Poly Wools

[BRUMP]

Wear what is required. We don't get paid for our personal preferences. If no requirements than by all means go for whatever floats your boat as long as its not too ridiculous (ie navy bag w/ black shirt)

[AZump78]

Ahem..... I own both Honig's PWs and GDs. When in Rome..... Most guys won't spend $80 on pants to call travel/rec/hs ball. Next, you guys will be razzing me for not wearing force 3 socks

Jock, love you man but this post is total horse$hit.

First, when in Rome? Heck, strive to be at a higher standard. Just cause they wear polyester pants doesn't mean you have to look equally bad. Last I checked appearance matters.

Second, I don't want to hear anyone say they can't afford them. You MAKE MONEY umpiring. This isn't like being a golfer, fisherman or hunter. Take a check from a Friday nite of a weekend tourney and buy one pair of good pants. Take the check from that extra game your assigner asked you to stick around for that wasn't on your original schedule and set it aside to invest in yourself.

Be a professional, even if working a 12U game. Strive to a higher standard than the masses of crappy umpires out there. Be different.

BTW, I worked prob 175 games this year. All of them wearing THREE pairs of poly wools. Two base and one plate. I dry cleaned them twice and dried them in my dryer after every day of use. They still look great.

[johnnyg08]

I agree with you. Too many guys squeak when they walk and refuse to reinvest in umpiring. It annoys the heck out of me.

[Jocko]

Like I said, I own both. But as Pete Peterson Sr (who happens to be prez of my hs assn) has mentioned, GD is mandated.

I am going to buy 2 prs of UA pws for ws tourney and hopefully cooperstown. Not only am I a gear whore, I have way too many uniforms. Lol. Swmbo think its crazy.

[johnnyg08]

With all due respect to your association, mandating a lower quality pant is probably the easy way to gain compliance b/c the majority of your members are not Jocko Gear Junkies so they pick a middle of the road pant for uniformity. I guess if we ever "mandated" a pant for our group, I would probably do the same thing and then wear my poly wools.

In the end, teams want you to get your calls right and I promise you that not one team will tell you or notice the difference between the poly wools and the GD pants.

Yes, I think the Poly Wool pants are better and for me, I won't wear anything else But if I'm working with you and you know your mechanics and you get your calls right, I don't care if you wear the GD's or the PW's.

[Pete Peterson Sr]

This may well be a stupid question, but how close in color are the PW (whatever brand) and the GD pants ?I have a strong disdain for having crews wearing pants that are noticeably differing in color. It reminds me of the change-over from heather to charcoal. Drove me nuts to see a crew with each wearing opposite pants.

[kylejt]

This may well be a stupid question, but how close in color are the PW (whatever brand) and the GD pants ?I have a strong disdain for having crews wearing pants that are noticeably differing in color. It reminds me of the change-over from heather to charcoal. Drove me nuts to see a crew with each wearing opposite pants.

 

 

 

I can spot the difference right away. But admittedly, I'm an umpire geek. I can't speak for coaches, players and fans. I'd think they wouldn't notice, or care. Assigners, or evaluators would notice.

 

Now, the question would be, what would they notice? That the UIC didn't ask in advance, and coordinate matching drawers? Or, did someone not get the memo?

[boyinr]

This may well be a stupid question, but how close in color are the PW (whatever brand) and the GD pants ?I have a strong disdain for having crews wearing pants that are noticeably differing in color. It reminds me of the change-over from heather to charcoal. Drove me nuts to see a crew with each wearing opposite pants.

 

 

 

I can spot the difference right away. But admittedly, I'm an umpire geek. I can't speak for coaches, players and fans. I'd think they wouldn't notice, or care. Assigners, or evaluators would notice.

 

Now, the question would be, what would they notice? That the UIC didn't ask in advance, and coordinate matching drawers? Or, did someone not get the memo?

I am in an association where GD are the standard but some do not wear or have them. I always bring a pair of charcoal Smittys with me to make sure we match and look professional. I do the same with hats. Some guys like wool and some like mesh. I have both. I will always match my partner. It just looks better when the partners are dressed alike. That's why it is called a uniform.

[johnnyg08]

I guess the problem with that is why should I wear "less" of a pant to look professional?  

 

The gold standard are the poly wools.  

 

The other guys should rise to the gold standard.  That is the definition of professional.