outside protector
 

I'm having issues with heat exhaustion down here working the plate with an inside protector. I have a very difficult time exhausting heat and sweat away from my body and it creates a real problem. Years ago back north I used an outside protector for many seasons of baseball and some softball. I was quite comfortable with it, it never hindered my work behind the plate. I'm seriously thinking of buying one for next year. My question here is there anyone that uses one or knows of someone using one?
I love working the plate and think it will keep me in the game to use one. What do you think?
I should add that I am currently only calling FHSAA high school ball during the regular season, no more play-offs or "big" games. 74 years old and umpiring since 1958, near the end of my career.

Dear sir, not trying to be unsimpathetic but I believe you need to tell your assigner you can't accept games when it's very hot. Do not buy an outside protector. That's only my 2 cents however.

With all due respect Chuck, your two cents isn't worth even one cent. I am almost 61 and MTD, Jr., is 23, and we bought "ballons" for use during summer fast pitch tournaments for the following reason: The FP tournaments in our area are played under the following time constraints: A game lasts 1:20 and a new game starts every 1:30. That means a crew has only ten minutes to change from Plate Gear to Base Gear and vice versa. If you are like Mark, Jr., and I that means changing in or out of full Plate Gear which really cannot be done in 10 minutes and when it is very hot, it means that one does not really have a time to take a break between games.

Using a "ballon" allows us to wear Combo Pants and all we have to do is change between Plate and Base shoes and shin guards.

MTD, Sr.

The last time I used a balloon was five years ago, when I worked a lot of summer rec league baseball and softball. I used it for two reasons... the one Mark already gave and also because the ability level of the players was very low. The pitchers had a hard time throwing strikes and the catchers were happy to let the umpires serve as a backstop. It was difficult for me to get into the slot, and I found myself working more "over the top." Other than that, I had no issues at all.

Considering time constraints, it is what it is but take the time necessary to change your gear, the next game will wait for you and most times you'll catch up the schedule due to other reasons by the end of the day. BUT...Hard to believe that taking your shirt off, adding a protector and putting your shirt back on takes more than 2 minutes but the bigger issue is schedulers that wanna cram in games every 1'30" and expect things to run like a German train schedule all day...with no consideration for the umpire crew in the least. I'm not in favor of the "ballon", but to each his own I guess.

What's next, stand behind the pitcher to call balls and strikes because its too hot to suit up? Stay hydrated, use sunscreen, find shade between innings, use ice towels, etc. be prepared for the heat!

If you think an outside protector would make the difference and allow you more games and more enjoyment; then of course that is the way to go. :)

I don't know anything about outer ones, have not used a balloon since LL in 1984, so no tech help here.

With only 27 years SB plus 5 LL, I really admire your 55 years, congratulations. :cool: :D :D

I don't usually disagree with you, but ...

That is a common time constraint, although I just saw one with 1:20/1:45 to allow for inning finishing and ties.
Anyway, doesn't the finishing BU wait for the changing PU and start the next game?
And like Rob said, shirt/CP is the quickest part of the change.

Also, what is the relationship of combo pants to CP? I still would change pants to fresh ones and remove the cup/supporter.

One thing that has helped me quite a bit are the Endurance Pads from Rite Temp. Unfortunately the company went out of business so they aren't being made any more but if you can find some, they are worth every penny.

1) Tournament Directors here in the Toledo Area do NOT want games starting after their scheduled time: Games WILL start on time! You do not know how often coaches complain because we have started the game 5 minutes, :eek:, late because we have taken an extra 5 minutes to rest between games.

Just this past Saturday afternoon, all of the morning games were wiped out because of heavy rain the night before. And the diamond to which we were assigned started 10 minutes later than the rest of the games because the 2B area still wasn't ready. The HC and parents of one of the teams in our 3rd game of the day complained that it was our fault that their game was late because of field conditions.

And two weeks ago at a baseball tournament, Junior and I had a HC complain that we didn't start his game immediately after our 3rd game in a row because we took a break and changed gear while the grounds crew ready the field for our next game. Yes, we were behind schedule but that happens when the entire weekend was pummeled with thunderstorms all day and all night long. The shocking thing was about this HC was he and his team was from Canada and Canadians are usually the most polite people there are in tournaments. I was behind the plate for his game and ran him in the top of the 2nd for pulling an Earl Weaver over a balk we called on his pitcher; his Pitcher stopped twice while pitching from the Set Position.

2a) Plate Gear is more than a Chest Protector; it is also Shin Guards and Plate Shoes, as well as a Mask and a Breathing Apparatus (10 bonus points and a Cuban cigar for all who know what a Breathing Apparatus is, :p).

2b) Don't forget that during that 10 minute time period between the end of one game and the start of the next game is when the Umpires meet with the HCs, exchange Lineup Cards, go over Ground Rules, and flip the coin for Home and Away.

3) What shade between innings? I have never been on a softball diamond that has shade for the umpires between innings let alone shade for the players.

4) MTD, Jr., and I would not consider going behind the Pitcher to call Balls and Strikes, but we do take the proper precautions to stay hydrated. We each take an insulated jug of ice and water onto the diamond with us. We drink between half innings and keep a small towel in the jugs to use to wring water over our heads and into our hats between innings. We know how to take care of ourselves.

MTD, Sr.

Um ... exactly how would that work since both have to change?

I think Cecil is used to working the way we do around here, three people on a field in these cases, in a two on one off format. In this weather, four to a field is not unusual, working a one on one off format.

Sounds like that is what needs to be considered for use up there, especially if the coaches and TD's are so anal about their time constraints. We never have those issues here because a crew is always ready to take the field as soon as the previous crew walks off of it.

If this is league, with just a couple to three games, even in the heat, another idea is for the plate umpire to work two consecutive games, and only change for a third game if one exists.

Yes, sorry, as said, thinking 3 ump rotation. :o :)

Looks like you have bigger problems than CP. :eek:

Nobody wants to start late, but someone needs to manage the problem.

You can get all of the opinions you want here, but the only thing that really matters is your assignor there in FL. If s/he is OK with it, go for it.

We have a HS SB umpire here in AZ that uses the outside protector. He is an older gentleman that wants to stay in the game, but had a colostomy several years ago. He does not feel adequately protected with an inside protector, so he asked permission to use the balloon and the state association agreed.

Yes, RiteTemp Athletics is out of business, but I found another product that I think is better.

About three weeks ago, I bought a chiller vest from GlacierTek Concealable Cooling Vest

What I read about RiteTemp is that the cooling would only last 4 or 5 innings requiring a quick change out mid-game.

The GlacierTek cooling elements will stay 59 degrees for 2.5 hours in 100 degree temps. The cooling elements are "charged" in ice water in a cooler for 20 minutes. Re-charging is same.

Simply, it works great.
Your core temp is reduced by 10%, along with your heart rate reduced about the same. It does not fool you into thinking it is cooler outside, but your perspiration is reduced by about 99%.:cool::cool::cool:

Case in point:
I was scheduled for plates at 9:30am, 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
I didn't use the vest for the 9:30am game as it was relatively mild. But that didn't stop me from working up a decent sweat. Changed pants and shirt for base game at 11:15.

We were at a nice complex where the umpires had access to a conference room that was roomy and air-conditioned.

When getting ready for 3:30 game, even though the 9:30 pants had been hanging in the A/C for 3 hours, they were still noticeably damp. So, I pulled out a fresh pair.

At the end of the 3:30 game, the pants that I just wore were bone dry, and definitely drier than the 9:30 pants.

The vest seems a bit bulky at first and it weighs nearly 5 pounds, but you will not be bothered by that. I haven't used it for a base game yet because it would be very noticeable - would look like you had a chest protector on. But if the temps get high enough (100+), I will not hesitate to use the product on bases.

Side benefit that I did not realize until this past weekend.
Since your core temp has been reduced for the 90 +/- minutes, it takes a while for it to rise back up. So, for the first 30 minutes or so of the base game, you are still feeling pretty comfortable. I still use my frog togg for the base game, and able to use the same pair of pants back-to-back and remain bone dry.

You know what, Mark? Tough. If THEY are dumb enough to schedule games that close, that is their issue. An umpire should never be pushed to any point of not being properly equipped or not getting a chance to catch their breath. IMO, too many umpires play into this crap and shame on the UICs that allow it.

Yes, we all want to be on time. If a coach bitches, remind him of all the time s/he and his team waste on rah-rah or "huddles". I've seen TDs hold a tournament up because the poor players had to play back-to-back because they fell to the loser's bracket early. Let me see, who gets to take a break at least every half-inning, usually in the shade and with cold water available whenever. But the umpires are expected to be perfect on the field and immortal all the time?

AFA the topic, I started umpiring with the balloon in 66 and loved it. The new ones are way too small, but the original offered much more protection than the inside protectors. If you can get one, use it.

You shouldn't forget, Mark, that some of us have been around this forum almost as long as you!

http://forum.officiating.com/basebal...tml#post748645

Now, about that Cuban cigar.... ;)

Why would he need the State Association's permission to use a balloon rather than an inside protector? Neither the OhioHSAA nor the MichiganHSAA require a baseball or softball umpire to use the inside protector.

MTD, Sr.

Irish:

You are preaching to the choir. Every time I have mentioned using a three-umpire rotation, you would not believe how many umpires protest. They do not want to be on site for as many as 9 games in order to umpire 6 games. They want to work 6 games in a row so they can get down quicker even if it "kills" them.

MTD, Sr

There's no way in hell I'd stick around for 9 games and only get paid for 6 of them.

Easiest way to get on my scratch list is when a team forfeits in the middle of a string of games and the TD doesn't want to pay the umpires for that game, thinking that they'll just pocket that extra money.

I wouldn't even want to work 6 games in a day. I enjoy the 3-ump rotation. Three games is an ideal workload for me, but I've done 4 in a pinch.

Tired, cranky umpires are not what the teams are paying for.

Rich:

If I were a coach (and I have no desire to go over to the Dark Side) and I had my choice between an umpire who was umpiring his sixth game in a row as opposed to an umpire who was umpiring his sixth game of the day but was in a three umpire rotation where each umpire did not umpire more that two games in a row, I would definitely choose the latter. And as an umpire I would choose to be the latter umpire too.

MTD, Sr.

I couldn't possibly care what the coaches want.

I do two or three of these marathon days a year, usually before I go on vacation. On those days, I'm there for the money, nothing more. In June I did 7 straight baseball games -- the first 4 on the plate. I was there to make $350 to take with me on vacation. And I'm arrogant enough to note that even in my fourth plate, I'm still better than 90% of the people they get working their first plate.

If they want me to sit a game, they'll have to pay me for it. Otherwise, I'm sure there are other umpires willing to work. (Actually, I'm not so sure, because by the time I agree to do it, they're usually saying that there's nobody else -- could I please do it?).

With the exception of those 2-3 days a year when I whore myself out, I don't work anything but single games and doubleheaders.

Frankly, that's nuts. Plate-Base-Break-repeat is quite common, all over.

Where you live, perhaps. Where I live, we work and then we go home.

Maybe the softball folks do it differently here. Not part of my frame of reference. I'll ask a couple and report back.

With softball games being so short, I guess I don't see the problem with working 3-4 in a row. Seems like a short day to this baseball guy. :D

Rich:

It is nice to know that you don't care about your physical and mental condition at the end of the day, just so you can make a bucket load of money in one day.

MTD, Sr.

Actually, Rich's view is rampant around here.

Not so much the "whoring" himself out part, but the unwillingness to sit. It seems getting umpires assigned to tournaments has a lot of dealing with whiny umpires and their "special" needs... can't work before noon, must be done by noon, want to do 4 and out, short of money, so want to work 7 in a row, yadda, yadda.

You couldn't PAY me enough to be an assignor and have to deal with this crap. Too much babysitting and appeasing of umpires than I have the patience for.

I don't know Rich, but I don't know anyone who is better after 4 games than 90% of the other umpires on their first game. He must be working with some set of crappy umpires.

Physically, I was quite fine. A bit sore the next day, but nothing that didn't go away in due time.

Mentally, I was tired at the end of the day. It's hard to focus for that long.

But I'm not kidding myself. My father worked in a steel mill for 30 years. Umpiring for 12-14 hours compared with that is child's play.

(And we did get breaks -- the games were scheduled 2:15 apart and when you turn in 4 plate jobs all less than 1:38, you get some time to relax. It was strange putting on the plate gear at 7:30AM and removing it almost 8 hours later, though.

The odd thing? I didn't hear a word from anyone in 7 games and only had one coach visit to ask about a rule that he didn't understand.)

I only did one day like that this year. Won't be any more. I'll work another 8-10 baseball games and then it will be football season for me.

I'm sorry I'm going down this path -- one more post, I promise. I don't even work softball, so it's probably just a bit different for you folks.

Most top-notch college/HS baseball umpires don't touch that crap around here. So you end up with guys who are not very good on their best day. Calling balls and strikes at the youth level isn't exactly heavy lifting if you have good timing and call a good, aggressive zone.

Hey, I'm the one who's the independent contractor. Either I work the way I want to work OR I shrug and spend the day with my family. I don't *need* the money (it's nice to have on vacation, but a day at my day job pays more than even the longest day of umpiring could) -- they need me more. So either they use me the way I want OR they have more slots to fill. Supply and demand and all that.

We have leagues where they'll call at 11AM and say that the field won't be ready (usually because they don't show up at the field before 11AM to check the condition) for the 1PM start -- they're moving the game back to 2 or 3PM. I take 1PM games so I can have dinner with my family on Sundays. When they move the start time, I always tell them I can't do it and to find someone else.

I hear a lot of people complain about assignors and all the power they have in the assignor / umpire relationship. That's simply not true. It's because the umpire allows the assignor to have that power. But you have to be willing to not work once in a while....

I suppose if things were spaced out such that we had 30-45 minutes between games, scheduling several back to back wouldn't be as much of an issue.

Space them 10 minutes apart, and you might change your mind.
Work them in Texas, when it's 100 heat index on a good day, and you might change your mind.

Were your baseball games on a time limit? 1:38 seems pretty quick. If on a time limit, maybe it's more realistic to compare actual innings worked instead of "number of games".

And how do you figure that softball games are so much shorter than that? 1:30 is a fair average for a full seven inning fastpitch game.

The games were on a no-new-inning after 2:00 time limit (hence the 2:15 spacing), but all 4 of those plates went 7 innings.

It was good quality baseball on field turf. Lots of ground ball outs.

It seems the most important parts of this topic are:

There's no way in hell I'd stick around for 9 games and only get paid for 6 of them.

I'm there for the money, nothing more.

I'm arrogant enough
followed by
Mentally, I was tired at the end of the day. It's hard to focus for that long.

Not so much the "whoring" himself out part

I don't even work softball

top-notch college/HS baseball umpires don't touch that crap around here.

.................................................. .................

OR maybe it was this:

three weeks ago, I bought a chiller vest from GlacierTek Concealable Cooling Vest

What I read about RiteTemp is that the cooling would only last 4 or 5 innings requiring a quick change out mid-game.

The GlacierTek cooling elements will stay 59 degrees for 2.5 hours in 100 degree temps. The cooling elements are "charged" in ice water in a cooler for 20 minutes. Re-charging is same.

Simply, it works great.
Your core temp is reduced by 10%, along with your heart rate reduced about the same. It does not fool you into thinking it is cooler outside, but your perspiration is reduced by about 99%.

Whatever. If expecting to be compensated fairly for my time is arrogant, so be it. If trying to give an accurate background for a story is arrogant, so be it. A lot of weekend warriors don't care about being good on the field. They have 10 year old uniforms, have never been to a clinic, have never picked up a rule book, and are warm bodies who are happy to be there under whatever terms the assignor dictates.

And who do you think asked me to do all seven? It's not like I said, "I'll only do it if I can work all seven." No, that's the assignor asking that. I'd rather do 4 and go home -- 2 plates and 2 bases and I have half a day left for whatever.

It amazes me how much crap people are willing to take to work games. If you think it's OK to sit around for 90-120 minutes and not get paid for your time, then have at it.

I'd rather look at it from my point of view -- I'm providing a service -- if the assignor has a ton of guys willing to work on his terms, then I guess I'll stay home and they can work. Otherwise, I'm going to work while I'm there and not sit around doing nothing. And I get to negotiate some of the terms.

There is no way in hell you can be as effective in your fourth consecutive plate game or your seventh consecutive game as you were in your first or after a break.

Unless you were "pacing" yourself from the beginning knowing that you had to work that many games on that day. If you were doing that, then you weren't effective from the beginning by not giving the game and the players your maximum effort.

As for your assignor....I have ran into plenty of assignors who seem to thing that umpires are a "necessary evil" of running a tournament and just look for bodies to put out there without regard to how it affects the umpires or the games.

I wouldn't disagree with that. Then again, some people aren't capable of working a DH and being effective on the second game. I've even met the occasional umpire who loses effectiveness late in a single game.

Of course I knew I was working 7 games in advance and, no, I wasn't sprinting everywhere all day long. But I was always in position to make a call and I was still running and pivoting in during game 7. The parents, players, and coaches and the assignor all were happy with the quality of work.

I'm just not shy about telling people my motivation for working ball on the weekends. For the pure joy of umpiring, I'd probably quit after HS / college season was over and then work volunteer LL in July (which I already do). Maybe travel a bit to umpire, like I do now. But I do like to do some of this to make some money to offset the huge amounts of gear and clothing I buy every season. And maybe take the family on the occasional vacation.

98% of all umpires do it for the money. To be offended that someone says it out loud, enough so that you call him arrogant, is ... well ... arrogant.

Personally, I would not work for free (with rare exceptions --- a charity event for example), but I also wouldn't work if I didn't enjoy it. The day either of those goes away, I'm done.

99% of all statistics are made up. ;) Ummm... Rich called himself arrogant.

This is a weekend I had in May:

Saturday - About 25 miles travel to a mens tournament at about 1pm, and did three games, then traveled about 40 miles (with time to stop and eat a little) to a league and did a DH which did not get over until after midnight - didn't get home until about 1 am. THEN I had to turn around and be at another mens league by 0830 the next morning - another 25 - 30 minute drive - for anothe DH --- THEN....right after that was over, ANOTHER 25, 30 minute drive to yet another men's league to work.....4 in a row. :eek: All of these were modified pitch leagues of various sorts - no easy slow pitch games.

You think I was cranky by the end of the day Sunday? YUP

Oh yes - on MONDAY, had my work, ran to do a HS game, in which I had been scheduled to do bases - but had to throw the gear on, when my partner was late, and then after that, ANOTHER 20 minute drive to do ANOTHER men's modified DH...

I gotta tell ya, by the end of those three days, I was pretty well EXHAUSTED....:p

although $512 for three days ain't bad though :D

Tongue-in-cheek, but yes I did.

Flying to Washington State to do their state AAA Legion tourney in the morning. All 9-inning games and I'm not working more than one a day (for 5 days) unless there's an if game on the last day.

Looking forward to having some free time away from the ballpark, actually, and spending some time with a good friend who used to post here years ago.

Say hi to him - he's missed here.

Glad those worked because the stuff I got from Rite Temp is pure crap.

What do you expect from a company that cannot write right right, right?