Mike,
We are sorry you did not have that honor. [being born in
Texas] However, we do value your opinion. I personally
use the Sears Flex Pants, non pleated. Normally 36.00 per,
however, you can catch the 19.99 Sale two to three times
a year. Gray for NFHS and the Blue for ASA. Most ASA I
have worked is with the blue slacks, powder blue pullover.
Some tournament UIC's allow the gray with powder blue. Have
never used the dark blue in ASA. Use the dark blue in LL
FED, AFA with the gray slacks.

glen

I am with Mike on this one......

I like the Navy slacks with the powder blue shirt best. The grey slacks in the heat can show sweat more clearly where the Navy polyesters brush off very nice. Also, for some reason the Navy seems to hold creases better than the grey....

Joel

I guess that I am the one lone soldier who actually prefers the navy shirt on grey slacks. I think that it makes for a very neat appearance, even in the sloppiest of umps.

But for ASA use, I have become accustomed to the powder blue on navy, and it is hard to adjust to anything else. In an odd way, I sort of miss the old Elbecos!

Merry Christmas folks!

Scott

As for the creases, Joel, I will have to disagree with you on this. My greys are the Fechheimer Plate/Field pants, and they have held the creases better than anything I have ever used in the past. In fact, when it comes time to replace the the navies, if in fact I will ever have to considering looming changes, I will probably buy some of the Fechheimer's then.

Scott,

For years, many umpires complained about the "heat effect" of wearing dark pants on the hot summer days as the reason ASA should go grey. Well, now that ASA has gone grey, some people now want to change to a dark blue shirt for one reason and one reason only, it looks good.

Well, I cannot argue the fact that it looks good, but I don't believe that is a good enough reason to change it. If I'm going to work a bundle of games, I'd rather be comfortable and as cool as possible. I, too, miss the button-up Elbeco shirts as unlike the new pullovers, they let the air flow, whereas, I find the new pullovers somewhat stuffy.

While looking the part of an umpire is important when walking onto the field, it doesn't make the umpire good. Heat can be a distraction to an umpire and can cut into his/her skills on the field.

I'd rather be a good umpire in the field who looks decent than an umpire who is decent on the field, but looks good.

Mike

Mike:
I hear your words and agree with them to some extent. I agree that I was much more comfortable in the button down Elbeco's vs. the pullover in the heat of the day. However, I have found that the dark micromesh is just as comfortable as the powder blue micromesh. Now I know that the laws of physics tell us that dark reflects less heat than lighter colors, thereby causing the wearing to feel much less comfortable. That is fine in theory. However, as you stated, the micromesh shirts have a "stuffiness" to them anyway. Two years ago I umped a Dixie National Tournament here in Texas, with quite the sweltering heat levels as you may imagine. The uniform of choice was the navy micromesh over grey slacks, and I was no less comfortable here in this unforgiving Texas heat than if I had been wearing the powder blue micromesh. Somehow, the fabric/knit styles tend to preempt the color theory of heat displacement in the case of the micromeshes. Just my humble opinion and observation.

Scott

Scott,

I'm was just noting the "arguments" which were previously made for the pants based on the color of material.

I agree that the fabric and the weave of the dark blue shirt is much better than that of the powder blue. In OKC, I said that someone should look into producing a light blue shirt with the fabric and weave of the dark blue shirt. I just got a bunch of strange looks. The discussion there comes down to which compilation would absorb the sweat better which presently would be the powder blue shirt. My argument is that I would rather avoid the sweat than worry about where it is going d:-)

Mike

By the way since I never got that survey (It must have been one of those state instead of metro things) somebody put a check by the navy blue shorts with the baby blue shirt for me. Ooops I guess that only a slow-pitch thing for leagues. I cant believe you guys down in south Texas cant wear shorts for slow-pitch I love em and cant see anything wrong with em when its 100+% days here. NSA and SPA both allowed shorts in their tournaments that they had here in slow pitch

Oh yeah, and for Mike it was a beautiful day here in Dallas about 60% and sunny. How was it up there in the Northeast.. (just kidding)it great to be a Texan and hope you come down in September for the National ASA men's D slow-pitch we are hosting here in Plano Tx


Don

[Edited by oppool on Dec 28th, 2001 at 05:49 PM]

Don,

It's not just the slow pitch guys that wear those navy blue shorts. Last summer my daughter's team played at the Putnam City, OK tournament. ALL of the blue wore the shorts. Any color of undershirt was acceptable (red, yellow, navy) and very few ASA logo shirts were worn. Most didn't wear chest protectors and only a few wore shin guards. But they did use the mask.

Of course, they called like they looked - ridiculous! Only kidding...some were very good, but we got tired of explaining the rules to them!! Isolated incidents.

Sorry to disappoint you Don, but it has been about the same up here as it was down there until last Sunday. Personally, I'm a bit irate. I like the snow. I pray for snow. The more, the better. I do not have a problem getting around in the snow and actually enjoy the workout I get shoveling my driveway.

I wear shorts all the time. All the SP State tournaments permit the umpires to were shorts as long as they match with their partner. HOWEVER, shorts for FP are not only forbidden, but look ridiculous.

Mike