ASA Blue/Gray

[SRW]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeCubP

I ... internally cringe when I meet my partner who ... is wearing an earring

Now why does this bother you?

[Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by SRW

Now why does this bother you?

I think he means "on the field". I don't know about ASA, but I will not go on the field with a guy that has an earring in or wearing a ball bag if I'm doing HS or LL - it wouldn't happen in college - I only wear a watch if I'm doing ASA or fall ball where there's a time limit on the game.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

I only wear a watch if I'm doing ASA or fall ball where there's a time limit on the game.

Why, doesn't you pants have pockets?

[Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Why, doesn't you pants have pockets?

Yep, but it seems to be standard practice around here . . . of course I don't do ASA anymore so it's a moot issue, I apologize for mentioning it.

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

Yep, but it seems to be standard practice around here . . . of course I don't do ASA anymore so it's a moot issue, I apologize for mentioning it.

Personally i dont think a watch on a ump looks good... so I dont wear mine.. but i've stopped even wearing my wedding ring after I saw a PU take a shot to the hand that bent in his ring and they almost had to cut the ring off but were able to get some shape back into in and get the ring off his finger.

[Dakota]

A few other topics have been added to the thread...

Umpire wearing a watch. My training has been "don't", so I don't (barring brain cramps). Besides looks, a colleague had 2 watches destroyed in the same day by collisions with softballs (they were under his jacket sleeve).

But, I don't use a watch for anything anyway, except for knowing when game time is approaching. For timed games, I use a countdown timer I keep in my pocket. I just hate doing hours-minutes math!

Umpire wearing jewelry. In games where jewelry is forbidden for players (HS, ASA JO ... yeah, I know in the latter it is umpire judgment rather than forbidden, etc.) I just don't think it looks good. I don't mean fashion; I mean a "do as I say, not as I do" appearance. Otherwise, even though I personally don't like body-piercing jewelry, I don't worry about someone else's fashion sense.

[OklahomaBlue]

Here in Oklahoma, the navy slacks went out about the time the old "embelco"(sp) shirt did. I umpire both FP and SP and in HS FP we're allowed to wear shorts if it's still hot. I know that most HS coaches I've umpired for really don't care if I wear shorts to call their FP games in fact, the HS assigner prefers that we dress comfortable. I also know that wearing shorts in the Oklahoma heat is a lot cooler than slacks. Now for ASA championship play, our state UIC requires the heather grey slacks... Anytime we call at the HOF we always dress our finest...

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by SRW

Now why does this bother you?

I dont know about him, but it bothers me when a man does it because it looks lame.

However, that wont prevent me from working with them.

Usually this is at a tourney and with so many games and umps rotating I dont really know how an ump could stomp his foot and say "I wont work with that guy because he looks stupid"

[HawkeyeCubP]

Originally Posted by SRW

Now why does this bother you?

Jewelry, other than a wedding band (I'm a newlywed), in my opinion, and the opinion of every other high school sport association that I work, looks unprofessional, and is unnecessary. I have (or had, for the most part) 5 holes in my two ears, and a tongue piercing. I don't wear earrings anymore, but when I started officiating (university intramurals and high shool), they all came out as a part of my getting dressed. I struggled with the rationale of this type of thing when I first started officiating, as I, at that time, had what is commonly now called a goatee, and had bleach-blonde dreadlocks that I could put back in a pony tail, and piercings were a part of my daily adornment. I quickly realized, however, that in order to be taken seriously - especially with my appearance as far younger in age than I actually was - I needed to make some changes to make the kind of impression (with evaluators, coaches, players, spectators, etc.) I wanted to on the field/court - and in order to advance to the next level. The earrings eventually went by the wayside when putting them in and out got to be a hassle (doing it 5 times a week). I got rid of the goatee when I started attending collegiate basketball camps. The dreads went during my first year as well - before I actually started working high school anything.

And yes - I'm talking about "on the field" when I say this: I cringe because it's unnecessary decoration that looks unprofessional, in my opinion - not to mention the door that is being opened for snide ridicule by the high percentage of ignorant redneck (no offense intended to anyone here) men that populate the slow pitch game that I love.

I'm all for personal adornment and decoration. I have many tattoos as well. But I would never get them where they would show while wearing any of my uniforms (other than leg stuff - but as I said - I prefer not to wear shorts whenever possible). I don't feel it belongs there. And I most certainly subscribe to the "if they can't have it, neither can you" philosophy.

[SRW]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeCubP

Jewelry, other than a wedding band (I'm a newlywed), in my opinion, and the opinion of every other high school sport association that I work, looks unprofessional, and is unnecessary. I have (or had, for the most part) 5 holes in my two ears, and a tongue piercing. I don't wear earrings anymore, but when I started officiating (university intramurals and high shool), they all came out as a part of my getting dressed. I struggled with the rationale of this type of thing when I first started officiating, as I, at that time, had what is commonly now called a goatee, and had bleach-blonde dreadlocks that I could put back in a pony tail, and piercings were a part of my daily adornment. I quickly realized, however, that in order to be taken seriously - especially with my appearance as far younger in age than I actually was - I needed to make some changes to make the kind of impression (with evaluators, coaches, players, spectators, etc.) I wanted to on the field/court - and in order to advance to the next level. The earrings eventually went by the wayside when putting them in and out got to be a hassle (doing it 5 times a week). I got rid of the goatee when I started attending collegiate basketball camps. The dreads went during my first year as well - before I actually started working high school anything.

And yes - I'm talking about "on the field" when I say this: I cringe because it's unnecessary decoration that looks unprofessional, in my opinion - not to mention the door that is being opened for snide ridicule by the high percentage of ignorant redneck (no offense intended to anyone here) men that populate the slow pitch game that I love.

I'm all for personal adornment and decoration. I have many tattoos as well. But I would never get them where they would show while wearing any of my uniforms (other than leg stuff - but as I said - I prefer not to wear shorts whenever possible). I don't feel it belongs there. And I most certainly subscribe to the "if they can't have it, neither can you" philosophy.

Hawk,
A few things for ponderance:
- I agree that excessive ear piercings gives a less professional image. What number is excessive to you? One? Two? Five?
- Why isn't there a mention of Umpire Jewelry in ASA 3-6-F or 10-1-C? It's also not mentioned in section 1 on page 197 of the umpire's manual, either. Why do you suppose that is?
- Does your opinion change if a female umpire comes out with diamond studs earrings? If you're the UIC this weekend, and Male Ump A comes out with a small diamond stud and a small hoop in his left ear, are you going to make him take them out? How about the same with Female Ump B?
- What if the ump can't wear a wedding band, so his wedding "jewelry" is a small hoop earring?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, just playing Devil's Advocate for the sake of discussion...

[Dakota]

Hawkeye... I want PICTURES! I want to see you in your umpire uniform with jewelry hanging from wherever and blond dreads! Did you have an adjustable cap for your pony tail to hang out?

SRW... you won't find any RULES regarding umpire body adornments. It is a matter, as Hawkeye says, of professional appearance; of being taken seriously. It is more the total package than a technical boundary of 0, 1, 2, ... items.

You won't find a rule about wearing a watch, either. Have you ever been told by a UIC or clinician not to wear one?

And, since it is a matter of appearance, yes, there is a difference between female and male professional appearance in our society.

JMO.

[Mountaineer]

Other than a wedding band, we are not allowed jewelry in HS or College around here. It's actually something we get in writing from the clinicians. Personally, I think it detracts from the professional looks to wear an earring. That being said, I do leave my nose ring and tongue ring in because it's just so hard to get them back in once I take them out.

[SRW]

Originally Posted by Dakota

SRW... you won't find any RULES regarding umpire body adornments. It is a matter, as Hawkeye says, of professional appearance; of being taken seriously. It is more the total package than a technical boundary of 0, 1, 2, ... items.

You won't find a rule about wearing a watch, either. Have you ever been told by a UIC or clinician not to wear one?

And, since it is a matter of appearance, yes, there is a difference between female and male professional appearance in our society.

JMO.

That was precisely my point... Every area has their own standards as to what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to jewelry on an umpire. One person's view of what is "acceptable" may not be another's. That's why it will never be mentioned in the rulebook.