MikeSafari

Move south! I think that every February. And then I remember I have free healthcare, so I don't

Sigh. If only they shipped to Canadaland.

I just wish they came in wider sizes. I'm normally an 8.5E but I have to size up to 4E for those damn NB shoes.

I think it looks pretty cool but I would never wear it. Entirely too ostentatious for me.

I just use an old Casio digital watch that I keep either in an interior pocket in my ball bag or in my back pocket. It's got a timer so if need be I set that, otherwise it's just a watch.

I just got a little New Era cap brush and that works fine for me when I need to brush dust off: http://image.rakuten.co.jp/selection-j/cabinet/img00008/ne-110228cbs1.jpg For more serious cleaning, I'm with @Majordave and wash it like you would clothes (cold water only).

Just curious as to what you guys wear/prefer. Personally I like flat fronts and my association gives us a choice, so that's normally what I wear.

Because I have nowhere else to put it. Most of the diamonds in my area are open-air and have no locker rooms for teams or umpires. They're also generally placed in a park fairly far from parking lots, so I can't just leave it in my car and come back to it later (especially trying with doubleheaders). It sucks, but I've not got much choice.

It seems like a lot of you guys have the good fortune to work where you get a changeroom. Unfortunately, most of the sporting money in my part of the world goes to hockey, so there's really only one stadium with a changeroom for umpires (I worked a couple games here, though, and they are super nice changerooms). Since it's now spring, we're currently getting lots of rain here, with more on the way this week. I've been contemplating test driving this Diamond gear bag, but it has basically no waterproof capability. Apart from wrapping the thing in a tarp whenever I'm on the field, does anyone have any suggestions as to gear bags that might have a waterproof cover or something? I hate getting back to my car after a game with a bag full of wet gear.

Has anyone found any short-sleeve compression mock necks? I prefer wearing a compression shirt under my CP so it doesn't move around while I'm working.

So this one is from way back when I was a second-year umpire or so. I would have been about 13 at the time. Umpiring a house league game for 11 year-olds, behind the plate. Since it's house league and a low level, they're allowed to play while fielding only 7 players, but no less than that. Happily, they showed up with 7. In the second or third inning, this little kid who'd been a problem all year was running in from 2nd on a pretty standard slow grounder to 2B (remember, 11 year-olds, so the throw goes to 1B). BR is out at 1B, throw comes in to home. I get in position, kid drops his shoulder straight into catcher's chest as tag is applied well ahead of getting near home. Our local league has strict rules against malicious contact, and on plays at the plate like that players are required to slide to avoid anyone getting injured. Kid's out and gone. Parents, who are not-at-all coincidentally also the coaches of the team come screaming out of the dugout at a thousand miles an hour shouting all kinds of unmentionables about me and their up-and-coming Derek Jeter. Ring 'em up, game is forfeit since they've only got 6 players and, now, no coaches. To this day I've never had a simultaneously more hilarious and ridiculous ejection.

Ah, it feels good to be back. After leaving the sport to go to school, this year I'm getting back in the saddle. Already done a handful of games, but looking forward to the warm weather showing up and the tournaments getting started.