JordanF

I don't know if anyone has noticed or even cares, but have you noticed that a lot of pictures of umpires in magazines and online show terrible mechanics? Fellow umpires with their head way below the top of the catchers head, or safe calls with with arms flailing in the air, or wearing hats backwards. Am I just lucky that almost every guy I work with in my district has gone to a regional school, umpired a regional tournament at some level, or is a regional instructor? Can there really be that many umpires out there with really bad mechanics? I just can't figure this out. My feeling is that if you are going to umpire, you should take every opportunity to further your training and reinforce good mechanics. This is just something I have noticed lately and it kinda bothers me. Say what you will, but I had to get this off my chest.

Okay, well then I will give them a shot. Thanks!

I thought this whole thing was over, but now I am really mad with Honigs. Three weeks ago when i placed my order, the poly-wools were not in stock in my size, and were not do to be in stock until April. So, I ordered the ultimate plate and ultimate base slacks and the website said I would have them in early March. I finally called them today and asked and they said the ultimates were on backorder and my name was pretty far down the list. And here is the kicker, the poly-wool plate slacks are now in stock in my size the base slacks aren't. So, I think I will cancel my order for the ultimates and buy a pair of poly-wool plate slacks. But, Honigs has no dark grey base slacks in stock and my season is starting what do I do? I am thinking that I may just order a pair of the new dark grey base slacks from Jim Kirk at ump-attire but really want the poly-wools for the bases. I have no idea what to do. Wow, I feel a lot better now after writing this all down.

Learn something new everyday. I had no idea that Mr. West had a patent, it makes a lot of sense now why Wilson dominates the market.

I would love to see Reebok collaborate with MLB and MiLB umpires to create plate gear that competes with Wilson. Wilson has somewhat of a monopoly on hard shell CP's...Ridell quit making the Power, and at least in the mean time Douglas is not making gear. I have nothing against Wilson, or paying top dollar for protection, but a little competition would and a few more options wouldn't hurt.

I still cringe when I see this picture, but... all three umpires are wearing Rbks with white on them, and they look cean and professional. I have the same shoes as the umpire on the left except in all black, Kerwin is wearing the field magistrate plates, and the umpire on the right is wearing the field magistrate base shoes. I think you could still polish them very easily with some of the stuff I got in a goody bag at LL Western Region School. It comes in a rectangular plastic box and has a sponge with clear polish pre applied. One simply ruds the sponge over the entire shoe, and because it is clear, the black stays black and the white stays white. It gives a great shine to my shoes.

Is anyone going to CDP the week of July 18? I have been selected to go, but I don't yet have a team. Since I am only 20, I can't rent a car to drive there and would be looking for someone to carpool with. I am so excited to go as an umpire this time, I went as a player in 2001. Thanks Jordan

I went to the Corvalis clinic in 2007 and loved it. The last day at lunch I bought $10 worth of raffle tickets and walked out with a brand new Honigs K1. Same year, I went to the LL Western Region Junior School and loved that as well. I am taking two of our young guys with me, and hopefully they end up at the Junior school come June.

Umpires are athletes too! Why can't we wear athletic shoes? IMO every piece of equipment we strap on sets us apart from the players. The Rbk plate shoes were designed by umpires and they have white on them. The umpires who wear them are not being paid to do so, so I guess the white doesn't bother them.

I'm working with Lake Oswego Little League for the regular season. I also help out with District Four umpire training and work most of the Honors and All-Star tourneys at the district and state level. I really wanted to go to the Jim Evans Clinic this year, but I was forced to get a job in the offseason to help pay for my college and after updating my equipment I just do not have the money to go. After, college I plan on going to the six week school and work my way up the ladder. I will be going to the LL Northwest Clinic in March (the league is paying for it) so if any of you are going I would love to meet you.

I really am not sure. The Portland High School Assoc is PBUA. It looks like I won't be doing HS ball this season as I was persuaded to be one of the UIC's at my local little league which means I will be doing lots of work on the small diamond and training new umps. There is a new Junior Big League starting, so I will get to do some 90' foot games. Hopefully I can get back to big boy ball next spring.

I have worn both, but prefer the traditional style mask. I just bought the wilson titanium mask and mounted an inboard 6" throat protector. It is super light and has great visibility.

Ump-attire now has the base version of the field magistrates in stock. Another big white logo, but I don't think I am really that opposed to having white on my shoes. I think if you keep the white clean and the black clean, you still maintain a professional image on the field. I have a pair of the older Reebok base shoes in all black and they are probably one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own. I even find myself wearing them more than NBs. What do you all think of these? http://www.ump-attire.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RMAGIS2&Category_Code=UMPIRE-BASE-SHOES&Product_Count=3

Man, now the base slacks are not expected to be delivered until early March what now? I guess my old slacks will have to do for the first few weeks of the season.

Up here in Portland, Honigs is also the norm due to northwest HQ being in Salem (about a 20 minute drive). I miss the 70 degree days from when I lived in socal, it snowed here yesterday. Unfortunately the poly-wool base slacks in my size are backordered for a while, and my season starts soon. So, I think I will order the poly-wool plate slacks and try the new ultimate base slacks that are also charcoal gray.

Thanks for all the info guys, it's some really good stuff.

For sure wasn't thinking about combos, I like to have separate pants that fit each application, not a compromise between plate and base slacks. I knew it was only a matter of time before the poly-wools came up, and I think I will end up just spending the extra to get them. BUT, do the poly-wool slacks have to be dry cleaned every time I wash them or can I run them through the washer and hang dry them?

I need to get some new slacks this year (both plate and base) and would like some input between the Gerry Davis slacks and the Honigs ultimate slacks that now come in plate and base versions. Has anyone bought the new Honigs slacks? How do GD slacks hold up over the course of the season (100+ games)? Thanks Jordan

I seriously doubt that the strength of the Wilson Ti is the same as a $40 mask, and how much does a $40 mask weigh? That is like saying a $40 CP will protect the same as a WVP or a Honigs K1. Plus, there is this great thing called a warranty. A warranty provides protection against all defects in materials and craftsmanship. Seriously though, if you can't spend $200 on a mask, then don't , but your remarks seem slightly ignorant.

The mask is made out of titanium, meaning not only is it lighter, but WAY WAY WAY stronger than steel framed masks. They have been out for a while now, but I guess you have not seen or heard of these before.

After hating my HSM for the last couple of seasons, I decided to dance with who brought me and get a new mask. I finally decided to shell out the $200 and buy the Wilson Titanium in the traditional profile from ump-attire. I absolutely can't wait for it to come on thursday. Hopefully the 2 C notes I paid for it will be worth it. I just could not resist it from the day I first saw it.

I tend to agree, the NB plate shoes have a big sole and I'm not a big fan of that style. I think if the reeboks were a quality product it might me worth blacking them out, or if they are popular enough they may eventually come in all black. I have a pair of base shoes from reebok that are all black and am really happy with them, they shine up real nice and are very comfortable. If they get some good reviews, they may be worth it.

I have the NB 350s for the bases and cannot say enough about them. I currently have the Honigs K80 plate shoes but they are wearing out and I want a mid top shoe and came across the reeboks. They do look "different" than other plate shoes. I definately prefer all black shoes as they are much easier to shine and don't stick out. Maybe I will make a trip down to Honigs if they get them in stock anytime soon and check them out in person.

I have found a site that currently has the new reebok plate shoes in both mid and low versions. There seems to be a lot of white on the shoe and was wondering what the consensus was. Has anybody tried them on or used them? Will they eventually be available in all black, or will umpires have to black out all the white or or keep the white clean and sharp? Here's the link to them Mid http://www.sossports.us/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=628 Low http://www.sossports.us/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=627 Jordan

Hey All, I just registered for the site after reading through some posts and thought I could learn a lot from you veteran umpires. My name is Jordan and live in the Portland, OR area. I'm only 19, but I started umpiring when I was twelve and absolutely love it! I do High School and Little League games in the local area and would one day like to do collegiate or pro ball. I know I can always learn something new so thanks in advance for any advice or constructive criticism one of you may give me.