MadMax

I got feedback on them in person this weekend. A 1BC was wearing the Elements version, and I instantly recognized them. I would have remarked on them anyway, because they are quite snazzy looking. His opinions on them were that the shoes are very lightweight, comfortable once broken in, but do run narrow and a bit tight in the toe box. It may be out of character for New Balance, but keep in mind, they might be trying a new last for this model; also, New Balance makes (nearly) all their shoes in variable widths.

@grk17, these are presented as "Turf" shoes, meaning they're supposed to be on FieldTurf (artificial) and short, well-kept grass. The white would largely be unaffected by these field conditions; the white would actually blend in with the snow us northerners (well, I'm an ex-northerner) may encounter on our fields. But we don't exist in a well-groomed, well-manicured, idyllic baseball field world... no no, we come out to do five game sets at skinned multi-use complexes that are used for softball, teeball, the Friday Night Hoedown, and Lawn-Tractor Pulls (just like the tractor pulls at the County Fairgrounds, but smaller) and maintained on budgets that are worse than non-industrialized island micro-nations in SE Asia. So, the bottoms of our shoes get assaulted by any variety of clay, dirt, sand, etc with any hopes of keeping them pristine eviscerated in short order. @HCueds – +600 points back. I'm withholding 200 points, though... 100 points because you were playing coy, and 100 points because you didn't deliver cookies as you once again, built up our hopes only to dash them.

They're hiding in plain sight. New Balance Men's 4040v4 Turf Baseball-Shoes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBA072L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_2xZXzb9G68PES You have to select the Black/Black color option; this is the Elements version. The mesh version is Black.

Amazon. Found the two versions – mesh and elements – listed side by side on Amazon.

Cueds, that's cruel. That's like making cookies in front of us, and saying "No, you can't have any!". – 800 points. Dammit, I want cookies now.

I don't think "shine"-ability should matter anymore, @Thunderheads. Breathability is an absolute paramount, essential necessity nowadays. As long as they are clean, I don't think anyone is going to ding you for whether or not your shoes are shined. These 4040's are worth a try, or at least a try-on. Haid's endorsement is rather convincing. Since moving to Arizona a year+2 months ago, I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn my 950's... because it's just too damned hot, and your feet are actually roasting if you wear them out in the sun. Hey, but they got that shine! Edit: Oh hey, will ya lookatthat Jeff?! They make an "Elements" version. Smooth forefoot and toe upper, no mesh. Must be to keep the damp and snow from seeping through to your socks, eh? Keep your feet warmer? I'm sure you can shine up that part!

Oo! Oo! My ears are burning, @BT_Blue! What model of West Vest is this, @JDavis225?

Hm. Hmmmmmm. How much baseball have you watched? How much baseball have you played? ... Better yet, was this game being played in some remote, exotic locale that was introduced to baseball via a partially intact rulebook that washed up on shore? The pitched ball you stated was fouled into the stands is dead. D-E-A-D. No subsequent activity can be valid until a replacement ball has been made live. A replacement ball can only be made live by the ball being in the pitcher's possession – having gotten there from catcher, umpire, coach, aerial parachute team, a trained Golden Retiever or otherwise – and the pitcher re-engaging the rubber, batter back in the box ready to bat, and the umpire signaling "Play", thus making the ball live. Nothing would be scored any differently, because no scoring occurred.

I dealt with this exact Situation, compete with the coach & player misconception:

I gave you a "confused" face because a "surprised" face was not available. Why the Ehch-Eee-Double Hockey Stick aren't you doing this already??!! Why aren't we sending our busted-up CPs and shinguards to you to be refurbished??! Oh. You're in Vermont. Grrrr.

Nope! Any chance I get to show off "Schutt" instead of a big, obnoxious gold "W", I'm going to take it. The way to go, then, is to get a 2XL tech-shirt (UnderArmour, Nike, Champion, etc.) in black, dark grey, navy (if you're using a navy plate coat (which you should, if you're in a draconian state that still mandates HS ball wear navy, and endorse the sentiment that pullover jackets on the plate are a stupid look)), and get it in a V-neck if you must. Or, like @BT_Blue mentioned, get it in sleeveless. eBay is loaded with tech shirts in ... uh... "grand" sizes on the cheap. TJMaxx / Marshalls / Ross / equivalent places are options too.

I was tempted to put my location in an African or SE Asian country, just so I could claim to have the market cornered on "Third World Plays". But, I think a more appropriate location is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darvaza_gas_crater ... the embodiment of the Doorway to Hell. Good grief it's hot here in Phoenix.

Is that in the Casebook, Rich? Because it isn't in the Rulebook or Manual!

Something about @Rich Ives's answer isn't jiving with what you're describing... ' Pitched ball makes contact with the bat, then hits the ground (for the sake of this scenario and brevity, we'll say it is foul ground behind Home Plate), then goes into the catcher's mitt – that exact sequence, 1-bat, 2-ground, 3-mitt –that's a Foul ball. In order to be a Foul Tip, it would have to be 1-bat, 2-mitt (and a catch). If it went 1-bat, 2-mitt, 3-ground, then that is, again, a Foul Ball. The only way this becomes an Uncaught Third Strike (U3K), needing to be completed by tag or throwing to 1st base (or the Batter conceding he is out, etc.), is if the ball doesn't contact the bat. So we'd have a 1-swing (no contact), 2-mitt or ground, 3-ground or mitt, etc. Keep in mind you're taking this scenario from a video game. Yeah, good luck with them getting that right.

Same here, as per @LMSANS and @Kevin_K, @Umpire in Chief... All Apple, on Mac (Chrime, Safari, and Firefox (had to pull out the "old" mower)), iPhone and iPad and nothing works. Tried multiple formats... separated by commas, by slashes, by dashes... when I hit "Save", nothing happens.

The most dramatically? The 12-6 / 11-5 fall-off-the-table looper. The risk is that it will typically cross the strike zone high, ignored by the batter, even though it ends up in a "frameable" spot for the catcher. Adjust and "hang it", and your outfielders will be retrieving it from the fence. If you can get it to break late, instead of lazily looping it in there, it'll be more effective. This can be modified a bit, especially in the amateur ranks, with an 11 or 10:30–3 breaker. This is the one that causes amateur batters to bail out of the box only to have it end up in the strike zone. Once this happens, you start to walk it out (as a pitcher/catcher battery), until the batter goes fishing on one breaking away out of the zone. The most effectively? The slider, especially when it moves laterally with speed. The risk, here, is where it ends up... catchers have to be active and possess above-average catching/blocking skills. A slider in the zone can still be bungled by a subpar catcher (or a catcher not ready for it), and an umpire will either call it a ball, missing that it did go through the zone, or call it a strike, but will catch grief from some OT's because of where/how the catcher caught it. The most daringly? The cutter. This really is a nasty pitch because it starts away, then bores in on a hitter. Nearly all of its movement is lateral because it's thrown with speed. This is a (wood) bat breaker, as if/when contact is made, it's on the stem, handle, or hands, and a lot of "soft contact" grounders or liners are the result. The risk is, with amateur pitchers, is if not practiced, this may result in a lot of hit batters, which discourage amateur pitchers and put base runners on.

Wow. That's an audacious, bold offering by Smitty there. 2016 Panel-style in Pink. Maybe, just maybe, they can get Softball onto this and the other 2016 Panel colors (black, sky, anything else) and pry them off ancient Powder and Navy with Red White and Blue stripes and Powder with Navy and White stripes. Here's to hopin'.

+500 points for using black Belgard pads +400 points for getting a flat black powdercoat job –1000 points for cruel & unusual, cutting the horn chin guard off a unicorn Nike ... +200 points back for it being, technically an Adidas, but still, I'm withholding points for making some of us sad +314 points for using a TG that makes @BT_Blue jealous +9 points for assembling a good-looking, unique rig Seriously, we need to call this planform "The Icon" or "Iconic", or I'd even be in favor of calling it "The Posada" (original commissioning of the planform). The whole Nike / Adidas / Reebok / Mizuno whosit-whatsit shouldn't matter, it just looks good.

@BrianC14, this particular cage is a Steel; @KenBAZ has another one (at least) that's a Titanium, and that's what we'll be attempting to fix next. On this Steel, there were some minor dents, but the real bad one was just to the right (photo left) of the bullring on the eyebrow bar. It had caved in rather acutely such that the metal was touching the plastic shell. As I've said before regarding Wilson gear – the products themselves are not the problem. Instead, it's the lack of comprehensive support and progression that this gear needs, that Wilson utterly fails to provide. Yes, I say "utterly" because Wilson is the supposed exclusive supplier for Major League Umpires, and very little has been done to progress the protection of those umpires during this time. Majestic is going to, unfortunately, be brushed aside in favor of the irresistible force that is Under Armour, but at least they took the uniform through several progressions to arrive at a material and a style that was not only good looking, but was highly functional – it's a shame that pants development took as long as it did. So while the Shock FX is a very good design, it's not ideal... yet. It's quite well ventilated compared to other HSMs. The suspension system is rather novel, but could afford to be more robust and have the anchoring points more strategically placed. The cage is of a good shape and layout, but could afford to be less complex, yet longer (taller, actually) to give more protection at the forehead. The interior doesn't have to be leather; instead, better performing and better fitting foam and synthetic wicking fabrics could be used. These alterations to it would really benefit umpires, but Wilson isn't concerned about umpires – Wilson is concerned about sales and profit margins in regards to catchers.

Get the young man a Flex-style harness – it will make a world of difference. A Force3 "NewFlex" harness will work, as will an All-Star DeltaFlex. The U-E darling, though, is the ULFH "RayFlex", made by @Razzer. PM or email him for details. The Platinum is a very good CP, but the stock harness on it just cannot keep enough tension on it to prevent the shoulder arch plates from flattening out and the unit beginning to slide down. And there you are, having to hike it back up again on every pitch and looking like a hunchback.

This past year, Wilson ended production of the Shock FX line of Hockey Style masks. While technically progressive, the unit represented a customer service headache for Wilson and a marketing dud when put up against the more sculpted, more rugged, and yet less expensive All-Star System7 series and Easton M series. With cages being bent by impacts, or the shocks becoming fouled up by constant frequent tossings or hurlings to the ground by catchers, more than a few were being sent back to be replaced by all-new units. At one time, Wilson did offer a replacement cage alone, but that option was quickly exhausted. Then, with a substantial portion of their production run going to replace returned units, the Shock FX wasn't generating a sufficient profit margin. Thus, last year, Wilson debuted the Pro Stock HSM, which is a great catchers HSM, as it is very sleek and looks like an even more sculpted and tapered All-Star System7. But where does that leave Shock FX users? As far as umpires were concerned, the Shock FX was a rather well-designed and accommodating HSM, offering very good viewing space and the critical stand-off distance – supplemented by the shock suspension – necessary for good forward protection. It wasn't too heavy of a unit either, all things considered, but did have some shortcomings that could have been addressed and remedied in subsequent versions. The leather pads would unfortunately retain oils and grime, and made laundering and cleaning a challenge; to their credit, Wilson did offer a replacement pad set (still may, but supplies are likely limited). Then, of course, no cage is impervious to the tremendous energy that a ball potentially carries, and the cages would get bent. Compounding this was Wilson's dalliance into titanium which, while lighter and thinner than steel, cost a substantial amount more and were "impossible" for Wilson and the average user to repair. So while Wilson was closing the line down, and supplies of replacement parts dwindled, the response back to users became, "Sorry, you'll have to purchase another one". Frustrating, to say the least. Especially when a retail Shock FX was $150 - $200 and a retail All-Star System7 was $115 - $150. Well good folks, that bent-up Shock FX can get a new lease on life. Mask-It can make repairs on the cages of the Shock FX, as the cage does remove rather easily. Two screws – one at the forehead, one at the chin – hold the cage in place, then the cage merely slides forward and free of its shock-&-spring suspension. Take note of how the parts are arranged, put them in a zip-lock bag or a jar, and then send the cage alone to Tony and his crew at Mask-It. The one they just did for @KenBAZ had a fairly large dent in the eyebrow region, and the paint was long gone to corrosion. Mask-It not only trued the mask back up, but filed the bar ends smooth (before, they were blunt and sharp) and gave it a powdercoat job in Liquid Gunmetal – one of the sexiest colors in their palette. Looks good as new, doesn't it? It came to $40, but it sure does beat trying to find and purchase a new one! Oh, I do recommend wrapping the four mounting posts in masking tape. I forgot to, and suddenly remembered an episode of American Chopper wherein powdercoat was applied to the sleeve mountings of the front fork, and they had to file and grind it off to get the fork struts in. Same thing here, I had to file the powdercoat off the four mounting posts so the springs and bushings would fit.

I see "UCU" as having better branding options, for umpires, than COG. And, unless you're a multi-national, longstanding branded entity (AT&T, NASA, etc.), a name change does a lot to change people's perception of you. Besides, any time I see "COG" I think Gears of War.

So you anticipate arriving tomorrow (Friday) afternoon / evening? First, get yourself checked in. Depending on the time you arrive, they might have the housing complex gates coned-&-opened to allow drop-off traffic in. You're headed for Umpire Alley. 7 of the 10 Umpire Bunkhouses (Shacks) are on the Alley, with 3 others nearby (Area51, 40Brother, 41Bravo). Drop your stuff off in Umpire Alley, and go park your car in Lot C (the traffic coordinators might direct you to Lot C at the beginning, especially if you don't have much of anything to bring in. If that's the case, park in Lot C, gather up your stuff, and head to Umpire Alley on foot, or flag down a CDP utility cart driver). Once you find a bunk (bad juju to take a bunk already tagged or spoken for, FYI), take your ID and head up to the Big White Tent to get checked in. There, you'll meet either Todd, John Carr, or both. These two are your Umpire Directors for CDP. You'll need to sign a form or two, get your wristband (must wear it, it your pass for the grounds), pick up your CDP "dress blues" and accessories (pins, especially), and check-in for laundry service. When you sign the arrival form, ask where your team has been assigned for a bunkhouse. At this point in the discussion, let me remind you... You must bring your own gear. You should have your own pants, shoes (especially plate shoes), belt(s), mask(s), CP, shin guards, personal protector, ball bags, etc. You should bring your own hat(s), too. Make sure to bring a black ballcap / hat. If you have a navy ballcap, bring that too – the CDP -issued ones suck. If you have your own shirts, bring as many as you'd like, but especially bring black. Umpires only must wear CDP Blues on Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday. You will be issued a CDP Blue pullover jacket, too. Most guys favor this when it rains because if you ruin a jacket in the rain, no biggie. However, there are guys who will still want to conduct a game in black if it's cold or there's a drizzle, so if you have a black jacket, bring that just in case. Now, back to meeting up with your team... Inquire as to which bunkhouse they have been assigned, and then go and see if any of their coaches have arrived. The entire complex will likely be a zoo, with cars slowly pulling in to drop off over-sugar-fed ballplayers and stressed-out parents trying to deliver all their accompanying gear and materials. There will be kids of all ages running around already embarking on pin exchanging. The best advice is, don't start exchanging pins yet, at least not until you've delivered pins to your team. Meet up with your team (coach especially); they'll likely introduce you to the ballplayers, or will arrange to have you meet the entire team later that night or first thing Saturday morning. If your team isn't there yet, no worries – you should make sure to meet with them, though, before 11am Saturday morning. When you meet your team, you can ingratiate yourself to the ballplayers pretty quick by giving each ballplayer one of the Umpire pins you've been issued. There are some "park rules" you need to convey to your team that aren't always understood, but best explained in the setting of meeting your team (and coaches): Under no circumstance, none whatsoever, is a ballplayer to enter an Umpire shack. The ballplayer(s) will be suspended and the umpire(s) will be sent home. Any talking of baseball or pin exchanging is to be done outside on the tables or the Common Green or the White Tent. Out of the bunkhouse, footwear is to be worn at all times. Umpires are asked to remind ballplayers if they see them without footwear, as CDP Staff have the authority to suspend ballplayers for being barefoot outside the bunkhouses. Ballplayers must be in full uniform – hat, jersey, pants (worn to or at the knee only), and socks – going to and coming back from formal team events and games. Gate Staff will not let team members depart through the gate to their ballpark out of uniform, nor will they allow re-entry into the housing complex out of uniform. Be affable and friendly with the kids – you were one once, and you have a common, shared love of baseball. Keep in mind that you cannot work one of your team's games – if you happen to have your team scheduled on your field for when you are working, notify your Crew Chief or the Baseball Ops Zone Coordinator, and your crew will exchange fields with another crew for that game, easy as punch. If you are able to attend your team's games "off the clock", do so. The ballplayers and parents really get encouraged to see you even make an appearance. Go in plainclothes (if you're able) and certainly interact with the parents and fans. We only advise you to refrain from making comments about the working crew's performance, because do remember, those guys are your colleagues, and you might be in the same bunkhouse with them or end up sitting across from each other at meal time. Learn what you can, assimilate what you think is positive, disregard what you think is negative (or is blatant bull$hit), and just enjoy the baseball experience. Civilly and considerately, make sure the team's coach or rep has fulfilled your sponsorship arrangement. Only hold them to that, and if they invite you out to other team functions or get-togethers, consider it gravy and accept it with gusto! Have a great time. Oh, don't forget your personal protector.

Ah, Mad Scientist @maven, hold on there... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEET#Effects_on_materials Quote: "DEET is an effective solvent,[7] and may dissolve some watch crystals,[4] plastics, rayon, spandex, other synthetic fabrics, and painted or varnished surfaces including nail polish." And what comprises most of our nice, expensive umpire gear? Yup, spandex, plastics, and synthetic fabrics. Me, I prefer eucalyptus -based insect repellant. While we carried varying strengths of DEET at REI, we were also proponents of Eucalyptus-based repellants in light of the very expensive outdoors gear we sold that had plastic or synthetic composition.

There are pitchers who "ramp up" by tapping their toe/foot on their free foot, seeming to push themselves incrementally up the mound to the set position. There are #BC coaches who will complain, or at least annoyingly inquire, as to that being a Balk because F1 is lifting his foot and putting it down, repetitively, albeit an ever so slight amount. Provided he stops and fully pauses, it's legal; if he is still "tapping" and this propels him into his pitching motion, it's illegal.