The Short Umpire

I can’t date this based on the padding, but the picture of these on ump attire shows a MLB logo on one of the ankles. If there’s anything I do know though, it’s that Wilson would not make a new model without putting that logo somewhere, which tells me this is an outdated picture/model. also, this ^^^ last year I upgraded all my gear. I got the platinums and liked them a lot better than the old diamonds I’d been using, but by the end of the season they became my backups and Force3 became the daily drivers. I wish that I had gone with Force3 from the beginning.

Lock it up @Thunderheads

Thanks @Stk004 for a nice easy deal. Worked out a good trade that we were both really happy with and got my items pretty quick.

@Stk004 & @Young_Ump I might just order one on amazon and try it out. There seems to be a lot of good reviews of it on the forum. I could at least order it and try it on to see if I like the feel and look of it.

That looks awesome! Makes me want to get my mods started back up on my stuff. That actually gives me a few ideas and makes me glad that to see someone make this work. It seems like it would be super light weight and breathable.

@AL-Ump your mods look really well done. I’m currently finishing my last semester of college... well, I’m technically currently procrastinating... but as soon as the semester is done I might be asking you some questions on how your methods. I’m currently using a douglas that is doing really well, but I want to finish my mods on a +POS Kobra. I’ve had it for sometime but I had to take all of my side projects down into the basement when the semester started... modifications make a great excuse to put off homework! hahaha Thanks for you input though!

@yawetag I think this might be the part that caused some confusion. I do understand that NFHS publications and referee magazine are meant to be instructional, I was just referring to the cover and other portions that are not specifically labeled as instruction. They have to make the magazine look good and those filler pictures should not be taken as doctrine. As is evident by this thread even existing.

@yawetag I forgot to specifically say that I was being sarcastic. My point was that I don’t think they choose the photos on the basis of how good of an example it is of the mechanics, but because it’s an appealing photo to look at (for someone that doesn’t know the difference and won’t be bugged by all the mistakes they see). I see this a lot in the photos they use for the wrestling publications. So if I’m reading your post, and writing my opinion correctly I think we are on the same page.

Bump

This is the first I’d heard of using ear pieces in this way. My initial reaction is that it seems like a great idea, but my question is, would it put the catcher, or any other player using one, at a disadvantage by cutting off hearing in one ear? So I agree it has a lot of potential for helping the game, but there could be some drawbacks... On the other hand... cheaters are essentially forcing the sport in this direction...

I don’t disagree with you, I just want to say that I think they picked this photo for a few very specific reasons. 1. The guy is huge, his arms are probably the size of my head... 2. He has his mask on— I think this makes it easier to tell that he is the umpire and therefore easier to tell what is going on. Photos like this are never meant to be instructions, they just need to look good.

I think this is a good rule of thumb. It’s not an every time thing. Once intros are done you’re good to just leave them on. Having eye contact can do a lot for a conversation. Your eyes can do a lot of talking on their own. That’s why a lot of poker players wear them.

I wish once—just once— that someone could come up with an original short joke... I mean come on! That one got after like 200 times.

@dcallins@hotmail.comI have a couple of these masks for sale. They are hollow steel but are pretty dang light-weight. I really like mine. I use the one mentioned in the above post, chopped and powder coated. If you’re interested then I can beat any price you find on ebay. Mine are also brand-new.

I’m sure most of you got the email with the link to this article. It saddens me to think after 20 years a ref became so miserable as to quit. It sickens me to think that people see their own lewd behavior as “part of the game.” I do like that this article doubled down though. https://www.nfhs.org/articles/the-nfhs-voice-veteran-officials-hanging-it-up-because-of-unruly-behavior-by-parents/?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The Voice - Unruly Parents October 14 Send&utm_id=1643025&dlv-ga-memberid=29707236&utm_term=The+Voice+-+Unruly+Parent&dlv-emuid=a43e0912-4324-41c0-8de7-0b35956f85e5&dlv-mlid=1643025