midmoump

There have been some problems with the mask, contributing to +POS going out of business. Here is an example discussion: http://forum.officiating.com/baseball/51513-pos-mask.html The new owner of +POS gives his account: http://www.umpire.org/vb/showthread.php?t=6888

Kevin- Are the Honig's Charcoal Grey Ultimates the same color as their Poly Wools (lighter than the GD charcoals, but darker than heather?), or are they a lighter shade than the Poly-Wools?

I agree 100% with the Smitty cut! I was able to review a pair of combos from Smittys and the cut was very narrow in the seat and thigh. I also reviewed a pair of GD charcoals and found them extremely comfortable. Stay away from Dalco as they are cheaply made and are not saddle stitched for the plate. I own Honig's B1 and B2 pants and find them very comfortable and they wear well, but they tend to fade to pink over time. I suppose if I needed heather gray pants I would purchase some from GD. As far as charcoal pants, buy the Honig's poly-wools. They are the best around.

After it was discovered that Steve Garvey fathered several children out of wedlock, bumper stickers popped up around San Diego that read: "Steve Garvey is not my Padre.''

When I was a kid, Steve Garvey was a GOD in SoCal. At that time it was the most reasonable thing in the world to name a school after him since the Hall of Fame and US Senate seemed like certainties. NL MVP in 1974 All Star MVP (1974 and 1978) NLCS MVP (1978 and 1984) 1207 consecutive games played Ten time All-Star World Series champion (1981) Four Golden Gloves 1981 Roberto Clemente Award 1984 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award When I was a kid, Garvey was Mr. Consistency: 1974 200 hits, 21 HR, 111 RBI, .312 AVG 1975 210 hits, 18 HR, 95 RBI, .319 AVG 1976 200 hits, 13 HR, 80 RBI, .317 AVG 1977 192 hits, 33 HR, 115 RBI, .297 AVG 1978 202 hits, 21 HR, 113 RBI, .316 AVG 1979 204 hits, 28 HR, 110 RBI, .315 AVG 1980 200 hits, 26 HR, 106 RBI, .304 AVG Funny how things work out.

A straight-forward question deserves a straight answer: I'd go with the magnesium mask. Both masks are outstanding and weigh nearly the same. Unfortunately, both come with the same crappy pads. I have had great customer service experiences from both companies. Even though the Diamond is considerably cheaper than the OC mask, what makes my decision is that magnesium has a better strength to weight ratio than aluminum or steel. I have taken several hard blows with the FM-58 and it holds up great. The silver is a great mask, but I have seen some reports of denting on the umpire boards and my Diamond mask did crack a weld last year. I guess my comfort level is a little higher with the FM-58. With that said, Diamond is a great company and this mask gets high marks from me and others who have commented. Finally, for the same price as an FM-58 you can by the Diamond AND replacement pads. Your call, blue.

What I left out of the review is how well that silver mask compliments ma sexxxy bodddy! That shortstop sure could stop 'em (kick save!). He just couldn't get a freakin' out! Common Eddie, catch it. . . catch it. . . OH! Way to stop it with your face!

A review of the Diamond DFM-UMP Umpire Mask in Silver is now posted here: http://midwestump.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-of-diamond-dfm-ump-in-silver.html The bottom line is the weight is terrific, the pads are terrible, and the price is outstanding.

I just posted a review of the Majestic MLB Umpire Shirt: http://midwestump.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-of-majestic-mlb-umpire-shirt.html Additional information concerning umpire shirts can be found at: http://midwestump.blogspot.com/2009/03/umpire-shirt-comparison.html

I just posted a review of the Reebok Field Magistrate Plate Shoes: http://midwestump.blogspot.com/2009/06/reebok-field-magistrate-plate-shoes.html Great shoes, lousy packaging. Reminds me of a BMW 7 series - in pink. Opinions of these shoes will be very polarized until Reebok offers them with subdued logos.

At 11:30 p.m. during a 14U tournament I told a team, "Let's go! Taco Bell is open late, but it ain't open all night!" It actually worked! :agasp_:

Interesting thread. In my area youth softball is more competitive than baseball. That is a very strong and controversial statement considering the high quality of baseball played here. Our area youth softball tournaments are extremely competitive and attract teams from all over the midwest. On the other side of the coin, our area hosts a number of youth baseball tournaments that are first-rate. My experience has been that there are good and bad umpires in both sports. The "fat slobs" don't advance far in either sport. Teams here expect and appreciate good officiating. Competitive softball has its charms. The competitive softball played here is faster and "cleaner" than the baseball games. There is less goofing around (e.g. pick offs). The girls are highly organized and play hard (they practice or play year round). They hustle on and off the field. They are generally polite and show less attitude. The softball players are as fundamentally sound as the baseball players. The coaches are not as sarcastic or confrontational, and the fans are generally quieter. With that said, it seems that "dad" is at every game right behind the backstop critiquing the umpire. But even "dad" tends to calms down at the upper levels. The game is faster (which requires greater concentration and quicker reation by the umpires). Yes, the ball is bigger, but a good pitcher can really make that ball move, so the plate umpire had better pay attention! Which is better? I can't compare the two. They are different games and I enjoy officiating both. One last comment: if you work softball and baseball, be prepared to amp up your study time. The rules can be very different than baseball and complicated.

I found this post on "Warren's Response to the Author, Angel Melendez was...." interesting and have nominated it accordingly for "Post Of The Month May, 2009"

As a vet I appreciate the Memorial Day banner. Very tasteful. Good work!

You guys are really kind. Thanks for the kudos. Ump Rube- What I found in writing the article was that a moisture wicking undershirt and a highly breatheable umpire shirt is the best combination to wick moisture away from your body. An interesting side note is that many people contend that moisture wicking does not keep you cooler, only more comfortable. Also be advised that many types of moisture wicking undershirts tend to hold odor. I love my Heat Gear, but it does tend to smell. The moisture wicking will only do its job if it can contact the moisture. So a moisture wicking outer shirt makes little sense to me. The t-shirt grabs the sweat and pulls it to the surface where a breatheable outer shirt causes an airflow to evaporate the sweat. As for the best breatheable shirt? If keeping cool is your only criteria, I'd pair a moisture wicking undershirt with an open hole mesh shirt. Dalco makes an open hole weave shirt that will allow more airflow and speed the evaporation process. However, most of the better umpire shirts are closed hole mesh.

I just posted an initial review of the new FM-58 umpire mask made of magnesium alloy and sold by The Offical Call. This mask is incredibly light. I will provide further updates on the blog after field testing for a while. Here's the link: http://midwestump.blogspot.com/2009/05/magnesium-umpires-mask-from-official.html

I recently had the opportunity to examine a pair of Smitty Apparel heather gray combo pants. The review is here: http://midwestump.blogspot.com/2009/04/review-of-smitty-combo-pants.html I liked them very much and recommend them.

I have a web page that features the "best prices" for certain umpire equipment on the internet. The page is located at http://www.squidoo.com/Umpiring and is linked on my page at http://midwestump.blogspot.com. The best price I have seen for the Pro Nine is $57.99 sold by Umpire Express. HOWEVER, I personally had a bad experience with Umpire Express, so I cannot recommend this company. The Pro Nine is also sold for $59.99 at A Perfect Game. I have never done business with A Perfect Game, so I have no opinion of this company. For $5.00 more you can buy from companies with solid reputations: Between the Lines, $64.90 Ump Attire, $64.95 As for the Wilson Dyna Lite, the best price I have seen is $41.99 from Hit Run Score. Again, I have not done business with this company, so I can't offer an opinion. For a little more money you can buy from Ump-Attire at $47.95. Remember to check on the shipping and tax (as Warren stated) and look at comparable products. Combining shipping from one dealer might save you money also (like buying both products from Ump-Attire). Good luck with your hunt for bargains!

Great info - and timely too! Thanks a ton. A foul broke a buckle on my guard last night and gives me a great excuse to buy more gear (much to the chagrin of my lovely wife)! The DaviShins sound great. The only down-side is the sizing. I measure a 16" and the guards are offered at 15" and 17.5" - that is throwing me.

I wear Thorlos combat boot socks with a reinforced toe and heel when I am on the plate. These socks are very comfortable and come almost to the knee. They are a little warm during the dog days, but while wearing them I have never had a problem with discomfort from my NB plate shoes. This year I picked up a pair of cheap $10 tights at Wal-Mart before a wet, nasty mid-30-degree game. I had never worn tights before and I thought they were GREAT! My legs were kept warm and there was no rubbing at any point from my guards.

I just posted an interview with Justin Klemm, Executive Director of the Professional Baseball Umpire Corp. Justin gives terrific insight into the PBUC Evaluation Course and discusses umpire safety. Here's the link: http://midwestump.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 1, 2003 http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20030701&content_id=404599&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=fla ". . .On a somber note, the crowd also saw the game delayed for 18 minutes when a cameraman was injured in the auxiliary camera section at field level. The man, whose identity was not released, was struck in the head by a bat that flung out of Atlanta's Darren Bragg's hands on a foul ball leading off the seventh inning. As paramedics were treating the man, home plate umpire Bill Hohn called both teams off the field. The man was immobilized and carted off the field through the Marlins dugout. According to photographer Rhona Wise of Europeanpressphoto Agency, the man was conscious and moving before being taken to the hospital. She said the bat hit him in the head. The man was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he was treated for lacerations to his face. . ." The safety of the kids, the coaches, the ball boys, parents, and even ignorant sports journalists are the concern of the umpires while they are on the field. Like our Arkansas brother said, everything inside the fences. If you want to do something unusual (like photograph on the field), why not just ask? Even though the rule requires this issue to be addressed before the game commences, the coaches and umpires likely would have accomodated Mr. Gilbert. I'll bet the next game Mr. Gilbert goes to he gets a FYC from the umpire crew. Something like: sure you can stay. . .in this small circle. . .and you have to wear a helmet. LOL!

The court is way off base (pardon the pun). Could a jury really find that netting should be required 30 feet past third base? Maybe the stadium should prohibit children from sitting in these "danger zones?" Most (all?) parks have signs warning spectators to be aware of objects leaving the field. Usually an assumption of risk statement is printed on the ticket. However, a court could find a child could not adequately evaluate and understand this risk because of his or her young age and immaturity. Maybe a children's area enclosed in a plexiglass bubble is the answer?

Side-by-side umpire shirt review comparing seven shirts from Dalco, Cliff Keen, Gerry Davis, Honig's, The Official's Choice, Smitty Apparel and Ump-Attire: http://midwestump.blogspot.com/2009/03/umpire-shirt-comparison.html And the winner is. . .