kylehutson

When I get a pitcher that has a tendency to go faster than the batters are ready, I make a habit of putting up my "stop sign" until the batter is ready. Not to say a pitcher can't take you off-guard, but it's usually not a one-off. In any case, I come up big and loud with a "time!" or "no pitch!" if the batter isn't ready as soon as he starts his motion - that helps the batter to know something is up. Last time I called a quick-pitch, I asked about it here and got a pretty good discussion, from which I learned much.

Consider me duly chastised. I was really amazed you, a self-proclaimed vulture, had so few - didn't realize that was just the number of "styles". I shoulda known better. On the original question - I have a pair of "good" black ball bags that I wear with everything, and if anybody has ever had a problem with it, they haven't said anything to me about it. Every couple of weeks, or whenever I'm on a particularly icky field, I throw them in the washer and then the dryer with the rest of my gear. Of all the things I worry about on a baseball field, bags are near the bottom of my list.

I think I counted 23 shirts I have? I end up buying a new cream and powder every couple of years, because the collars get nasty really fast on those.

Interesting you say this. Earlier this year I worked with a guy who was 77. His run was about as fast as my brisk walk. BUT he was a D1 baseball official back in the day and has probably forgotten more about umpiring than I will ever know. Despite his speed, he was always in exactly the right place to take every play. I'd work with that guy again in a heartbeat.

Veering off-topic. But conversely I've had coaches appeal a 3rd base left early on a catch by an outfielder somewhere around 5,247 times, and actually seen one leave early about 4 times. Seems to me they're appealing at the wrong time.

I have both tights and a pair of Under Armor over-the-knee socks. Generally speaking, I like tights (specifically the UA Heat Gear) better. I still use the Nutty Buddy jock and cup, too. When it's egregiously hot, I'll go without tights - since I moved to the UmpLife shin guard straps, that's an option since they don't rub like the stock straps do.

For the first time in my umpiring career, this year I called a pitched baseball lodged in player equipment. Coach was skeptical of the call, but came to me after the next 1/2 inning and said "My assistant looked that up, and you nailed it, Blue. I've never heard of that before."

Yep. I called this for the first time in my umpiring career earlier this year. It was in an NAIA game, and nobody said squat because it was obvious what he was trying to do. And I've never had anybody ever try to get that call either.

BTDT

I'm officially jealous. My boss has a Tesla, and I tell people you shouldn't drive one ... because you'll want one.

1) Even if we bought them both new, there's an $11k difference in new purchase price. ($31,600 vs $20,600) - I bought mine used for just under $6k. 2) The gas mileage is what I was really referring to, though. You say you get 17 mpg. At (being generous) $2.50/gal gas, that costs you $14.71 per 100 miles. Mine, at 40mpg costs $6.25 per 100 miles. I also own a Chevy Avalanche (which, by coincidence, also gets 17 mpg). I don't use that for umpiring for that very reason (unless SWMBO is taking the gas miser on a road trip or something).

Must be nice to be able to get from the gas station all the way home before you have to head back to refuel.

How do you all afford to drive trucks and SUVs with the amount of windshield time you get as an umpire (or maybe that's just in my sparsely-populated neck of the woods)? I drive one of these. So, I don't really have much of a choice, as even if I had a clothes bar, there's not enough vertical space for them to hang. So I keep my shirts and pants on hangers in one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9FHOOQ/ and lay it on top of (or beside) my gear bag in the hatchback.

Steel toe BOOTS, no less. I facepalmed reading the article, too.

Oh, I could definitely tell by the third batter that they were starting their swings well before they knew where the ball would be crossing the plate. My job was *much* easier than theirs, and I'm quite grateful that I had a good catcher in front of me. And one of the batters predicted right and it went over the center field fence. Came in hard, went out hard.