Patent Leather Belt

[PtotheB]

Curious if there was a way to get them loosened up besides just the normal wear and bending of it?

My suggestion is to run 4-5 miles a day for about three months. This simple act will magically make your belt grow a couple of inches.

[Blu_IN]

Rediculous. Patent leather doesn't make you stand out. If anything, it looks sharp and professional. Honestly, the beef with patent is because some old guard won't accept new styles. Umpiring evolves, people need to learn to change with it or retire. At the very least, keep an open mind.

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by Blu_IN

Rediculous.

If you expect us to take you seriously, please either learn to spell or use spell check. Thank you.

And, no, no patent leather in softball. And when I do baseball, I won't:
*carry an indicator on the bases
*clean off any bases
*or clean off the pitcher's plate
*confuse "illegal pitch" and "balk"
*use the "hammer" for strikes or outs, and will instead use any damn mechanic I want for either one

I could go on...but don't come on here badmouthing softball and softball umpires when there is plenty wrong elsewhere.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Blu_IN

Rediculous. Patent leather doesn't make you stand out. If anything, it looks sharp and professional. Honestly, the beef with patent is because some old guard won't accept new styles. Umpiring evolves, people need to learn to change with it or retire. At the very least, keep an open mind.

So because a few who want to wear patent leather belts and shoes are simply "changing with the times", everyone else should follow suit or retire.

Great country, America!

[Blu_IN]

So, those that want to change with the times, should not because the old fear change? That road goes both ways Irish.

BBK, you won't take me seriously because I misspell a word. Sorry if my time is valuable enough not to spell check my posts. Its a forum, not an important work memo/document.

[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by Blu_IN

So, those that want to change with the times, should not because the old fear change? That road goes both ways Irish.

Just try changing the music or worship style in church. The phenomenon became known as the worship wars during the 1990's and early 2000's

[UMP 64]

If patent leather is what you have, just keep wearing it, it will evidentially loosen up and conform to your waist like any other HD belt. Yes, I wear patent leather belt & 3/4 plate shoes. If they are good enough for Gerry Davis in pro baseball, who worked the dish last night, Cincy over Atlanta game, they are good enough for me or any one else who wants to look professional. If you think patent leather has on place in "SOFTBALL", get over it. I work HS & college baseball & softball and see patent in both. If you don't like it, don't use it. Your shoes probably look like they have not been cleaned in weeks. The advantages of patent are many and they do hold up well. 5 & 6 years for 2 pairs. Thank you Gerry Davis for making what I think is the BEST plate shoe out there.
Work on your mechanics and do not worry what someone else wants to wear.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by UMP 64

If patent leather is what you have, just keep wearing it, it will evidentially loosen up and conform to your waist like any other HD belt. Yes, I wear patent leather belt & 3/4 plate shoes. If they are good enough for Gerry Davis in pro baseball, who worked the dish last night, Cincy over Atlanta game, they are good enough for me or any one else who wants to look professional. If you think patent leather has on place in "SOFTBALL", get over it. I work HS & college baseball & softball and see patent in both. If you don't like it, don't use it. Your shoes probably look like they have not been cleaned in weeks. The advantages of patent are many and they do hold up well. 5 & 6 years for 2 pairs. Thank you Gerry Davis for making what I think is the BEST plate shoe out there.
Work on your mechanics and do not worry what someone else wants to wear.

I guess you told us!

So, I guess you have no issue with leather ball bags, either.

In case you hadn't noticed, there are not too many MLB umpire groupies on this board.

Also in case you hadn't noticed, there are not too many here who give a rat's behind what MLB umpires wear. That seems to be an infatuation on the small ball board, I know. But, it is a big "yawn" here.

[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by UMP 64

If patent leather is what you have, just keep wearing it, it will evidentially loosen up and conform to your waist like any other HD belt. Yes, I wear patent leather belt & 3/4 plate shoes. If they are good enough for Gerry Davis in pro baseball, who worked the dish last night, Cincy over Atlanta game, they are good enough for me or any one else who wants to look professional. If you think patent leather has on place in "SOFTBALL", get over it. I work HS & college baseball & softball and see patent in both. If you don't like it, don't use it. Your shoes probably look like they have not been cleaned in weeks. The advantages of patent are many and they do hold up well. 5 & 6 years for 2 pairs. Thank you Gerry Davis for making what I think is the BEST plate shoe out there.
Work on your mechanics and do not worry what someone else wants to wear.

What is your opinion on using the 4 wheel indicator (your clicker)? Leather hip pouch? deerskin mask pads? gel pens? changing a coin from pocket to pocket to remember which team is at bat? throwing a yellow flag to signal obstruction? blowing a whistle at the end of a time limit? Hanging your water bottle on the inside of the fence right behind home plate? Wearing your hat backwards under your mask? Giving a red card to an ejected coach?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by UMP 64

If patent leather is what you have, just keep wearing it, it will evidentially loosen up and conform to your waist like any other HD belt. Yes, I wear patent leather belt & 3/4 plate shoes. If they are good enough for Gerry Davis in pro baseball, who worked the dish last night, Cincy over Atlanta game, they are good enough for me or any one else who wants to look professional.

Who gives a damn about Gerry Davis? He's an umpire doing a job for money, pretty much like the rest of us, just at a more marketable level.

If you think patent leather has on place in "SOFTBALL", get over it. I work HS & college baseball & softball and see patent in both. If you don't like it, don't use it. Your shoes probably look like they have not been cleaned in weeks.

What an idiotic statement that is. You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. I know many an umpire who can bring a comparable shine (without Leather Lustre) to a shoe simply by shining them. Clean and polished is all the needs to be accomplished. And remember, the better the shoe looks walking onto the field, the worse it looks when it gets dirty or damaged.

The advantages of patent are many and they do hold up well. 5 & 6 years for 2 pairs.

I've worn the same pairs of New Balance for four year on and off the field on a regular basis. The treatment applied TO a piece of leather and shoe will never replace the treatment OF a piece of leather and shoe. The fact that they are made of patent leather has no bearing on the wear.

Thank you Gerry Davis for making what I think is the BEST plate shoe out there.

Yeah, he slaves all day, cobbling away.

Work on your mechanics and do not worry what someone else wants to wear.

You should be doing that anyway.

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by UMP 64

Yes, I wear patent leather belt & 3/4 plate shoes. If they are good enough for Gerry Davis in pro baseball,...

Dammit! I got ROBBED! My Gerry Davis plate shoes are REAL leather! And I could have gotten PATENT leather?

Now, lookie here Ump 64 and whoever else wants to put me and others down. I can make a pair of real leather shoes shine just like those fancy assed patent leather shoes. I can make my belt shine too. All it takes is a little work. It's that first impression thing...and I can guarandamnedtee you that every college coach around here (and most of the community college coaches) and top flight travel ball coaches know what umpires are supposed to wear (oh, hey, they know the rules, too).

If they see some clown come on the field with patent leather shoes and a patent leather belt, ya know what they think? It shows that umpires doesn't know what they are supposed to wear, and if they do, they're probably too lazy to shine up the real stuff. You might be the nicest guy in the world, but I have no room for laziness. Lazy people cheat ME and every other hard-working umpire -- and IMHO, patent leather = laziness.

[NCASAUmp]

I'm a guy, and I have no idea what patent leather looks like (except for maybe those lovely knee-high boots ladies wear). So basically, I don't know if they look good as a belt or not. Maybe they do, maybe they don't.

However, Blu_IN does point out that it does take a while for ASA to change the style. Think of how long we had those button-down shirts that looked like something from the 70s.

The answer, in my opinion, is that one proper uniform (minus any chest protectors, masks, etc.) costs around $150 (slacks, shirt, hat, belt and shoes). Many umpires, like myself, have more than one complete uniform (I've got 5 uniforms with two extra shirts that I took out of the rotation). Would we really want to have to keep changing the uniform once every couple of years? I know I certainly wouldn't, and that's why I take such good care of the ones I already have.

[Blu_IN]

And I am not saying that you should either put on the patent or go away. Far from it, some people are not going to want to wear it due to their personal opinions. However, its really annoying that when it comes to conference tournament time, I have to hang up my patent leather plate shoes and belt simply because the old guard refuses to accept the style.

At least come up with something other than it stands out, or looks flashy. It doesn't. The NCAA uniform is so unbelievably bland. What in the world is wrong with wanting to show some style. What is wrong with wanting to look as good as possible? If I feel that patent leather plate shoes and belt make for a better look, what's wrong with that?

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Blu_IN

And I am not saying that you should either put on the patent or go away. Far from it, some people are not going to want to wear it due to their personal opinions. However, its really annoying that when it comes to conference tournament time, I have to hang up my patent leather plate shoes and belt simply because the old guard refuses to accept the style.

At least come up with something other than it stands out, or looks flashy. It doesn't. The NCAA uniform is so unbelievably bland. What in the world is wrong with wanting to show some style. What is wrong with wanting to look as good as possible? If I feel that patent leather plate shoes and belt make for a better look, what's wrong with that?

Probably because "showing some style" and having "a better look" isn't UNIFORM with the other umpires. If it isn't the same, it is different; and that, my friend, means it stands out.

Further, patent leather isn't some new idea that the "old guard" refuses it accept. It is an old idea, developed in 1818, that has been rejected as inappropriate from the beginning of softball uniforms, and continues to be unacceptable. Not newly rejected; never accepted. Showing some style is the baseball non-uniform uniform. Just watch the LLWS for inspiration.

[Steve M]

I've managed to stay out of this one, but so much for that.

I wear the patent leather shoes in games where players do not wear metal spikes - they are easier to clean and my personal opinion is that they look better. I do not wear a patent leather belt - they are too thick.

As for the number of uniforms - that's irrelevant. I choose to work in a number of different sanctioning bodies. Each has their own uniform(s), and I have just about all of them. I pay my registration to each and buy the uniforms of each. Since I changed to a smaller vehicle a couple of months ago, I don't carry all the uniforms all the time now.

As for the music wars, we "fixed" that. We've got 2 separate services and seldom do they mix. Great fix, huh? But that does keep us from having to build a bigger sanctuary.