Umpire Gear

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I am surprised that the HSM has remained as rare among umpires as it has. It clearly offers superior protection.

Personally, on the "looking professional" front, an umpire who is without a hat only when the helmet is removed doesn't look unprofessional to me; he looks like an umpire who took his helmet off. Now a base umpire without a hat or an PU using a mask without a hat... sure, that looks sloppy or unprofessional, as does a hat sticking out of the back pocket.

If HSM-using umpires ever reach a significant minority, I would expect the requirement of having a hat also to gradually go away.

(FWIW, MLB umpires are apparently not required to wear a hat under their HSM, nor are they required to put one on when they take the helmet off... going by the pictures I see... obviously no first hand access to what MLB does and does not required for their umpires.)

One of the best I have ever worked with, Rick Havercroft from Michigan (ISF FP umpire, now an NCAA conference coordinator in the MidWest), was a huge proponent of the HSM before it was an approved item; in fact, I know Rick personally addressed KR of ASA urging approval, and I believe he was a major factor in getting the approval that now exists in ASA, despite the disapproval of many of the NUS.

That said, KR can approve the iHSM; getting the hat stated as an "optional" uniform item when .... probably requires a majority, since it requires a rule change.