wolfe_man

You jinxed me! I was doing good this year (and last), with no gouges, until this post... F2 got me last night on the first pitch.

Yes, definitely makes sense. I can see where it would help speed things up too. It's amazing to me how many players are dragging their butts around, but I'll spare you all the "not in my day" stories.

I'm with the others and haven't seen it. I've worked on college fields where the pitchers sat in the 'pen and lived it up, but never had to go get anyone. And I don't think I've seen more than one guy throwing in the bullpen at any one time yet either.

That's a neat occurrence! I've almost done it a time or two, but not trapped/caught yet.

And here I thought I was the only person who thinks theBananas is not what MLB needs to imitate… or incorporate in any way into real baseball.

Bring back mandatory uniform numbers? Nope, then they'll think we're wearing a polo golf shirt.

I’m in the last camp too. I’d love to see and use newer designs!

You make a good point here Champ! It's important to self-diagnose something is off, get checked out if you're having lingering or excessive (your call again here) issues like we're trained to identify in others - and take time off and rest! Never rush back as it only increases the likelihood of the next impact causing more severe and/or longer-lasting damage. I've had a mild concussion (AS MAG on foul back in a JV game) and didn't realize it until I was having the worst plate game of my life the following day. I honestly was thinking of retiring after that one, I did that poorly. I was apologizing to the kids, F2's, coaches - anyone that would listen... when it hit me and I had that proverbial light-bulg moment - I must have a concussion! It felt like I was looking out of my eyes sideways, I just couldn't see a pitch well at all. I had no headache or other typical signs, other than my vision was"off". I called my assignor and took the rest of the week off and went back at it the next week with no further issues. It's very important to err on the side of caution and be responsible for your own health here. Don't be ego-driven and try to tough it out. It's too your advantage to rest up and recover and don't come back until you're ready.

@mac266 Congratulations, sir. Thank you for your service and dedication to our country.

I think a 12-13.5" is more than sufficient. I'm your height also and routinely wear 12-13.5" CP's without issue. The main thing is make sure your last rib is covered when you're in your stance. Your stomach may be soft or hard, but there are no bones to break there. In my experience, you'll seldom take a hit there. I am hit on my arms more than anywhere else, then probably chest protector on bounced pitches or foul backs, then mask, then shins... and then my stomach and thighs. Why protect the fat muscle? Just shrug it off and move on. The Platinum is an excellent CP without the billow pad and with the addition of a nice flex harness (F3, UL, All Star). They can be worked with and trained (via heat gun and patience) to fit you like a glove and offer as low profile and protective CP as there is out there today. The stock padding is pretty thin, but hot and traps heat. A nice replacement pad would go a long way to improving this CP, preferably one that sheds/repels water and has good ventilation properties too. Max has some great ideas, so if the pad maker can replicate them properly, then you'll have a great unit.

I know this is true, because I won't work 4-6 games per day and I always offer to help with the better tourneys in my area. I'm willing to take days off work and works Thurs - Sat (Sun is church and I won't work, another reason I don't get used, but I digress)... but do I get games assigned to me? Nope. Assignor, who calls me one of his best guys per what a peer told me, called me with my games for the first big tourney coming up in Summer around my area... guess how many games? Zero... but he told me not to worry, he'll get me some games. Last year, I filled in when a guy went down and worked his last game and got paid 1.5 normal rate due to emergency fill in - but that was it for a four day tournament. I'm not mad at him either, I understand. It's so much easier to put Tom & DIck on Field 1 for the day than to try to fit me and some other person in there for two games and then get another set of guys to finish the rest of the day. I blame fellow umpires as much as the assignors and the tourneys. Quit accepting that many games in one day. I don't care who you are, I've never seen an umpire yet, working 15-18U games with 2 hr 15 min no new inning time limits, who is as fresh and sharp in game 4/5/6 as he was in games 1/2/3. We say it's not about the money, then why else are we working 4-6 games a day when we know we can't be sharp? Are we honestly saying that we chose to work 10-12+ hours in the blazing sun for fun times then? If we'd stop letting them force us to take 4+ games per day, then we all could get a small piece of the pie and still enjoy the day doing what we love responsibly and more efficiently. In my area, it's not so much we can't find enough guys but the younger guys who are willing to work all the games on one field for every day are the ones that get used... and many times they are not the best umpires. But until assignors change this "butts in seats" method of assigning, then it will continue for the foreseeable future. PS - I'm not mad at some of you guys that do take and can work 4-6 games a day out of necessity. I'm speaking more about those that do it because the assignor doesn't want to work hard and try to get more umpires involved.

P240 is 13" if memory serves me correct.

We're like you in that we're supposed to follow those guidelines (Verbal, Written with Restriction to Dugout, Ejection). There are situations though where we may proceed straight to an ejection if it's egregious enough in our minds. Normally, a verbal warning and/or restriction is enough - but we all know that there are times when you have to "shoot one monkey so the rest will fall in line". While I've never had anyone overturn an ejection of mine, I have been kept from working that team's games the following year by the assignor. In his mind it's 'preventative assigning', in my mind it's 'passing the buck' and 'babying the coach'. YMMV

I still love listening to games! I'm old-school.

I'll try to get a pic when I'm home. I don't use it, but think it's very similar to a Schutt/Adams extension that Velcro's in place.

I'm the one that's been testing out these new CP's. The Apex and DX are both very comfortable CPs. I'd say both will stand up to baseball (or softball) impacts without any question. I haven't taken any major impacts yet, but I've had some punches and so forth to try it out and no causes for worry in my opinion. I only work up to Varsity and 18U baseball, so I am only seeing 85-90 top speed, or less, most of the time with rare exceptions. They both look pretty good under your shirt also. The DX looks very looks natural at the shoulders, no linebacker appearance here. I didn't have to size up for either one of these under my regular umpire shirt, they fit fine under my current shirts. The DX is very thin and offers a much lower profile that rivals F3 v3! The Apex is a bit more round in the chest, think more barrel-chested, but still doesn't make you look any larger than most other CP's (Wilson Gold, Platinum, etc.) out there does. While I like both of these, I am a bigger fan of the DX. I love the all black design with minimal logo appearance. The neck, wings and belly extension can be removed. I wear it without those on it and it is very comfortable with enough flexibility to be able to throw a ball back to a pitcher. It is lightweight too. When using my UL harness on it, I forget I have it on sometimes. It's very comfortable to wear. The pad jacket is thin, yet somehow soft and supportive at the same time. It's not hot in Ohio yet, so can't speak to how well it'll do in the heat, but so far it feels like it'll perform every bit as good as any other CP I've had - and I've pretty much had them all except the Power. My recommendation is to pick up one of these models if you're in the market for a new CP. I am not paid to say that either. I sold all of my other CPs and have been using the DX mostly, but I do like the streamlined appearance of the Apex also. Due to a bit more stand-off, the Apex actually provides more security than the DX - but I'm willing to trade the added safety for a lower profile personally. I'll try to upload a pic or two once I get home. If there is anything specific you'd like to see, just let me know.

Interested in Spyder and Mag TG's

See above in my reply to Mr. Jim Murray. I misspoke and it's completely my error. "C" is the grade I achieved for the comment. It was an average comment, not of any particularly great or stand-out ability. I would have been in B in that situation. So, either I remember incorrectly and runners were R2 and R3 - or I was in B, not C there. Regardless, sorry for the confusion.

Good question and I misspoke. When we have runners at 1st and 3rd, so we're in B (not C). Once the runner moves up to 2nd, then I'd move over to C. I knew something sounded off earlier, but was in a hurry and didn't re-read it and I should have. But yes, I made sure of the catch, glimpsed towards 1B to see if R1 was tagging up (fly to shallow/medium right-center, so I didn't expect an attempt at R1 moving up to 2B), then head was on a swivel over to 3B to see if he'd tagged-up (runner was only a few steps from the base, so I was assured he had not left early). I also then picked up the ball coming back into the infield and that the throw was going home, so I wouldn't have a play at third (unless R3 breaks off attempt of home and returns to 3B). All of this happened in less than 5 seconds of course. I've found good listening skills also help you to umpire. There are verbal queues we can use to help us determine what's happening, where players are, etc. While they are not fully dependable, they do sometimes offer valuable information.

Likewise. I make it a habit to look. I try to never assume my assigned partner is where he is supposed to be or looking where he is supposed to look, so I look to try and avoid embarrassment as a crew. For this reason, a Varsity game this past Saturday. R2 and R3, fly ball to RF (I'm in C, ball is in the V - so it's my call). I get the out, then turn my head to look over shoulder to see if R3 left early (he's okay) all while I'm moving towards 2B in case there is a play to be made there (throw went home to try to get R3 though). Then, HC of offensive team comes out and asks if he left early and my partner (PU) turns and looks at me from behind home plate (he never moved). I start to signal safe, so he mirrors me. And that's why I try to look every time I can. Never assume that your partner is doing what he should be. Be prepared to help out at any point (if you're able, in 2 man there are times you just can't help but do your job and hope your partner is doing theirs).

I was thinking the same thing. I don't think he truly saw the batter's foot hit the plate with all of his pushing & jockeying for position. If I were him, I'd bee-line it for the exit as soon as I pretended to see the batter make contact with the plate. Point towards the plate (count it motion) to try to sell it and then run for it in hopes that no one can catch you to appeal it. But on the other hand, don't sell it and walk slow to exit. If they appeal, go to review and admit I didn't get a good look due to so many players in the way blocking my view. Then if OC comes out, I'd give him a very short leash before I'd toss him and make sure that he knows it's his fault for not keeping his players out of the way.

My thoughts: Times have changed. We're taught to get up close on the catcher, in his hip pocket. We don't do scissors anymore, we're in the slot with heel-to-toe alignment. The old way was proven to offer more strain on your neck, especially on impact. The slot is considered one of the safest places to be - and the heel-to-toe positioning is considered to be one of the best ways to take an impact to the mask or body and prevent injury. The strike zone was not graded near as much as it is today. Meaning no offense to the older umpires who were acceptable or great in their day, but this is a different game today. Velocity and movement on the ball is up - and now there are a lot of tools grading an umpire's performance. They can't just judge where it's caught and if it looked close, then grab it for a strike. The modern umpire must score in the proper percentile to even be considered an acceptable umpire today. I'd love to see one of the older umpires make a come back and try to umpire in today's game, I'd honestly find it interesting to see how well they'd score. The game is a different beast today and the umpiring craft is constantly changing. We either keep up and change with it... or we die (lose relevance). Sure, there are universal truths in umpiring, but many are evolving today. PS - Meaning no disrespect to Mr Harvey. He was a great umpire in his day and no one can take that from him now. But much like Babe Ruth or another great superstar from a different era, his game might not transfer so well in the game today. I can still respect and appreciate all he did in his time though.

No issues from me on that. I'd even consider a thicker zip-tie in black or navy for the same reason. I would hazard a guess that AS probably quit making these because they have a tendency to let go when/after being impacted. This goes for the snap-version of straps too. The ones with Chicago screws or the Velcro hold the best upon impact.

No sir, but at that price it's a good candidate for a flip. It looked new or close to it.

And therein lies another issue we face, assignors that don't really care about us - just covering games with a body, any body. It doesn't matter if they're good, new or terrible... just cover the game. Their buddies get the good ratings and playoff games, but many times they're not the ones doing the last minute game covers or working multiple games per day, and so forth.