Kevin Finnerty

The Majestic TMJ Wind Jacket: The Unofficial Full-zip Umpire Windbreaker When Majestic introduced its Cool Base MLB umpire pullover, I had to buy one as soon as it became available, because, after all, I’m a gear junkie. I loved the all-black appearance in an umpire jacket, and I was hoping that with the redesigned Majestic uniform shirt that a redesigned pullover would follow. I hoped for a versatile, lightweight alternative to the weighty, unattractive convertible pullover that we were being compelled to use: the one with the white piping across the chest and the garish side panel stripes. When I purchased the new, ultra-light Cool Base, I planned to use it primarily as a moderately cool-weather base jacket for when the Therma Base is overkill (I never go behind the plate wearing a standard umpire jacket with the shoulder stripes). I planned on trying the new pullover out on the plate on the rare occasion that it’s damp and breezy, and a long-sleeve shirt is not resilient enough to guard against the dampness. I ordered it in an extra large to accommodate plate work as well as base work, because that’s the size I wear in jackets and most other outerwear, and that’s the shirt size that I wear in a Majestic when I work the plate. Well, I’m six feet tall and weigh 200 pounds with a 45-inch chest and 35-inch waist, so I am a little on the extra large side of large, but the Cool Base in an XL is much too large for me—even as a plate jacket. After wearing it twice, I bought a large and sold the XL. The Cool Base’s design profile—generously cut at the waist and shoulders—appears to be designed with accommodating plate work in mind, when most umpires would use it primarily for base work. Even the large is over-sized to such a degree that it still fits over my standard profile Douglas chest protector rather easily, and over my higher profile Wilson Gold with a bit of a struggle—two things a Majestic large shirt can’t comfortably accommodate. And even in the large, the Cool Base’s excessive length and width gives it a baggy appearance when worn on the bases, which was not what I was hoping for by sizing down. I prefer to wear it un-tucked, and in addition to its being too wide, it’s too long (1.5 inches longer in the front; 4.5 inches longer in the tail). Even if worn tucked in (not my preferred fashion), it’s too much material to stuff comfortably into your slacks. And it’s not over-sized only at the waist and shoulders (2.5 inches wider at the armpits and hips; 1.5 inches at the shoulder). Even the sleeves are too long (1.5 inches longer). Other than its being over-sized, the Cool Base has other features that I would eliminate or modifications that I would make if I designed a model primarily for the bases rather than the plate: I would make the umpire windbreaker a full-zip, so that it could be easier to pull on and remove. I would design it without the vented back (I almost had my tailor sew the vent closed on my Cool Base when I saw how odd it looked on other umpires). I would eliminate the elastic gather cord and toggle at the jacket’s bottom. I would give it an even bottom hem and a more athletic cut, so there would be no need for that cord or that toggle, even if the jacket is worn un-tucked (the style that a good many umpires now prefer). I would eliminate the breast pocket, which is unnecessary to most umpires, including all base umpires. I would add well-concealed hip pockets, which can be useful to a base umpire—especially one who forgot his gloves. I would eliminate (or make optional) the zip-off sleeves, which are a traditional feature to the umpire windbreaker. But I almost never remove them (once… ever), so I would actually prefer not to have that feature or the look that goes with it in the jacket I wear on the bases. I would prefer to do without the Majestic logo tab on the zipper and the Cool Base logo tab on the hip, both of which are ostentatious and unnecessary (how many logos does the thing need?). I would simply design an all-black windbreaker with an ultra-light, comfortable Cool Base fabric, but with a slimmer profile and fewer trappings than the Cool Base umpire pullover—especially since it is almost exclusively a base jacket. And I would knock $20 or $30 off of the price since it wouldn’t have all those trappings. Well, through BaseballSavings.com, I discovered a generic baseball jacket called the Majestic TMJ wind jacket that is virtually what I quietly wished for in an all-black umpire windbreaker. It seems like I re-designed the Cool Base windbreaker into a base jacket myself; this ultra-lightweight full-zip Majestic offering is an ideal alternative to the umpire-specific pullover. The lightweight material is the ultimate in comfort—just as in the pullover—but there are several differences in the design features and basic construction: The TMJ full-zip runs true-to-size, giving it a sleeker appearance. It does not have the vented back of the MLB pullover, adding to its sleeker appearance (there is no mesh lining inside the upper back section). The TMJ does not have zip-off sleeves. It does not have a breast pocket. It instead features hip pockets and inside pockets (gloves, shades, handkerchief…? ). There is a different pattern to the TMJ, including a seam that runs across the breast. There are other subtle differences to the stitching. It has the even bottom hem, without the elastic cord or the longer, rounded tail of the pullover. The TMJ also does not feature a Majestic logo zipper tab, Majestic logo inside collar band trim, or the Cool Base logo tab on the hip. The Majestic logo is embossed on the right sleeve rather than being embroidered on the left sleeve (there’s $3 off the price right there). The key difference: The TMJ is available for $20-to-$30 less than the Cool Base. If you do employ both jackets, it would make sense that the sleek-fitting full-zip jacket with no breast pocket—but with hip pockets instead—would be more suitable for use on the bases. And the oversized half-zip pullover with the breast pocket and the zip-off sleeves would be more suitable for use behind the plate. I will keep my Majestic Cool Base MLB umpire pullover for use behind the plate, or as an extra jacket to lend a partner, or for the rare instance that a partner is wearing it with the sleeves zipped off and I need to match him. The ultra-lightweight Cool Base fabric is amazingly resilient in very breezy conditions, and is comfortably warm at temperatures that dip as low as 50 degrees (with appropriate cold gear undershirt), and it is also comfortable to wear at temperatures as warm as the high-70s (even with an inappropriate cold gear undershirt). The full-zip TMJ performs nearly identically to the Cool Base in cold and heat management, and seems to perform identically to it in moisture management. In its first trial, I wore the TMJ for a twin-bill in breezy weather that ranged from 50 degrees to 76 degrees with an Under Armour short sleeve compression mock, and there was no appreciable difference in the performance characteristics between the two Majestics. Also, even in a true large, the full-zip design allows for it to comfortably fit over even my Wilson Gold CP. Designed and marketed as a baseball player windbreaker, the TMJ full-zip will certainly be a close enough match to the Cool Base pullover. The differences are barely discernible—especially from a distance. It’s hard to imagine these two all-black lightweights clashing—even to the most discerning umpire’s eye. And the little white Majestic logo on the sleeve of the TMJ goes a long way to legitimizing it as an umpire jacket. As Cool Base jackets go, this one is pretty cool. The $40 price tag makes it even cooler. http://www.baseballsavings.com/customer/category/product.jsp/SUBCATEGORY_ID/51095/refScid/2527/sattr0/Color/sattrVal0/Granite

Gentlemen, Sorry to have been away for so long, but for a host of personal and professional reasons, my lifestyle changed rather dramatically, and I had to fall away from this particular aspect of my passion for umpiring. Well, with this gear review, Grayhawk has spurred me to come back up and post, which I will attempt to do from time-to-time. I've missed all you guys. I keep in touch with Thunderheads--who has also spurred me to post again. And I work games with Grayhawk now on intrasquad that I assign with my beloved UCLA Bruins... or should I say, The National Champion UCLA Bruins. So, here goes:

A price of $450 for a mask was never a fair asking price and only seems to be due to all of the shameless gouging that's been going on with the sales of these Nike masks. I haven't worn one in a game, but I tried one, and played with it. It looks somewhat cool, has pads that I would immediately replace, and a cage that seems more neatly crafted than my titanium(s), but at more than twice the price (plus the cost of the extra pads), it's just an absolute joke. America is the land of many things, including suckers. I'm sure that if these Nikes actually exist, this gouger will get $450 each. And there will probably even be some jock-sniffer who'll lay out $150 for those mediocre pads, just to adorn his titanium frame and make everybody think he's wearing a Nike. Now I'm going to call my father and thank him once again for my inherent sense of reason. Well I guess I'm one of those people.. I purchased a new still in the box nike mask from a retired AAA catcher for a couple hundred. I'm a gear junkie and don't exactly find it a problem paying good money for the best equipment. You say that $450 is a fair price and then you say that you only had to pay $200 for one?!? How is that experience of yours relevant to what I stated in my post? That's a major stretch.

I had a partner call a dead ball strike on a kid who ducked a pitch by placing his effing head in the strike zone and giving himself an earful. As he laid on the ground kicking and moaning, my partner tells me quietly, "It was a strike." I said something to the effect that when they're done attending to him, you need to make the call known. All he had done is call time. So when they get the kid up to his feet (more scared than hurt), my partner declares, "That was a dead ball strike. The ball hit his head over the plate and in the strike zone. It's strike three and he's out. I'm sorry, but that's the call." Well, needless to add, the SH*# started to fly. Head Coach: "Kevin, you have to do something!" "Well, Jim, I am going to do something, I'm going to confirm that he is correct about the rule and he made the correct call. Your batter's head was in the strike zone when he was hit. The ball is dead and a strike is called and he's out." Then I added, "You should thank him for having the decency to wait until your player recovered and got to his feet before breaking the news that he's out." Equally cruel outcome to the fallen player who can't get to his base safely. But cruel or not, a rule is a rule and an out is an out.

I just had to post this picture of a tranquilzed bear falling out of the tree in which he was perched when discovered by residents. I love this!

I hate policing young men who want to wear bracelets, necklaces and earrings on a baseball field. Their babysitters should take care of it before they ever go out there. But, some babysitters need babysitters. Unfortunately, that's one of the things in our job description.

Every now and then you can determine a criminal's guilt merely by looking at the man's mugshot. Such is the case with this moronic thug: GUILTY!

A thing I loved that a veteran partner said: After a coach was warned to STFU, my partner walked over to this Filipino guy in a V-neck burgundy sweater vest, and said, "If he says one more word, go start the bus."

I used to feel badly for him, until all of these stories emerged about his fleecing and otherwise screwing people. Now, I feel badly for all of the people he screwed. One of them's a friend of mine.

Thank you, Scott.

Isn't that weird: the best service in the industry; the worst shoelaces in the industry.

This guy, Rich Rieker, said that the neck issues caused by his use of the scissors finished him as an umpire. I tried it for a few innings recently due to slippery footing in a rain game. I actually liked it. Will I change to it? Nah.

Sorry, but he's out.

They're the best! Any concern at all---even "they don't fit right"---and they send you new ones with pre-paid shipping.

A buddy of mine is currently embroiled in a similar dispute with the crackpot, who, after failing to answer the phone or email for six weeks, sent him a third magnesium mask after the first two dented immediately. My friend was asking for some sort of compensation, not another inferior mask. He tried the mask in the first place against good advice, simply because he was so loyal to the once-proud +POS brand. My only dealing with Parsons was with a pair of awful shirts that I demanded he take back, and he responded with a full refund. But it was after a blistering email. And it was over a year ago. It's a pitiful situation now. Your only recourse is definitely a call to the fraud department of your credit card company like Kyle suggested. I have the feeling that the guy is robbing Peter to pay Paul right now, and you're playing the role of Peter.

(Also: black under polo blue and cream.) General consensus, yes. However, black is acceptable under black, and navy's acceptable under navy.

I have two NB 450s and the Reeboks, 2009 vintage. Both pairs of NBs are quite durable, and definitely undersized (I'm a true 13EE and they're the most snug of any 13EE I've ever worn). I have one pair that I used more than the other, and I have had zero durability issues. The second pair are my primary shoes. I did have issues with the Reeboks, particularly with the soles, which have worn down to almost nothing in about a year.

AND... That mask is the most unsafe mask ever developed. And the lawsuits arising from the maiming of umpires attributed to that mask is what bankrupted the company in the first place. It is no longer a legitimate company, but instead a website and an ebay store.

A price of $450 for a mask was never a fair asking price and only seems to be due to all of the shameless gouging that's been going on with the sales of these Nike masks. I haven't worn one in a game, but I tried one, and played with it. It looks somewhat cool, has pads that I would immediately replace, and a cage that seems more neatly crafted than my titanium(s), but at more than twice the price (plus the cost of the extra pads), it's just an absolute joke. America is the land of many things, including suckers. I'm sure that if these Nikes actually exist, this gouger will get $450 each. And there will probably even be some jock-sniffer who'll lay out $150 for those mediocre pads, just to adorn his titanium frame and make everybody think he's wearing a Nike. Now I'm going to call my father and thank him once again for my inherent sense of reason.

Great idea!! Inconspicuous but effective! This is my standard method and one that I always pre-game.

If they exist.

Go ahead and take mine personally. You have some major balls asking $150 for a set of freaking mask pads, and for coming on here and even thinking that any one of us is dumb enough to send you hundreds of dollars without the security of an ebay auction for some navy blue jock sniffer regalia. Don't wait until May. And I second what Boy-in-R said so cleverly.

There's nothing wrong with it at all in my view. I usually wear a long-sleeve behind the plate and an un-tucked jacket on the bases. I will tuck it in if a partner prefers to tuck it in. (I have worn the new Majestic cool base convertible behind the plate, because it's almost like a long-sleeve shirt.) But the fact remains that each is still an increasingly unpopular practice.

Here's some fun trivia: Of all 67 regular MLB umpires, can you name the three who still wear a striped windbreaker behind the plate?

Funny stuff, John.