Taking off the mask
 

What "hand" are you, and when you first learned to take off your umpire's mask, was it easy for you to take the mask off with your left hand?

I'm right-handed, or at least I think I am. At least I've always been raised right-handed, but I sometimes wonder. Everything else about me is left-side dominant: I listen to the phone with my left ear, I dropkick a soccer ball with my left foot, I used to skateboard like a "lefty," I'm left eye dominant when I go shooting, I even drive with only my left hand on the wheel.

But I'm right-handed. And for me, it's much more natural to take off my mask with my left hand than with my right. Trying to take off my mask with my right hand seems... Weird.

Just a random thought I had this morning when getting ready for work...

I'm a righty, but I'm so used to using my left hand to pull off my mask that I don't even think twice about it. It was so long ago that I first started doing it that I can't even remember if it was awkward for me or not- but it probably was.

I'm lucky in that when I first started out I had a pretty good trainer who was really strict about doing things the right way. So I knew that you were supposed to use your left hand right off the bat and that's the way I always did it.

It's kind of the same with holding your indicator in your left hand. I seem to remember that feeling strange to me at first. There was a point early in my umpiring career where I broke my left hand and had a cast on it. So for a few weeks I had to hold my indicator in my right hand. That felt really strange! About the time it started to feel normal, the cast came off and I switched back- and it felt strange all over again.

Even though it's not how we're supposed to do it, I still see a good number of umpires around here that always use their right hand to remove the mask, as well as guys that hold the indicator in their right hand. Sometimes they're rookies and that kind of explains it. But I still see some guys with 20+ years of experience that do it "backwards". And it bugs me!

I'm very right-handed, but it was drilled into me when I started umpiring that the mask is always removed with the left hand, so that's what I did from the beginning. I don't remember it feeling awkward or difficult at the time, now it's just natural.

One of our older guys who retired from calling a few years back always took his mask off with the right hand, then quickly transferred it to his left hand.
The only reason I know this is because he told me. He was so good at it and able to do it so quickly that by the time you looked at him, he already had the mask in his left hand. When I started watching him more closely, I was able to see what he did. I guess he just never got comfortable with using the left hand.

See, and that's the odd thing. I'm new at this, so the little oddities are fresh in my mind. Yet taking off my mask with my left hand seems natural. Taking it off with my right seems, well... just... wrong.

It's like trying to throw a ball with your opposite hand. You can do it, but your body is massively mixed up when you try.

Maybe you've been umpiring for so long that your brain just instinctively knows your right hand is for signalling. :)

Standard umpire mechanic - remove the mask with the left hand.

Standard way to recognize an untrained umpire - see him remove the mask with the right hand (then see him smack a runner with it when signalling an out!)

and how do you put the mask back on. I have been told that the ncaa has a way to do it.

Left, always left, nothing, but the left and, please, don't anyone tell me they cannot do that with an indicator in there hand. :rolleyes:

I've been doing it since 14 yo and not these lightweight masks, but a coated cast-iron mask. :cool:

what do you mean by hand??? no one else just throws it on the ground behind HP?

Ask KR how that works out.

Yeah, I don't know what all the fuss is about. I'm a righty, use a 4-wheel indicator, and I'm a total FP newbie behind the plate. But taking the mask off with the left hand just seems natural to me. I've only bumped my hat three times in 4 plate games (never lost it, though).

Just don't forget to pull the mask off, not lift it over your head. And remember, the mask should never be tight. If you bend over and look at feet, it should fall off.

catcher for over 20 years makes for a hard habit to break. Mask comes off with the right hand and quickly change to the left. (yes, I know this is not the proper mechanic) :D

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...dday4030-1.jpg

Funny, I have the same problem and for the same reason. I even practiced taking it off with my left hand at home repeatedly for years, but whenever I am on the ballfield, instinct takes over. The switch to the left hand is so quick that rarely does anyone ever notice.

I did this for the first 20 years of my career. I was very young when I started umpiring (14 or 15) and had/have smallish hands. I found it difficult to get the mask off with my left hand. In fact, I was very quick getting the mask off with my right and moving it to my left that none of my UICs ever noticed (or, never made a point of dinging me) until just 5 or 6 years ago at my 3rd ASA National.

I worked very hard the next spring to "learn" to be a lefty and am happy to report this old dog did learn a new trick!

I must be bad, but I use both hands to remove, into the left while making the call, both hands to put it back on. Thumbs hook the strap, on it goes, give it a slight smack ready for play. Never loose the cap (/rant on! it's a CAP /Rant off).

bugg

I've seen Major League umpires take their masks off with both hands. JMHO but I think it looks amateurish. It looks to me like they haven't taken the time to master taking it off with just their left hand. Dave

Started at age 13, tried to do it left-handed and just had the worst time trying to get it to work without losing my hat. Finally gave up, even with all the vets telling me to do it right. Now, it's off and in front of my body quickly enough that virtually no one notices. The only two people who have noticed in the past seven years: KR and EA. KR demanded I fix it, EA was impressed how quickly it gets to the left hand and had no problem with it.

So now the question is, why exactly does it have to come off in the left hand? I am certainly aware of the 'signal with the right hand 'argument and the tradition that goes along with it. Yet, in my 27 years, I have never come close to an instance where removing it with my right has led to anything negative. In fact, I would argue for it to be a problem you have to either 1- leave it in the right hand or 2- be making a signal so quickly that you probably rushed the call. Both of these are easily remedied.

Ultimately, I don't see why there is all the fuss. When I train umpires, I suggest that the preferred method is to use the left hand, I make them aware of the possible kickback of being caught by the wrong person when using the right hand, and I provide the context for getting the mask to the left hand immediately after it is removed. Curious to hear others opinions...

There are many things that are required or stressed to do of umpires that I don't understand. Let me try to name a few that come to mind.
1. Alternating where the PU stands between innings. You can see fine from anywhere we are asked to stand.
2. Sweeping off the PP between innings, when with some pitchers, it will be back to dirty after only a few pitches.
3. Never laying your mask down.
There are many more that just don't come to mind. Any one want to add to the list, just for fun. Dave

I don't believe we are required to agree with the rationale for all mechanics; those that can make the rules, do, and our job is to try to conform to get ahead.

And, I am also a former catcher that never got past the mental and muscle memory of taking the mask off with the right hand; I also swap immediately.

That said, here are some responses I have heard over the years to justify questions.

Mask; if you always have it in the correct hand, there will never even be a possibility that you would signal (particularly overhand or punch out) with the mask and lose it, or hit someone with it.

We alternate between innings to make sure there is no perceived favoritism by being closer to one dugout (and coaching staff) all the time.

We sweep the PP to see it; when a pitcher covers it again, she gets no benefit of doubt if there is an issue. We can also resweep it anytime if necessary; but setting a standard time makes it less apparent if we are watching one pitcher more than the other. We always do it between innings because that is the least obtrusive moment.

The mask is the most visible symbol of the authority of the PU; setting it down also can be perceived as setting aside that authority.

I understand the rationale about alternating where we stand between innings. I guess my real question is why don't our umpire manuals just say to alternate each half inning, instead of telling which side to stand each half inning? Also, I have never seen in writing the not laying our masks down. I don't lay it down now, since I was made aware of it on this forum. Dave

So, when I was in college I broke my left hand fairly badly and it gives me just a little grief even just to hold an indicator, so while I've tried repeatedly to learn to get my mask off with my left hand, I've never been able to do it without losing the indicator half the time or it hurting.

A couple of years ago a friendly respected veteran pointed out I was doing it wrong (at this point I wasn't consistently getting it to my left hand after taking it off, so really wrong). Then he showed me what he does. Off with the left hand, into the right hand and then back to the left hand the way he likes it. The right to left I do now, makes more sense to me.

Right handed catcher as a kid. However, as a catcher, you rarely have to get the mask off as quickly as an umpire. Started umpire when I was still playing, but, as previously stated, had no problem using my left hand w/indicator. BTW, the masks back then only had horizontal bars, not the cages you have now.

Everyone has a comfortable way of doing things, guess I'm lucky I had good mentors at the time.

AFA laying down my mask, I just don't do it. To me, it is a piece of my uniform and tool of my trade. Not to mention I feel it is unprofessional on my behalf.

I think I found your old mask on eBay... :D
http://static.zoovy.com/img/bonnies/..._iron_mask.jpg

Well, I did break the 'putting mask on homeplate for plate conference' bad habit before Nationals. :D
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...andday4006.jpg

What I love is when the umpire asks, "How am I supposed to read or write with a mask in my hand?"

Plus, on a typical softball field, it's going to get just plain dirty! I HATE if I accidently drop mine (which is very rare, maybe once a year) and it gets covered with dust. They have so many nooks and crannies for dirt to get into that a quick wipe off just isn't going to get it.

I like to keep mine clean. Laying it down in the dirt doesn't really help that! At least a couple of times a year I'll disassemble the whole thing to really scrub the frame, pads and harness, and I try to keep it wiped down between games.

One of the local clowns has an answer to that, Mike. He's got one a clip on his belt and hangs the mask there. Wasn't sure if I'd wet my pants laughing or fall over - glad we had navy pants on..............

A good exampe of how hands-on-hips looks impatient.
[NIT}Also, mask under arm s/b top facing forward. [/NIT]:eek:

One of our local "clowns" has the clip too. He also calls outs with his left hand.

Oh ya, Forgot - he doesnt have a right arm.

And you think I'm anal!?!? :eek:

No, we KNOW you are, other just have to beat you to it once in a while. :p :D

you will got over it :D

One of our local officials does it, too. However, she says it's because her arms are too short to be able to fit the mask under her arm and have enough left to hold the line-up card in front of her. I don't doubt it, as she's pretty short.

The mask, like the cap, is a symbol of authority. Either looks bad sitting on the ground

Is it wrong that ILMAO when I read this?

He is less of a clown now, he did get a hair cut, lose the elbow pad and gold bracelet.

But the clip was on full display this weekend.