Majordave

Those look great. Very light. I got hooked on that style of UnderArmour boxer jock 6" length back in 2009. Own like 15 pairs right now. I wear them, then an UnderArmour jock with my Diamond MMA cup and then tights, either Nike Combat Heat, or UnderArmour heat gear but I have worn some other brands of tights. Very secure, not too hot, no chafing whatsoever. I can get UA drawers at a discount plus no tax here at the PX on base or at our local UnderArmour outlet but I don't think you could or would go wrong with these that Kyle recommends.

Mask-It! Mask-It! Mask-It! http://maskitsports.com/ Total cost is $45.50 plus your cost to ship to Tony. The powder coat finish is flawless. He will fix your dent. He will sand or remove any burrs in your wire intersections. It will look brand new and serve you for years barring any 100mph fastballs straight to the face. (I hate balls to the face!) I sent a Wilson low-profile Ti and a Wilson low-pro Cro-Moly steel with the vinyl burned off of it to him in January. Took about a week and a half to get them back. The Ti is in flat black-looks awesome. The Cro-Moly is in Gunmetal Gray. Wow! So sexy. Can't decide to go with tan pads or black pads or find some light gray pads for the gunmetal. There are 3 ounces between the weight in the bare masks.

I’m not Fittske or Mr. Ump and I work sporadic D II and below but I have both the original PBS1 and 2 Honig’s Poly-Wools and Smitty 4-way stretch in both plate and base. I’ve worn the Honig’s poly-wools exclusively at all levels and in all seasons from 2008 until 2017 when I tried the new Smitty “golf” pants. I call them that because I wear UnderArmour golf pants to work and except for the effin pleats in the Smitty pants they feel the same as the UnderArmours when wearing them. Great pants except for two things in my opinion. 1. They are very baggy and roomy in the legs and in this freakin Kansas wind they flap like flags. Even the plate pants with F3 18.5 shinguards. 2. They seem kinda light and are a little chilly in the early spring and late fall games when it’s below 45 outside. Both brands and style of pants look great though. Love them both . I don’t believe in one size or one style fits all. So, as long as the Honig’s PBS 1 and 2 last I will wear them in college games in colder (below 50 degree) weather and wear the Smitty’s the rest of the time. My .02........

You won't regret your purchase decision and doubtful you will ever need to buy another set of shinguards. If, per chance, you don't like or want them you can resell them very quickly here in the equipment for sale forum.

My solution: Don’t work 11U baseball. Hell, I don’t work any level below where the players shave their beards (or should). Works for me. Hats off to you guys who suffer through youth baseball. Glad I don’t have to.

I ordered size 10. I put an orthotic insert in them. They feel like a true size 10 and my toes don't feel squeezed or cramped. I wore a size 10 in Reebok and New Balance 460's. I have size 10 New Balance 450's and they fit but the toe box narrows and I don't find them as comfortable with my orthotic insert. The low cut velcro-strapped ones I had were also a size 10 but with the velcro I couldn't get them to tighten up enough due to the width and they had so much built in padding that I couldn't use my orthotic insert in them. Have not worn these in a game yet since I'm laid up from my heart surgery. Will have to wait until June to try them out.

Seems normal. Medium. D

Probably like everything else in life. It depends. In my case I recently completed a purchase in person with someone local here in KC from FB Marketplace. Went off without a hitch. It wasnt an umpiring item though. As an aside I’ve bought and sold dozens of items in both ebay and Craigslist without issue. Maybe I’m just lucky.

@conbo61 yes they were taken in my regular room. My son was staying at my house and brought them to me. Had to spend the time doing something. My first “walk” after surgery was in them. Hahahaha

Stu is absolutely correct. The denial, “it’s only indigestion”, was my attitude and coping mechanism. Exactly the same. Difficulty climbing steps, any stressful or exertion situations brought on the “indigestion”. Stay Macho, play through it, walk it off. It was even seriously impacting my “get busy” time with my girlfriend. But I finally manned up and went to get a physical then, wham, Bam, in less than two weeks I was in the recovery room of ICU. I was also informed about depression but I haven’t responded like that at all. I had a touch of it before surgery when dusting off my will, finding my life insurance policies and informing my adult children of their whereabouts but otherwise I’m a motivated and determined S.O.B. Thanks again @umpstu

@umpstu @MRG9999 Again, thanks fellas. Great advice. I feel much less anxious. I won’t step onto a field until I’m sure my cardio fitness is where I want it to be. I’m not the least bit depressed. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. The hard part is figuring out what the reason is sometimes. I will miss umpiring so I’ll stay positive and really appreciate getting back on the field. I know that. I’ll really work hard and get in better physical condition. I will struggle with deciding which chest protector to wear. I’ve got 4 freaking CP’s; 2 are West Vest Golds-One with Team Wendy padding and a small sized one with original padding, a Force 3 V1 and a Honigs K1. I feel the ball when it hits me on all but the small West West Gold. It’s tiny though and I get popped in the ribs occasionally wearing it when the ball hits the batter and ricochets into me. I’m considering buying an EvoShield Chest Guard shirt to wear as a “just in case”. Depends upon how I feel in about three months. No decisions yet. Great info. Thanks for all your comments. And Stu, thanks for the kind comments about my food porn on FB. I try to eat healthy. It’s tough with type 2 diabetes and the super high cholesterol and the heart healthy lower sodium, lower fat, lower calories restrictions. I get around them all with smaller portions. You inspire me with your creations too. You should share more food. Less dog. Hahaha.

@Tksjewelry @umpstu @Old Skool Thanks to you all. Excellent first hand advice. Much appreciated.

Members, I recently underwent a triple bypass open heart surgical procedure on 1/11/18. No heart attack beforehand. Lucky I pay attention to my body and went to the doctor with questions. My recovery is going very well. I was in pretty good shape before they found my blockages and surgery was pretty quickly performed after my catheterization revealed 4 serious blockages of my coronary arteries. I am in cardio rehab and do not plan to push myself too hard, too early in the process. My surgeon said I could expect to return as early as late April or May but I intend to wait until 01 June. My questions from those who have endured this process: 1. How soon did you return to umpiring? 2. Did you take any extra precautions when you returned to the field/plate (like a padded chest undershirt or extra padding under your CP)? 3. If your answer to Q #2 is yes, what did you do? 4. What do you wish you had known before returning? 5. What obstacles or difficulties did you face upon returning? 6. If you have been hit in the chest by a ball while working the plate after recovering from this surgery, what did it feel like? What would you do differently or what precautions would you recommend? 7. What else do I need to know that I haven't asked? If you don't want to respond on this forum I completely understand. I would like any kind of dialogue you wish to have. I anticipate some deep discussion potential with fellow umpires who have endured and recovered from this life changing surgery. (They sawed my entire collarbone, sternum/ribcage in half! and took 12 inches of artery from my left forearm and about 15 inches of vein from my left upper leg in the groin/hamstring area!) My personal email is dcteater@gmail.com. Or, you can Private Message me on U-E. If you had rather discuss over the telephone message or email me and I will provide my cell number. Not really looking for sympathy or well wishes or encouragement. I AM MOTIVATED to return this summer. I don't need anything other than information as my internal motivation is off the chart. I am worried about doing too much, returning too early, suffering an injury to my potentially weakened ribcage/collarbone area or internal injuries if hit by a baseball, run over by a player, hit by a bat during backswing, etc. Thanks in advance for any info you wish to provide and discuss.

I used Jos. A. Bank for the "traveler's crease". Same cost. $10 per pair. Well worth it. Looks great.

Ditto! Do This^^^^^^!!!! Slim fitting pants are nice. I HATE pleated pants. They make an in-shape guy look fat and a fat guy look fatter/obese. But, you know what? They are the standard. i've been at this a long time. Enjoyed some moderate success very early in my career. I got to work games WAY beyond my ability at the time. Why? Because I looked and acted the part. I listened to the senior/experienced guys and did what they told/asked me to do, which includes uniforms and equipment. And, I was rewarded for it by those guys asking the assigner to let me work with them. So, do what you want young grasshopper but beware the consequences. To quote Crash Davis from Bull Durham: "If you look classy, you'll be classy!" Get the Smitty Poly-Spandex/whatever "golf" pants. Get combos if you like, but don't have your shinguards looking like you had to stuff them into the legs of the pants. Most assigners I know are looking hard for good young umpire talent. How you look and how you handle yourself are a huge part of how you get those guys attention. Good luck.

Just in case some of you haven’t heard (read) this advice on ejections I’ll try to succinctly state how I was taught way back when. First, some great advice on here about pre-gaming with your partner. I’m a fan of even discussing it “in-game” if it’s important. Briefly of course. Now, the 3 P’s of Ejections. Personal- “You suck!” Gotta go. Profane- “That call effin sucked!” Again, gotta go. Prolonged- “Coach we’re done, let’s play ball now. No, we’re not, I’m not done. You haven’t explained your call well enough yet.” Aaaaaand, He’s done. Buh-bye! Gotta go. Works pretty well. May not cover every situation. I don’t get to work at one very choice venue anymore because I dumped a coach who ran at me from 3B dugout, without calling time, after I’d put my hand up and warned him to stop and not continue further on a whacker play at first. I’m content with that call and that EJ but the tournament director wasn’t. So, I don’t work showcase tournaments at that all turf Division I venue anymore. Oh well. That’s why some umpires don’t eject- they are afraid of the repercussions. I’d rather be able to live with myself. My .02...Your mileage may vary.

It’s a tough thing to search. Try New York State Baseball Umpires Association website. New and returning umpire registration didn’t come up for me but I’m sure there is something there. There is also the New York Public High School Athletics Association. If those don’t work try NFHS.org maybe that site will lead you to proper place to register in NY state. Good luck with your recovery and finding a place to work this season.

Great idea. Can’t hurt to try it.

In the words of my Drill Sergeant way back in the day: “Get Some!” Good work.

You must not yet be on the F3 Train. I think all of us who offered advice wish we’d had that advice or had F3 shinguards available to us before we spent the bucks to buy the Wilson. IF you’ve tried both it’s pretty damn hard to even consider wearing the Wilson over the F3. We are all trying to help a brotha out, Just sayin......

Yep, I’ve got the 17.5 inch black Wilson Gold SG with triple knees and lower leg side wings. They are heavy, the knee covers shift and although they are very protective they don’t hold a candle to my F3 18.5 inch SG. No comparison. F3 hands down. Side plastic pressure-release clips instead of the metal hooks that rust on the Wilson. Lighter, more padded. Removable inner padding that Velcro’s to the main SG. Very good ankle protection. Work well with low cut plate shoes. Can’t go wrong with F3.

No socks but my new Shoes arrived Friday Lieutenant Dan. Pretty nice. Fit is true. Reasonably lightweight. Love the look. Have a “lace cage” in the tongue to hold the loose ends of the laces after tying. Never seen that in a New Balance shoe before. Interesting small holes in soles- for ventilation perhaps? I took advantage of the customization feature and put my number on the back instead of the NB logo. They are worth the price at this point in the purchase process.

Great thought but not an option during February games in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska where I work. The howling winds from hell are just too strong and relentless.

SH*# happens I guess. Maybe it only happens to me. Just wanted to share my personal experiences with the negative side of T-hooks. It still irks me every time I think of my brand new, first time ever wearing it Majestic convertible having a hole ripped in it right in the front lower chest/stomach. Don’t want that to happen to anyone else if possible. I actually prefer the side plastic buckles on my Force 3/Unequal. I am currently converting my Team Wendy upgraded West Vest Gold to allow side buckles and avoid any more jacket/shirt damage from the T-Hooks being hit by baseballs. I have no problem keeping the WV or the Unequal snug as I use a System 7 harness on the Force3 and an Ump-Life/Razzer harness on the TW WVG. To each his own a guess.

Just be aware that with T-hooks, IF the ball hits you in the chest protector and IF (when?) the ball hits the T-Hook then you may want (need?) to buy a new shirt or jacket because you will now have a tear hole where the ball hits you. I’ve had it happen twice. One was my Magestic convertible jacket that everyone covets. The other was a 2010 Black mlb style shirt with the side stripes. That sucked. I’m currently modifying my West Vest Gold to add side buckles like the Force 3 Unequal.