Cleaning the Plate
 

I was PU on a dry dusty field last night when it started raining. All my plate brush did was smear mud all over the plate. What is the best way to keep it clean in the rain?

Nothing! The more you want to clean the plate, the more "red" it will be. When there's a lot gravel on the plate (after a sliding), I'll use a scraper from a backery. Just to dig out the plate. After that i'll let the rain wash it clean...

And shouldn't you stop playing when it's raining?

from a wet Holland (we've had today about 30cm/m2, and it won't be better tomorrow...), see ya

My plate brush has a scraper as one of the sides. If the plate is really bad, I'll use that - but then I don't really want to put it back into the ball bag.

In a game like the one you had, I'll completely cover the plate with some of that dirt, then clear it with my shoes. This will usually work once or twice, then there's no dirt - just mud. Time to look really hard at stopping the game with mud, slick bases, probably a slick outfield...

We don't get much rain out here but when it looks like rain or when I'm doing a morning game where the grass is still damp I put a hand towel in one of my ball bags.

I use the towel to dry off the balls. When it rains and the plate gets muddy I first use my brush the scrape the plate then I wipe it clean with my towel. I wipe the brush on the towel, shake the towel hard several times, put it back in one of my ball bags and go on with the game.

Windex and paper towels, if real bad, Mr Clean works well :)

Went to Home Depot and got a few of the Hard Plastic scrapers (Cheap) in their paint Dept. It works great on a wet/muudy plate and I don't care if I lose it or it breaks. They only cost .79 so who cares?

Rainy/wet days have ruined a couple of my brushes that now I just use exclusively for wet days. The plastic scraper is a good idea; I never thought about it before but now next time I think of it I'll grab a couple and throw them in my equipment bag.

Wade,
Since I am quoting Steve you will note that what he said was very helpful to me. When I pulled my plate brush out to clean the mud off of it, I discovered that one of the sides was "honed" to a finer edge. It is designed to be a scraper. I had never noticed. Way Cool.

Or, you could just ask the manager to wash it off... (about 1:20 into this clip...)

Manager goes berserk

This isn't the first time I've seen this clip, but my reaction is still the same.

I would be laughing my *** off at this guy. No way I keep a straight face like these mannequins. Problem is that would probably just irritate the idiot manager, but, so what?

BTW, anyone notice that no one from his team, coaches or players, even attempted to save him or pull him off the field after the ejection?

I would bet that this is not the first time this gem has lost it, maybe the first time in a game where he can get suspended for it....my guess is his team and coaches are letting him go since they are looking forward to the peace that will come with his suspension!! No need to step in and possibly lower this guys time off....it looks like he could use the vacation!!

WHAAAT? Scrapers/squeegees aren't standard equipment in other parts of the country??????

Now come on. You were in Texas and Arizona. When you were there, how often did you actually see rain when you were umpiring?!? :rolleyes:

A carpenter friend of mine...
 

came up with something that was soooooooooo simple I couldn't believe nobody ever thought of it before. He mitred the back of my plate brush and sanded it just a little to get rid of the splinters and super-sharp edge. What I ended up with was a combination brush-scraper that works AWESOME! And, when you get the rain down here in FL that's only a short burst, it allows you to have both a scraper and a brush in your bag at the same time without having to have two separate items.

Lee

You know, they sell these! :D