midmoump

I believe that's MLB umpire Jim Joyce wearing one a year or two ago with a mixture of Wilson pads.

I stumbled upon another Japanese site called Rakuten. It looks like a Japanese Amazon.com. Here is the link for umpire gear: http://search.borderless.rakuten.com/borderless/search.action?p=1&vm=2&f=0&fs=0&sm=0&k=umpire&tl=200168&l=en It is fascinating stuff, almost like visiting another planet. Here is a mask offered for sale (squeegee available separately):

Outstanding! I'm sure you'll do great!

I have six Honig's shirts that I just pulled from my closet (arranged by color, then manufacturer). I wore two of these shirts heavily over the past three seasons and they are still acceptable. The other four have been purchased during the past year. They all appear to be made of the same (or very similar) closed hole polyester material. However, there is a substantial difference in the quality of the construction: L/S Black made in Pakistan - never worn. After inspecting it closely I found that the stitching around the left side of the collar is faulty, there are loose threads everywhere, the cuffs are not pressed together, and the interior seams are well, sh*t. S/S Black made in Pakistan - worn a few times. The left side of the collar is frayed and looks like sh*t. There are fewer loose threads, but the interior seams are still poor. L/S Polo Blue made in USA - worn extensively during summer ball. No fraying, very few loose threads, no seam issues. It looks good. S/S Powder Blue made in USA - never worn. No loose threads, no seam issues (why did I buy this shirt?) I'm going to speculate and say that Honig's is unloading its Pakinsani made shirts at the discount price. My advice is to stay away from the Honig's shirt sale. If you must buy a Honig's shirt, make sure what you purchase says "Made in the USA." Pete

What is your opinion of the Majestic umpire shirts worn in MLB games this season? New style: Old style:

Jim Kirk recently sent me a Ump-Attire Ultimate Umpire shirt to look over. I'll have more to say next month, but I will say that the Ultimate is still the best shirt on the market (compared to 2010 version of Smitty, Honig's, Majestic, Dalco, Cliff Keen, Gerry Davis, and Official's Choice). Honig's is currently selling off their 2010 shirts for $18.95. I have a couple and will take a pass on this special because I don't think much of these shirts. The less expensive Smitty's shirt has improved since the original Midwest Ump shirt comparison and is not far behind the Ultimate. While not quite as good as the Ultimate, it is definitely the best value. Pete

Thanks for all the input. Keep 'em coming! Pete

NOCSAE tests catcher's helmets by shooting a baseball out of an air cannon at around 60 mph. The resulting impact must not exceed 1200 SI (a number on their severity scale. Concussions have been shown to result at 300 SI). I honestly think if I put an actual plastic bucket on my head it would pass the NOCSAE test. I'll tell you, Thunder, it pisses me off when we have equipment like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBU-SKpyA-Y and this still happens: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11838099

Moodle looks very interesting. Thanks for the tip! Pete

Premier Road IV. . . man, that is a lot of WHITE. Reebok is really obnoxious with their logo. Might as well wear these puppies (complete with your name on the side!):

Personally, I could care less whether a call is right or wrong. The videos are terrific because I get to see the MLB guys execute their mechanics (timing, distance/angle, rotation, etc) and impliment the rules. Sometimes the MLB guys screw up the mechanics. Sometimes they even screw up the rules. But it is always fun and useful to me to examine the play and read the comments here. Of course, I appreciate when the umpire executes flawless mechanics, but I can learn just as much when things get screwed up. Pete

The pads have a large impact on transferring the force of a ball from the frame to your head. The pads, frame material, design (angles, etc), how the mask is worn (incl. how tight, etc), and the shape of your face (as suggested by you and kylejt on another forum) are all factors that work together. This subject is of special interest to me. Email me at pete.reiser@yahoo.com I did a little looking awhile back and discovered some things about NOCSAE testing. It appears that the NOCSAE standards are insufficient, and its tests are meaningless to players and umpires at higher levels. Of course, traditional masks are not NOCSAE tested and neither are umpire hemlets. The Gerry Davis (as well as the Midwest Ump) drop test is not especially meaningful either. There have been some well-meaning attempts at studying mask/helmet efficacy in the past, but the researchers were largely uninformed and the research does not tell us much. Last spring I had arranged a study into mask and helmet impacts and attenuation (using different masks, pads, and harness adjustments) with a major university using top research equipment. The university was willing, but wanted $2-5,000 for the study. While I could get pledges of cooperation from some of the major manufacturers and retailers, I could not get the financial support. Again, there is not a lot of up-side for the manufacturers to participate in a safety study.

Thanks for your thoughts. I agree that the finish of the Diamond is rough. I also have a red "beauty mark" on my Diamond. I don't mind the Champro harness, but I have not tried the one from Mizuno. The Diamond masks are very popular. I see them frequently and I have never heard of one breaking or even denting. I've taken my own solid shots with this mask and it seems very, very durable. Testing the durability of masks on the market, and testing impact forces for masks and helmets is a long term goal of mine. Eventually I would like to provide a rating system for mask/pad configurations (recommended for LL, HS, College, or Pro) and a breaking point rating (e.g. 90,95,100,110 mph). At this point I am limited by my test equipment. The best I can do presently is destroy a mask with an air cannon to determine a breaking point. To be fair I would have to recreate this test a few times for each mask, which is not economically feasible for me. While many of the mask manufacturers have been extremely cooperative and generous in providing products for review (including All-Star, Champro, Diamond, Wilson, and Schutt), I doubt if I could get much cooperation for a test to determine a breaking point. There's not much upside for the manufacturer. Mask testing has the support of a few manufacturers and retailers, so its coming sooner or later. Pete

The course is pretty long at eight weeks (the same length as a college quarter). It is important to give our seminar members the time to do the reading, review the supplemental material, and participate on-line. The format works well for exploring the rules at a pace that is convenient for all members. Eight weeks from November is also the time when the pro umpire schools start, so we thought this seminar would be a good primer for someone wanting a pro job. We intend to continue to offer the seminar for the foreseeable future and also introduce a high school specific rules seminar by the end of the year. Pete

Not to steal anyone's, er, "thunder," but here's the link: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12883705&topic_id=14872520&c_id=mlb :D

My apologies to the forum for getting off-topic. kylejt, You mentioned in another post your preference for the Champro Magnesium mask. What makes it better than the Diamond in your opinion? Pete

I agree, "seminar" is a little confusing. The Baseball Rules Seminar is a rules study course, not a webinar. We do not have set times to meet, everyone participates at his or her own convenience, much like the U-E forum. One young college aged umpire in our beta group tells us that the seminar is very similar to his on-line college courses. We chose the term "seminar" because we are not a licensed school. The terms class, course, school, etc. can be misleading and in some cases may be prohibited unless the instruction is sanctioned by the state.

Thanks for the encouragement. We try to supplement the J/R material with outside sources like Evans, the BRD, the MLBUM and PBUC. The sources don't always agree, which just adds to the discussion. Why we chose the J/R Manual is its organization. It is set up like a textbook and allows us to systematically progress from rule to rule.

As you can see from the new Umpire-Empire banner ad, Midwest Ump and Umpire-Empire have jointly created an on-line Baseball Rules Seminar to study the rules of baseball. The seminar is eight weeks long and studies the professional rules - the mother of all baseball rulebooks. High school and college seminars are in development and will be announced soon. We have modeled this seminar after on-line courses offered by major colleges and universities. We are using a textbook, the on-line rules, video from actual games to illustrate each rule, a member forum to discuss the rule, and a weekly test. Our text is The Rules of Professional Baseball by Jaksa and Roder. Each week we study several chapters of the J/R Manual. This is a very effective way to study the rules of baseball! The Baseball Rules Seminar is forum-based and on-line, so it is very convenient. Study, view the videos, or post discussion at night, at work - any time of day or night! The Seminar is not restricted to umpires. It can benefit: • Coaches • Players • Fans • Announcers (ya hear that, Tim He-who-shall-not-be-named?) We are beta testing the seminar and enrolling now for eight week seminars starting November 1 and November 15. The seminar is regularly $149, but is currently offered at an introductory price of $99. For more information and view samples of the seminar, CLICK HERE. View or FAQ or email your questions to: pete.reiser@yahoo.com

My preference is a plain 4" with slits on the TG and metal snaps (and a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time) made by Champro. Unfortunately, over time the metal snaps start rusting. I suppose a little nail polish and TLC would prevent this. After three years of mask-ball impacts I recently had to retire a Champro TG when a foul ball broke a snap. That one had me light-headed for a few days. I purchased a Champro replacement TG from my local big box store for $5. I wear my 4" TG attached to the lowest opening on the mask. I think velcro straps, nylon ties and gaudy manufacturer's logos on a TG are ridiculous. Unfortunately, all masks are not made the same and attaching my favorite TG can sometimes create a challenge. BTW: I received your mail, Brad. Thank you. I'm looking forward to reviewing your products and sharing with the umpire community. Pretty nice guys over at All-Star.

This thread reminds me of the Jeff Foxworthy bit. You might be smitty if. . . . . .you wear your chest protector or leg guards on the outside. . . .you call out "strike three" and give a big punch out on a swing. . . .your Honig's heather gray base pants are a rosey shade of pink. . . .you let everyone know that "hands are part of the bat." . . .you wear your hat backwards on the dish. . . .you clean the plate with a whisk broom you keep in your back pocket.

Thanks, guys! Good input. Keep 'em coming! I tried a website survey awhile back and had very good results. Unfortunately, it became obvious that one (nameless) manufacturer was skewing the results by voting too often. Your suggestions really mean a lot.

Umpire junkies are a VERY small niche market. However, I believe our discussion and opinions of umpire products do make a difference to manufacturers and retailers, and influence the buying decisions of our fellow umpires. Last year I started the Umpire Merchandise Products of the Year (U.M.P.Y.) awards to recognize the year's best umpire products. This November I will continue the U.M.P.Y Awards and name winners in ten categories: Best Hockey Style Helmet Best Traditional Mask Best Chest Protector Best Leg Guards Best Shirt Best Pants Best Plate Shoes Best Umpire Accessory Best Training Aid I am soliciting suggestions and opinions regarding this year's selections from the umpire community. Which products do you think are deserving, and why?

I just (finally!) published a review of the Schutt AiR Flex Chest Protector on the Midwest Ump website. Pete

Thanks for the info, Kevin. You are a great resource and a tremendous asset to this forum. I have purchased a few Majestics that are still hanging in my closet. I've been a little reluctant to wear them after my last Majestic started pilling. I am also starting to question the Majestic shirt's total costs: 1. $15 for each shirt 2. $10 for a can of Scotch Guard and I have to line dry the shirt. I toss my Honig's/Smitty/Ump-Attire/Dalco/The Official's Choice/Gerry Davis/Cliff Keen shirts in the dryer and don't use any Scotch Guard. I have several fall baseball dates coming up, so I can start wearing the Majestics and caring for them using your recommended system. Pete