Leaderboard

I don’t think this is a death sentence for your business. There’s just gonna be a lot of work that needs to be done.

Don’t it, though? We can’t seem to get rid of the damn color. … in fairness, navy’s not a bad color. My entire crusade is to purge the compulsory aspect (“it shall be”) from the NFHS Rulebook, and make it marginally optional.

This is a pretty cool play. Gotta know your terminology!

@Umpiresrock74 Keep in mind that market competition is inevitable. This shouldn't deter you, but rather encourage you to identify how and where you can carve out your niche. I assure you, UL and you are not alone in exploring opportunities in hard goods and replacement padding.

There should have been a safe on the initial tangle. I think it’s INT on the second tangle

From the 2023 NFHS case book play: 8.3.3 Situation L: With two outs and R2 on second, B4 strikes out, but the pitch gets by F2 and is rolling toward the backstop. F2 chases the ball down and stops it with the catcher's mask. Ruling: This is a delayed dead-ball situation. R2 is awarded two bases from the time of the infraction at the end of playing action. Also see online interpretations for 2006 Situation 5.

Fixed your post

After talking with Mad Max on friday I guess I should chime in and tell you where I am at right now. It is true I am now working full time on what I will say is a Hard Good legacy project(s) which will be 3 products with a distinctive Brand name under the UL branding. These will be protectives based products that will be tested this season at both MLB and MiLB levels with a soft launch later in the year. I am lucky that I have those contacts to bring products to market but started out the opposite way until the pro umpires started to contact me after they had seen my products on armature umpires at camps or clinics. A few years ago I went down the CP replacement pad option and had everything ready to go and a very good price point to work with but there were just too many variables to deal with until I found the solution to make the pad work on so many protectors. I am not going to say how I figured it out but I know you will understand why. This project remains viable and still may come to the market but right now I am concentrating my efforts make my version of the ultimate protective chest pad. Retail this replacement pad would sell for $79.99-$89.99 I have used and owned most of all of them and I see what works and what doesn't work so I think I have a good starting point. My two go to units are the Carlucci and the Power but I cannot make both. We all remember Reebok Magistrate plate and base shoes, we all remember they felt like slippers and we wish they would come back. That is both CP's I mentioned and they are also not coming back. Modern foams combined with breathable fabrics with an ABS shell can be achieved and retailed for $150-$179.99 if sufficient units are produced. The best solution is my version of the Power and that is where I am heading. Stay Tuned

Well I am finishing up a Ridell for a member on this page. Should be done tomorrow. Will send pics.

And right now they're an extra 10% off for Prez Day! I'm not affiliated with them either, but I used the frame for a long time and it's a comfortable and forgiving frame for newer guys especially with those big ears and extra top of the head protection. The silver fades fast (don't they always) - but the navy holds very well.

And be aware that it takes a lot of time to get a new product off of the ground. Most umpires are not wealthy and will not buy a new piece of gear that's unproven - unless a friend/peer/contact, etc. has personally recommended it to them. I suppose they might splurge if it was endorsed by MLB guys too (see Wilson and MLB logo for example). Umpires are a notoriously hard market to influence and make money in. How many new shoe companies are jumping in to try and take over for Reebok and Nike who don't make plate shoes anymore? None. Even NB has slowed it way down which is why so many are turning to Mizuno in hopes that they'll fill the need that's been created. Why? Because umpires are not paid a lot of money. Some (LL) even work as volunteers. This means if they buy anything, it comes straight out of their own wallet and they're losing money on their hobby... which is why navy is still around for HS ball. Umpires are cheap and will wear a shirt until it's faded purple and worn out. I've seen hats that have so many sweat stains it looks like it's 20 years old - and I've seen umpires wearing gear I wouldn't be caught dead in - all because they won't break down and buy a new CP for $200+ until the one they have falls apart! A lot of umpire gear makers have stepped out, or backed off, from working to innovate and produce better or newer gear. So, we get the left-overs and hand-me-down's from whatever time/gear is left after they get done selling to their truly profitable market (catchers!). Even F3, founded and run by a former professional umpire, is a catchers-first business... and you can't blame them. Catchers spending and buying make it possible for them to create umpire gear too - not the other way around. I sincerely wish you the very best of luck, but I won't be shelling out $150+ on an unproven pad jacket. You can say that it is "top of the line" and "just like Team Wendy" - but until several well-respected and knowledgeable umpires have bought it and their reviews start saying that it's just as good as the sought-after products like TW, AA or Power padding, then unfortunately I won't be investing that kind of cash in hopes of getting a good product. And I truly believe the vast majority of umpires think and believe a lot of what I just stated. In all likelihood, you're going to have to approach this as a labor of love and just hope to make some fun money on the side. Ray Brownlie started small and you will have to also, unless you have deep pockets to fund a startup business. My recommendation is to focus on one thing and excel at it, like Ray did (CP harness and folder were his first items I believe) and build up a following. Once you can do that, then your name is out there and people will trust you more, and then you can start growing the business and truly making some money. But if you're hoping to get rich (or even make a few thousand a year) from this 'CP pad-jacket' opportunity, then I don't think this is the goose that lays the golden nugget for you. Perhaps I'm wrong, and I hope I am for your sake, because I love seeing a young guy take initiative and get-after-it like you've done! I truly wish you the very best reward for your labor and I hope that it takes off and you get rich from your new venture!

Here’s the mistake you’re making. You’ve asked this question on about 50 different threads. I understand that you’re trying to get a feel for market willingness to pay but if that’s your main consideration then you’re guaranteed to fail. In construction if I bid a job based on what I think a client will pay then I will be done in a matter of months. I bid jobs based on my total cost of goods (this includes all materials, the entire cost of labor to complete the job and overhead, meaning what’s the cost to keep the lights on in my shop while I work on this project. It also includes any fuel cost back and forth to the job.) After considering my entire cost of goods I add a percentage to that number to account for my profit. That’s the number I give to my client. If they don’t want to pay what it’s gonna take for me to make money then I don’t want the job cause it’s gonna be a nightmare trying to do a quality job under a stranglehold. So frankly it doesn’t matter what people say they're willing to pay for something. you need to just set a price that will make you money.

I'd like to point out that there's a significant cost distinction between independently conducting tests for standards such as NOCSAE ND200 (Commotio Cordis) and completing the entire certification process. The two price points don't even come close to one another.

Simple. REAL simple... Douglas was and still is made in the US-of-A. 🇺🇸 This means that the craftsmanship is more responsible, and the ABS plastic – which is injection-mold-cast – is denser. Wilson, being a division of an international corporate conglomerate, took their production wholly overseas to China 🇨🇳. The craftsmanship is nowhere near as good, any issues or grievances you have are settled by replacement or refund (not repair), and the ABS plastic is lighter, less robust, so as to cut down on shipping weight, so as to cram in as many as possible in a container. If only Riddell had paid Joe what he was due... my, how the (umpiring) gear world woulda been different.

Realistically, early April so late to the line up this year. There may be a slim chance of some trickling in mid-late March. Happy to be here and contribute to the conversations where I can!