of you...........