Please ditch the blue pants
 

Blue pants with a light blue shirt looks HORRIBLE. Its even worse when worn with a navy jacket since the colors never sync. I know this is ASA, but the conference supervisors need to speak up on this one on you guys' behalf.

In Texas, the softball guys wear gray slacks with the light blue shirt. I personally think the black shirt/hat is the best looking combo, but the pale blue is fine. Any of you other high school guys forced to wear the blue pants?

Why is softball taking so darn long to get out of the 1970s?

TOTALLY disagree.... the WORST combination is the grey pants/light blue shirt.....softball umps wear BLUE! The ONLY time (IF EVER) those ugly grey pants should be worn is with the NAVY shirt.

The Blue looks GREAT. Keep it.

On Saturday in Knoxville, North Carolina wore light blue jerseys with navy pants. They looked just like the umpires.

That, in and of itself, is reason enough to ditch the navy pants. Umpires in general, whether it be baseball or softball, should wear grey. I don't know why softball thinks it has to try to be different in every aspect of the game.

Where did you guys come from? They don't call umpires "blue" for nothing.

The grey is unforgiving, and I really don't care what they do in Republic of Texas. The powder over navy is a good combination.

The powder over grey looks like something a group of nuns put together for a parochial school uniform.

And BTW, baseball is another game, why should softball even associate themselves with it?

BTW, the UNC blue is not the same color as the powder blue.

Hey, the uniform is better than what it was 7 years ago. Polyester shirts with big collars... Looked straight out of the 70s!

I think it's better than the USSSA uniforms. Black slacks with a red shirt? I did a USSSA tourney years ago in the middle of July, and I darn near passed out! Hot, hot, HOT!

Mike's right, Carolina blue is not the same as powder blue. It's *very* close, but I'm wearing a Carolina blue shirt today (I'm not sure why - maybe I need to do laundry more often). Definitely not the same.

Since when did anyone start caring for umpire comfort? I didnt get that memo! and heck they cant even standardize baseball umpire uniforms. but if we are voting im with y'all on the grey slacks and powder blue shirts. navy is so 80's. <lol>

If I were to vote on a switch, I'd vote for the heather grey slacks with the new navy pro-style shirts. Our organization prefers that we show up in the navy/powder blue combination. However, if both umpires on the field agree to it beforehand, they've been willing to let us use the heather grey/navy shirt combo. Don't know if this is still the case, but I wouldn't mind switching to that. Sure, I'll spring another $100 for 4 more shirts out of my pocket for that.

I don't care what color we wear, yellow shirts over green pants :rolleyes: would work, as long as we stop wasting money on changes just to be pretty and every sanction having to be different. :mad:
You fashion dilettantes should give up, it's a job not a fashion show.
As far as heat, fabric means more than color and yes the old, old shirts could be uncomfortable for wimps. Although I agree the new fabric is more practical, less sweat damage, no ironing, etc.
There is no ball game anywhere that can not be umpired in the same uniform as any other game, regardless of what color that is, including powder blue over navy.

I don't have a problem with any of the color combinations. Powder over heather is fine, but navy shows up less dirt. I can get 3 0r more games from a navy vs the powder.

Anything but STRIPES!

we could just wear orange jumpsuits with numbers stenciled on them... maybe carry some shanks... that might help with crowd control.

Count me among those who prefer the navy pants.
I've got all sorts of uniforms and nothing covers my sweat better than the navy pants.

:D :D :D :D

I have always preferred the heather grey to the navy for pants.

My opinion is that we should decide on one shirt color, and one pants color, both plain with no logos

If a certain sanctioning body then wants umpires to display a logo during games...we switch hats....

As a former basketball official, I know that I could go anywhere in the country with my stripes, black pants, and black shoes and call a game with my matching partner.

And mine is the opposite... let umpires decide what to wear, within the accepted norms, as long as they match.

Since when can we agree on anything? especially something as important as fashion :)

I got two white shirts, four red shirts, six powder blue shirts with logos, three powder blue shirts without logos, two dark blue shirts with logos, one dark blue shirt without logos, and now I have a green shirt. I have four pair of navy pants, six pair of heather gray pants, four pair of black pants, two black shorts with a logo, one black shorts with a different logo, navy shorts with no logo. I also have three navy ball bags with a logo, a navy ball bags with no logo, four gray ball bags, two black ball bags with out logo, and one black ball bag with a logo. Caps, I got caps with short bills, with long bills, made of wool, and made of some kind of mesh, I have black ones, blue ones, red and black ones, with and without logos for three different outfits. I got white crew sox with three different logos, I got them without, I have so many black sox my wife freaks when she looks in my sock drawer. Don't get me started on shoes and protective gear. So what, part of umpiring is wearing the uniform. Each national association wants to brand name and type of ball, while it is a pain in the butt, uniform stuff is the least of our worries.

Incidentally I like the gray and powder blue the best, it shows the least amount of dust and is my favorite type of ball to boot.

Didnt I see you on Ebay?:D ...kudos on having good taste!

I will agree, there should be one and only one uniform, but the sanctioning body which registered you for this game and is providing benefits facilitating your task, has every right to demand they you wear their uniform.

Back when ASA included the navy over heather, all I was hearing from OKC staff was that this was an effort to help the HS & college umpires who had to buy additional uniforms for those games.

Well, I don't know about anywhere else, but HS games & college games pay 2-3 times what ASA pays per game. Seems to me, those working more than one association should be able to afford the extra uniforms. Instead, IMO, ASA is placing an undue burden on those umpire who exclusively work that association's games should they be assigned to a national in an area where powder over navy is not prevelant.

Yes, "the sanctioning body which registered you for this game and is providing benefits facilitating your task, has every right to demand they you wear their uniform" is true; but if they weren't all so turf-happy we could all wear the same.
It's not a question of affording it, as it being a waste of money, which could be used for something useful. Like buying the UIC a cold one. :D

Just to throw in another .5 cents, here the default uniform is powder blue over heather grey. If the umpires want, they can wear navy over heather grey.

We have quite a few Canadians come down and umpire with us. I love that Carolina Blue color of their shirts, but they do not like the shirts. They are sweattraps for many of them.

We do not force them to match us when they come down...most have only navy slacks.

Actually from the history of the game stand point umpires were called "blue" when the wore white shirts, correct spelling is blew
ie blew the call
it is not a term of endearment:rolleyes:

Wow! You must have money to throw around. That's about three cents too much! :D

I was there all weekend. It was nearly identical.

I worked at UNC for 4.5 years. Trust me, it's not the same. Close, but not quite. :)

I'm surprised to see even one person defend the blue pants, but hey, there's no accounting for taste.

Except for protective equipment, the baseball/softball umpire uniform is less a matter of function than in other sports. In basketball and even football, you have officials on the field standing next to players and they need to wear something obviously different to stand out so they don't, for example, receive a pass (though I've been passed the ball several times in hoops!!). In baseball/softball, you are pretty much off the field and contrast isn't a big deal. At that point, in my view, its just a matter of looking professional. In my opinion, navy blue pants with navy jackets that often don't match (not to mention a blue cap) doesn't look professional. That's why I think baseball is finally on to something with black. They have 2 colors: black and gray, and that's it (including shoes, with the occasional white trim). Black is also a good authority color.

But, as I said, that's just me. If you guys like them, great. I sort of thought that the general response would be something like, "yeah, we've been trying to get ASA to do that for years..."

Taste? Hell, from what I've read, all you taste is in your mouth! :D

Obviously, I disagree with your assessment. A properly worn, well maintained uniform is what makes the umpire look professional. Yes, some colors make it difficult, but I don't believe navy blue is one of them.

Also, as Steve M noted, the navy is much more forgiving. How professional does it look when an umpire is wearing grey and sweating like a bottle of cold water in the desert?

I don't necessarily disagree with your view of the jacket with the navy and I really don't have an answer to a possible change.

And I watched the UNC lacrosse team, in their all-blue uniforms, chase the Duke players around the field in Annapolis this past weekend. It isn't the same.

Of course it wasn't. They weren't carrying cameras asking about strippers! Sorry... Haven't worked at UNC for 11 months, but still can't get the Duke jokes out of my system. :)

western cut
 

I prefer the look of blue over grey. . . . however, I do not like the western cut/no pleats. . . and I haven't seen blue pants any other way. Haven't looked in awhile though.

The lacrosse jerseys and the official "Carolina blue" may not be the same...but their light blue softball jerseys -- probably somewhat faded from a whole season in the sun and countless loads of laundry -- looked nearly identical to the umpires' powder blue shirts. Add that, tucked into navy softball pants, and the Tar Heels and the umpires looked nearly identical in Knoxville on Saturday. That is the only point I was trying to make.

Might be time to switch to corrupt DA jokes.

If you buy "official" pants from ASA they do not have pleats.

'course you could be like me and pray for Honigs to have a really nice sale. I still get the greys without pleats.

And don't tell anybody, but the last time I had to purchase some navy blue slacks, I bought them from the world's largest retailer. No pleats AND stain resistance for $17...and yes, the legs fit right over the shin guards with no problemo.

Prefer the Western cut (pockets) and it is often recommended at clinics as they will not "ear out" when the umpire goes to a set position. ASA does not take a stance on pleated pants, though they do not look as good on some people as they do on others regardless of the color.

Yet, I can assure you some NUS members do, in fact, state a stance. PG, for one, is quite vocal about preferences that ASA doesn't state, or states differently.

Well, I thought the orange jump suit comment was the most interesting in this thread so far, but since it keeps going, here is my http://forums.s2kca.com/images/smili...s/twocents.gif.

The western cut pockets may look better when in the set position, but the pockets themselves are not useful as, well, POCKETS! Too hard to get stuff in and out.

ASA's "official gear" plate pants (Fechheimer's) are much too generous in leg room. They are elephant legs. I suppose you could find some leg guards that would need that much room, but not any that I have need it.

ASA's "official gear" plate pants rubberized strip at the waist is ineffective at keeping the shirt neatly tucked in. I still have to use the separate knobby belt.

Cliff Keen's combo pants (pleated) are just about right in roominess for plate duty. Still look a bit too big for base use, but will do. The internal strip is wider than the Fechheimer's and does a better job of keeping the shirt neat.

Odd. The Cliff Keens I have and the Fechheimers that I have are almost identical, with the exception that Fechheimers seem to have a little more quality fabric, and only one eye and hook fastner. These, of course, are the Fechheimer combos that I order from somewhere other than ASA, so maybe that is the difference. These also have pleats and "normal" style pockets.

My Keen combos are a couple of years older than the Fechheimer's. The Fechheimer's (from ASA "official gear") are a different model from other Fechheimer's I've seen. Mine are the western cut pockets, non-pleated kind. It seems to me the older Keen combos are more sturdily made with heavier fabric than the Fechheimer's.

However, I also have a new pair of Keen base pants, and the fabric is lighter weight than on my Keen combos.

I do like the double hook fasteners at the waist that the Keens have - just seems more substantial.

Anyone got a good supplier for the proper ASA pants without having to spend a ton? I have decent substitutes for rec ball, but they're just not the same. I'd hate to have to spend over $50 for a pair of pants if I don't have to. :)

To look the proper part, you are going to spend near $50.00 for pants. Hey! What's the big deal? They last forever. And they will pay for themselves the first tournament you work. :cool:

By "proper ASA" do you mean western cut, no pleats? Those are harder to find. ASA Official Gear is the only place I know of, but since they don't make their own uniforms, there must be other places you can get them.

If you're willing to give up on either the western cut pockets or the no pleats (or both) there are many more places to purchase high quality umpire pants. Unfortunately, they will be in the $40+ price range.

Just as some do concerning facial hair and you don't need initials for that one, do you? :)

I have asked and was specifically told that ASA does not require flat-panel pants. Though I think they look better on some people, I do not require them.

They would be usefull if you ordered your pants based on an actual measurement and not from what you remember ordering 10 years ago. :eek:

:cool: :( :mad:

;)

Honigs has them, complete with the western cut pockets, in both navy and grey.

just wanted to tell y'all the comment my wife made about this link... DONT WEAR PLEATED PANTS!! ever...I did try to stand up for y'all and explain the economics of buying non-pleated pants once a guy owns 400 pairs of pleated ones... she said NO, spend the 40 bucks or live with the knowledge that every woman at the ball park is critique'ing you not only on your poor ball calling ability, but your choice of wardrobe! sigh! why did i ever marry a girls fastpitch coach? maybe our (male umpires) choice of pants is why so many people yell at us during a game? i dunno... just my 2 cents "lol"

Not if I ump for the same guy as the last one I called. 13 hours, and only 4 games total. In his defense, they had a MUCH lower than expected turnout.

Honestly, I rarely call tourneys anymore (for the above reason). I'm content drudging it out in the rec leagues for now. Heck, I make more in the rec leagues than what they pay us in some tourneys! :cool:

It took 13 hours to complete 4 games? or you had to wait around for 13 hours to call 4 games? heck, wait it out tween games at the local bar.... makes time go much faster. :D

The latter. ;)

My lawyer isn't good enough to bail me out of THAT kind of situation. ;)

Do you really need anyone to tell you what is wrong with that statement? :confused:

nope.... your right. (drink at home tween the games) :D