Outside Chest Protector

[ScubaUmp]

Yes, Outside chest protector, just ordered one. Plan on using it in these minor division little league games where the player behind the plate dressed like a catcher is NOT!! Its survival cant risk injury for the upper level games on the schedule. 

Looking for tips or videos on how to use this piece of umpiring history. And who knows may have to setup a throw back game this summer, white shirts, bow ties and beanies??????

 

[scrounge]

How to use it? It's pretty complex:

1.  Hold it in front of you

2. Don't throw it when you signal safe

 

Seriously, I think the prejudice against these is ridiculous...it's ideal for precisely this very situation. Do what you gotta do.

[Umpire in Chief]

I've considered it because you can move it to protect where needed most. 

[ScubaUmp]

Scrounge

LMAO That's what I was thinking.

 

 

[ScubaUmp]

4 minutes ago, Umpire in Chief said:

I've considered it because you can move it to protect where needed most. 

For the others that may be considering it i will keep you posted.

[BCBrad]

I don't use one, but my local association has them for our younger umpires who cannot afford their own gear. 

From my experience with showing younger umpires:

•  slip your arms from inside out then under. grab the strap in the middle on the inside and pull CP up under chin. 
• most important keep it tight so to protect your collar bone. that is the biggest worry I have with the younger umpires they let it dangle and expose their collar bone. 
• also, it drives me nuts to see them leave it on the ground between innings and dont use the inside pocket for extra balls. 

I hope this is a little bit helpful.

[ScubaUmp]

23 minutes ago, BCBrad said:

I don't use one, but my local association has them for our younger umpires who cannot afford their own gear. 

From my experience with showing younger umpires:

•  slip your arms from inside out then under. grab the strap in the middle on the inside and pull CP up under chin. 
• most important keep it tight so to protect your collar bone. that is the biggest worry I have with the younger umpires they let it dangle and expose their collar bone. 
• also, it drives me nuts to see them leave it on the ground between innings and dont use the inside pocket for extra balls. 

I hope this is a little bit helpful.

Very helpful, agree with you about laying things on the ground, hanging the mask on the fence or throat protector tucked in your pants... can't stand it. I want to give our fore fathers of umpiring the respect they earned using this piece of equipment. I will however draw the line on the using this 

[BCBrad]

41 minutes ago, ScubaUmp said:

Very helpful, agree with you about laying things on the ground, hanging the mask on the fence or throat protector tucked in your pants... can't stand it. I want to give our fore fathers of umpiring the respect they earned using this piece of equipment. I will however draw the line on the using this 

Ahh come on. All you need is some Team Wendy pads, a Ump Life harness and a Mizuno throat guard. 

Oh wait, that really isnt honouring the Bill Klems, Amanda Clements and Emmett Ashfords that have gone before us. Love your idea. I have some bow ties in my locker waiting for a game too.

[kylehutson]

1 hour ago, ScubaUmp said:

I will however draw the line on the using this 

I'm already on my second set of front teeth. Don't need to go for the third, thanks.

[Stk004]

The local LL group actually got one 2 or 3 years ago for the equipment locker. Not sure if anyone has ever used it. 

[dumbdumb]

here is an old one (mask) and I see nothing wrong with it, if this guy could wear it.

And he wasn't just seeing puff balls, with Nolan Ryan, J.R. Richards, Dwight Gooden, Randy Johnson, Rob Dibble

https://www.google.com/search?q=dutch+rennert+umpire+mask&biw=1890&bih=914&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi5jK6KybHSAhUC6yYKHWQ3BFcQsAQIKw#imgrc=Prirq87ilcPPMM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=dutch+rennert+umpire+mask&biw=1890&bih=914&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi5jK6KybHSAhUC6yYKHWQ3BFcQsAQIKw#imgrc=ikfeRcIPZh_xEM:

 

Take the outside of the chest protector and do the breast stroke into the arm straps and bring your hands down to the middle on the chest protector at the bottom. Now spread the hands about 4 inches apart at the most, or they can be butted together and dig the fingers into the bottom 1/4 of the bottom part closest to your mid section and of course make sure your elbows are in tight. No chicken wing elbows exposed. Pull the protector tightly under you chin. Set up right in the middle of the plate. When the batter hits the ball, slide the right arm out of the strap and reach up with the left hand to take the mask off, without the hat coming off, and tuck the chest protector under your left arm and against the left side of your body. Do not throw the protector on the ground when going to third. Keep it tucked under all the way to third. Watch the play and if you have to give a safe call, this is when the protector  strap will  slide halfway down your arm. You can keep it tucked with the out call. Tuck it back under your arm to jog back to the plate.

Or, you can cheat and just use the strap in the middle the best you can. The above was the way it was taught apparently at the schools years ago, and that was what you had to do. Remember, you still had to take the mask off without the hat coming off. Of course nowdays, with the concussion issue, right over the middle of the plate would probably not be in the best interest of places to be. Probably an inside position like using an inside protector but using the outside protector.

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

[Kevin_K]

I remember when baseball wasn't always on TV and sometimes I wold listen to a Mets game and knew who had the dish in only a matter of pitches. Good ole Dutch!

[Stan W.]

If you aren't tall.... and doing a one man kid game........don't trip over the straps and:

fall down......

totally face planting....

missing the call at first....

Coming up looking like a powdered donut.....

Just sayin......I might know someone who did that......In...... 1982, on a hot Thursday night in Milledgeville, Georgia,  probably around 7-7:30... 

 

[MadMax]

4 hours ago, Stan W. said:

If you aren't tall.... and doing a one man kid game........don't trip over the straps and:

fall down......

totally face planting....

missing the call at first....

Coming up looking like a powdered donut.....

Just sayin......I might know someone who did that......In...... 1982, on a hot Thursday night in Milledgeville, Georgia,  probably around 7-7:30... 

Stan! Your recollection is fantastic! It's like you were there... or somethin'. 

[ScubaUmp]

My apologies for the late update. In my judgement, this will always have a place in ametuer baseball, until we are replaced by camers. It Paid back the $30 the first night.

For timid newbies that need to delvelop behind the plate confidence, dramaticly decreses blunt trauma injury to the arms and other aeras not coverd by the inside protector, remember 2" above the belly button.

Like any other piece of equipment you have to train. Use the slot as you normally would, taking the mask off tucking it away, you may be altering your srike three call, and you will need to practice the quick doning of the protector and mask after trailing batter runner, or a rotation to third.

Hope this helps and would appricate any constructive coments and those that make me laugh.

 

Strike&Outs!!!!

 

 

[BrianC14]

On 2/27/2017 at 1:29 PM, BCBrad said:

Ahh come on. All you need is some Team Wendy pads, a Ump Life harness and a Mizuno throat guard. 

Oh wait, that really isnt honouring the Bill Klems, Amanda Clements and Emmett Ashfords that have gone before us. Love your idea. I have some bow ties in my locker waiting for a game too.

And an updated/prepaid disability insurance policy.  

 

[BrianC14]

3 minutes ago, ScubaUmp said:

My apologies for the late update. In my judgement, this will always have a place in ametuer baseball, until we are replaced by camers. It Paid back the $30 the first night.

For timid newbies that need to delvelop behind the plate confidence, dramaticly decreses blunt trauma injury to the arms and other aeras not coverd by the inside protector, remember 2" above the belly button.

Like any other piece of equipment you have to train. Taking the mask off tucking it away, you may be altering your srike three call, and you will need to practice the quick doning of the protector and mask after trailing batter runner, or a rotation to third.

Hope this helps and would appricate any constructive coments and those that make me laugh.

 

Strike&Outs!!!!

 

 

Have you considered using the kid-behind-the-plate-dressed-as-a-catcher as your protective device?   Short of that, maybe bring one of these along with you and just use your regular gear....

Way back when I was working the no-shave level, on those (all too often) days when I was taking a beating, I'd lean over and quietly ask the catcher,

 

"Hey, can I borrow your mitt?"

He'd come back with, "Uh... OK... but why?"

And I'd say (usually through clenched teeth):  "Well YOU'RE not using it."  

 

[ScubaUmp]

BrianC14, No Shave level, that's funny.  I keep saying I'm going to quit working that level, that day hasn't come yet, and with someone swinging a round stick at a round ball somewere, 260 days a year in FLA, it may never come.

Age old problem, to much baseball not ehough umpires.

[BrianC14]

25 minutes ago, ScubaUmp said:

BrianC14, No Shave level, that's funny.  I keep saying I'm going to quit working that level, that day hasn't come yet, and with someone swinging a round stick at a round ball somewere, 260 days a year in FLA, it may never come.

Age old problem, to much baseball not ehough umpires.

Can't claim "no shave level" as my own;  pretty sure I learned it here at www.umpire-empire.com - the sweetest-smelling umpire website in the world !

My age-old problem is that I was quickly running out of knee cartilage.  

[Aging_Arbiter]

On ‎3‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 0:16 PM, Stan W. said:

If you aren't tall.... and doing a one man kid game........don't trip over the straps and:

fall down......

totally face planting....

missing the call at first....

Coming up looking like a powdered donut.....

Just sayin......I might know someone who did that......In...... 1982, on a hot Thursday night in Milledgeville, Georgia,  probably around 7-7:30... 

 

And there you have it fellow arbiters!!!    INTEGRITY AT ITS FINEST!

[catsbackr]

The raft is a lot cooler too!

[MT73]

Our local league has about 5 of these and I use it quite often.

I even bought 2 of my own, one of which is heavy but will probably stop a shotgun blast.

I have found that not being afraid of being a ball magnet helps me concentrate on the game without constantly dancing/dodging errant pitches.

Not to mention being great when tossed bats come your way.

I just finished a low level 10U recreational DH and the only body part of me not protected  was my thigh and, you guessed it, that is where I got hit twice.

Just remember to tuck in your elbows because if you chicken wing them you will take some shots off the funny bone.

[ElkOil]

On 3/1/2017 at 11:16 AM, Stan W. said:

If you aren't tall.... and doing a one man kid game........don't trip over the straps and:

fall down......

totally face planting....

missing the call at first....

Coming up looking like a powdered donut.....

Just sayin......I might know someone who did that......In...... 1982, on a hot Thursday night in Milledgeville, Georgia,  probably around 7-7:30... 

 

I didn't want to say anything, but it's still talked about to this day.

[MadMax]

4 hours ago, MT73 said:

Not to mention being great when tossed bats come your way.

This is the only reason I have actually paused and considered using a raft / balloon. I still use a traditional mask, and am around 85mph+ baseball often, with wood bats... and I'm more terrified by 10U  slung / tossed / let-loose bats than anything else thrown at me (save the "nut-cutter" thrown 59' by a 14-16 year old). I knew I was in treacherous territory when I did a 10U Minors game and in one motion, the bat went from the shoulder, connected with the ball, and then sailed over my left shoulder – head first – into the backstop fence, having actually grazed my CP.

I lost count the number of catchers hit by these projectiles. What's more egregious, when you try to reprimand and remind these careless kids to be aware of where their bats go, they give you a vacuous, vapid expression back.

I would practice and hone my timing on throwing the raft into that space between Batter and us (catcher and umpire) right after contact and buffer that inevitable missile.

[maineump]

Maybe this is a foolish question but - don't you use a balloon and work over the catcher instead on in the slot?

I would think the slot or even the super slot would be better than taking a chance of being hit in the mask (no matter what you wear) by being behind the catcher instead of the slot.

How do you see the low pitches? I started with 1 of these (league stock) almost 40 years ago. I don't remember how it effected the zone - but back then the AL used them and NL used inside protectors - 2 different zones and the NL was much lower.