wolfe_man

Not yet… I think/hope. I don’t know what they look like, so I can’t be sure.

I'm still mad at Diz-knee for ruining this show. It started out with so much promise and then went off the rails.

I have a pair of GDS black suede/leather socks (new, unworn) that I'd like to trade for a pair of black mesh pad socks. I just like the mesh feel better personally. I can include some new Tango cores if that is of interest to you. I also have a pair of Douglas 16" grey shins with stock blue padding for $50. They're functional and in good shape with the metal hooks and straps and I've cleaned them up from all the dust. I was going to get them refurbished (new rivets, connectors) and add new black padding, but Douglas quoted me $185 so I'm just letting these go to someone who needs some good shins as-is. I'll add pics once I get back home. LMK what you got and your offer. Thanks!

My game on Saturday was in the 50's and tonights was 40's, so I know what you mean. I've had no issues with the Cloud pads or the Enduro's D3O foam at those temps. Your body heat also helps to bring those temps up. I used to wear the Schutt/Adams with D3O foam also in cold weather games with no negative impacts. YMMV

Same experience for me with the Mirage frame on Sat in a Varsity game. Fastball fouled straight back to the middle of my mask. Mask on ground at my feet and dead silence from the crowd, waiting to see if I'm good or not. Coaches start telling F2 to walk the ball out, but I just tell my partner he jinxed me because he asked me how it felt to get hit in the new mask prior to the game and I hadn't had it happen yet of course. So he's apologizing from C and I'm laughing it off behind the plate and calling F2 back so we can keep moving. Buy the best and stay safe out there!

I took my first glancing blow in my Enduro on Saturday. Varsity ball, batter fouled one back off my arm/shoulder guard - I didn't feel a thing beyond the impact! CP fits great, is aerated for cooling, is comfortable to wear and protective. Everything that one could ask for in a great CP!

I’m starting to think that some of these throat guards should have an expiration date or a shelf life indicated for freshness. Honestly, the plastic always feels brittle or too stiff to me, as if it could break at any moment. Plus, we use these guards year after year, exposing them to all kinds of weather—sun, heat, rain, and cold—which I imagine would weaken the plastic over time and make it even more likely to break. I remember hearing that there were maybe three different companies planning to launch these in the US, but after SG released their version, nothing seemed to happen. I guess the wind got taken from their sails if they couldn't be first. It would be nice to have a US option made with a higher-quality plastic. I'd love to see them keep the shape, but make it a little thicker, like regular TG's, so it would last forever. Of course, the new method I employ is wearing the Davis Mirage with it's extended throat guard removing my need for a swinging/dangling TG.

Yes, that needs a full refurbishment - new straps, leather and rivets. It also needs a repair to the main plastic chest-piece with some resin. This is going to take someone a good amount of time to do it right. You may find the cost to repair/refurbish right up there with it's original price tag*. This is more of a refurbishment than I have time for personally. I understand that @Razzer has done a few of the Carlucci refurbishments, but I can't say if he is still doing them or not, so I will tag him and see if he responds. If he is still doing them, then he is most likely your best option due to his experience and commitment to quality and professionalism. Best of luck @Dpayner with your Calucci refurb! She's a beautiful CP and it would be good to see her in pristine condition again! *A side note, but comparable and on a parallel topic, Douglas wants to charge me upwards of $189 (before taxes and shipping to/from) to refurbish my 16" shins (replace rivets and Velcro) and then install new black padding. The new cost was $239, so I'm going to hold off and maybe do some of the work myself or possibly part them out for other projects.

If you don't know, then I can't tell you. Not all of us are 50-year experienced umpires with three trips to Wendelstedt. I'm sorry I commented, I'll try to refrain in the future.

Sorry, it was the only way it could make sense to me, but I verified so I was sure. It threw me at first also.

I'm not coming at you, but curious how you saw him. On most of the fields I work, once they leave the dirt circle they're getting out of my direct line of sight as I tend to keep eyes forward towards the pitcher and the field. I've found that I might get to see/hear more than I really need to/want to if I keep looking into/towards dugouts too often. You may have had a good reason to look over, so I'm not judging, but I would encourage you to be careful that you're not looking over too often. It can lead to paths that we would prefer not to go down.

I fully agree with this. If someone did this type of stuff (getting all up in someone's face and spitting on them while yelling) in public, it would be considered assault. I have no idea why we condone this type of behavior just because it happens to an umpire on a baseball field. MLB needs to start holding people accountable so kids don't see it and think it's okay to do at their level also. I believe there's an old saying, what we allow, we promote. MLB would not promote this (but see all the videos getting tons of hits on the web?) but they certainly condone it.

I've got one for the car, why not the uni or bb? Just kidding of course. I'm trying to avoid giving the fans/parents/coaches any reason, beyond the normal, to single me out. I want to be as inconspicuous as possible.

I already texted this to @MadMax and @DerekGDS but I told them I was going to do this route... a la Frank Drebin. Oh, did I mention I also got a cup shot in the first game back? I am sold on the Diamond MMA cup & jock combo, it's saved me several times now. They really need to start teaching these catchers how to stop pitches in the dirt from hitting us. 😀

I think I’m going with @grayhawks suggestion. 😂 I hope this is only temporary, but hitting it with my foot looks lazy - and is hard on shoes. I’m thinking of trying a black paint brush. At first glance, it’ll appear just like a plate brush… just with a handle which my hand will cover. I’m thinking it’s the least noticeable option.

Hey everyone, I’m a bit embarrassed to ask, but I need some advice. After two spinal fusion surgeries, I finally got back on the field last night—first time in 18 months. I’ve worked hard to get in shape, but I didn’t realize I can’t bend over to clean home plate like I used to. My range of motion maxes out about 8” from the plate, and while I’ll keep working on it, I might never get all the way back. So, if you were watching a high school game and saw an umpire who couldn’t clear the plate the usual way, which alternative would you be okay with? Squatting down like a catcher and cleaning it from the side Using a longer-handled paint brush and doing it the normal way (butt towards pitcher and bent over from waist) Using a telescopic plate brush, only extending it as much as needed and doing the normal way I only do high school and some summer ball, and I don’t plan to move up or retire—I love being out there. I care about how we look on the field and don’t want to seem “bush league,” but physically, I just can’t bend over right now. What do you all think is the best option?

I quote "batter attempts a bunt and pops up to the pitcher"... is a pop-up to the pitcher still considered a bunt after flying 45+ feet? I get your point, but odd wording used in the exam question in my opinion. Is a bunt a pop-up, if yes then how far can it fly before it becomes a fly ball? See my point... But it is off-topic for the main point of the thread, so I'll digress from my wandering and return to the topic at-hand.

I would have guessed "C" as the average is normally that "C" is the answer if you're not sure. 🙄 Seriously though, I am assuming R2 is at 1st base and R3 is at 2nd base. With less than two outs and at least first base occupied, then it is an immediate dead ball (batter out of course) under NFHS to prevent giving the defense an unfair advantage by dropping an easy out and trying to get a double play. But if F1 does not touch the ball, then it's legal. He has to touch the baseball in order to be able to intentionally drop it. I only say this because a really smart F1 will pretend to make a play and then let it drop untouched, which is legal.

Perhaps I am doing it wrong, but I tend to signal the strike with my hammer. If uncaught, then I give a safe signal and point out to the side with my right hand at shoulder height (half-safe signal I just learned) to indicate that the pitch wasn't caught and keep it held there until the runner either is put out, or arrives safely, at first base. I used to just do the point-and-hold, but started recently doing the safe signal for some reason. I don't vocalize anything on uncaught third strikes which ought to be another sign to the batter/runner and coaches that I don't have a caught strike three or I would be doing my K3 mechanic and vocalization.

You look vaguely familiar. Great to hear from you again!

Or just don’t gamble as a player… is the salary not enough? I do realize that some gamble for the thrill, not the money.

Korea has ABS full-time I’m told. I’ve seen some crazy pitches called strikes there! ABS alone is not the answer.

Once the force is removed by the fielder stepping on the bag, then R3 does not have to advance. Only R2 is out in this scenario. I agree with only getting one out here also.

I found a video on YT that explained that ABS is two-dimensional and only has the strike zone over the middle of the plate, so a pitch could actually be in the strike zone over the front of the plate and then drop an inch before hitting the ABS indicator and be shown as a ball instead. An umpire could be right on their scorecard - and wrong on ABS - on the same pitch! For an example, they showed a pitch that Mike Estabrook correctly ruled as strike three on G. Stanton at Seattle, but then was 0.1" below the ABS line so it was over-turned to a ball upon a batter challenge and review - and the Yankees were giving Estabrook flak over it! The MLB umpire scorecard is three-dimensional and is from the front of the plate to the point (entire plate), so if a pitch is over the plate at any point and within the height requirements at any point in flight, then it would be called a strike. Yet again, nothing is as it seems and the average fan is going to think the PU stinks, when he was actually graded as calling the pitch correctly - even though ABS said he was wrong. SMH, welcome to modern day baseball where nothing is as it seems. On another note, do you think this threat of constant challenge will make umpires change their strike-three calls to a less-enthusiastic manner in fear of being overturned? I mean, let's say you come up big with your loud mechanic and then get overturned by a challenge three times in the same game. Would that maybe cause some umpires to take a more dialed-down approach to ringing guys up with fervor? Or will it have the opposite effect maybe, where guys come up louder and larger trying to sell it? Human behavior is very fun to observe and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Yes, the scissors stance causes the impact to be more immediately directed to the neck and spine, resulting in more frequent injuries and/or concussions. It's a big part of the reason they encouraged umpires to move into the slot with the "box stance". The idea is to be out of the "kill zone" over the middle of the plate, plus to stand more upright and heel-to-toe (box-like) resulting in less stress on your spine and neck (which is part of the spine of course) when impacts do happen. Due to two spinal fusions (one lumbar, one cervical) I am re-learning how to stand so not to strain my neck or back. I find being more upright helps and probably going to use HOK (hands-on-knees) this year to steady me and keep everything still. It makes my neck feel more secured and doesn't hurt, whereas even the normal box stance is causing me neck pain if I dip too low into a crouch (sitting on a chair height let's say). I'm going to start JV and do some lower-level stuff (where it's less critical if my zone needs a little cleaning up due to adjustments) before going back to Varsity so I don't mess up any games or playoff chances.