No one here said it would not be approved by ASA, only that it was not presently legal by the strict interpretation of the approved umpire's uniform.

Other than that, there were individual opinions on preferences, but if you didn't want that, why did you post the question in the first place?

Whether it is approved or not, there will continue to be those who will not use it for reasons of personal taste, tradidion, look / appearance, discouragement by the local UIC, cost, why buy new when the old will do, etc., etc.

This isn't an issue worth campaigning about, IMO. And, as an umpire, one of my first obligations is to adhere to the rules as they pertain to <u>myself</u>. Leading by example and all that. So, unless or until it becomes legal, I will not buy one / wear one for ASA games.

They specify what COLOR the mask will be?

Hahahahahaha.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. ASA leads the world in anal-retentiveness.

I went to a HS clinic (baseball) earlier this season where one of the umpires had one of the little beanie hats for use under the helmet. I walked up to him and said, "Hey, you know, the helmet is meant to be worn without a hat."

His response was that his supervisor told him that a hat was required. It was the supervisor's way of saying that he didn't like the helmets.

The helmets provide superior vision at the cost of heat. One day, most serious umpires will convert to the helmet. There are few that try the helmet and then don't like it. I've let two umpires use mine this season -- both went out and bought their own.

That said, on really hot days I still pull out my BLUE MASK WITH DOESKIN PADS and use it. With the new mesh fitted hats, I'm much cooler that way and don't have sweat running down my face.

Rich

That was BASEBALL, wasn't it? Ha ha yourself.

The clinic was baseball. His association worked both baseball and softball. Take one "ha" back.

:)

Rich

Only if you will graciously accept me going over to the baseball board and making fun of the pimply teenage boys in nike basketball shoes wearing leg guards over their cut-off jean shorts and using a ballon protector while "calling" a ~15yo boys baseball game in the field next to a girls 12U softball game called by a professional ASA umpire.

I think you, as a baseball guy, are throwing stones from a glass house if you come over here to make fun of ASA umpire uniform requirements.

I'm not, because I don't speak for other umpires.

It's not a baseball-only thing, either. I've seen plenty of rec softball umpires dressed badly, too. And rec baseball players, too.

My point is that the color of the frame of the mask and whether you use a helmet is irrelevant to the quality of officiating. It seems as though the trend is to judge style over substance in most situations -- but I'm much less interested in the headwear of an official than in knowing his head height when calling pitches, just to give one example.

Too many organizations are starting to dictate gear in this fashion and some are doing it in a blatant attempt to monopolize the clothing/equipment market (HS associations are the worst for this).

Not important to me. If someone told me I wasn't allowed to wear a helmet or something equally ridiculous, I'd just go home.

BTW, I've been a softball umpire just as long as I've been a baseball umpire. I worked my first college game on the softball diamond and worked my first state HS quarterfinal on the softball diamond. I can speak as one who's done a lot of both, even if I'm focusing on baseball right now. And never, never, did anyone care about such trivial equipment issues when I worked fastpitch.

Rich



[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Aug 7th, 2003 at 12:28 AM]