CDP pants

[celt62]

I received my packet today and it said for pants only medium or heather gray.  I only have the charcoal.  Is this allowed or do I have to buy heather pants?

 

[ZebraStripes]

I wore Charcoal and Heather last year.

[celt62]

Thanks.  I dd call CDP and the young man who was very nice didn't seem so sure and was leaning towards heather only.  Now that I know I'll just purchase one pair and bring my charcoals with me also.  I see on the ABUA website store they have a deal on Honig's pants for $29.99 so that's where I'll grab them from.

[shannonrcc]

Heather is ok,but it is nice to have both in case your partner has only one kind.

[Umpirechick1]

I don't have Heather and don't plan to buy any. I took my charcoal and it was fine. No one really cares, as long as they are still gray!  (As opposed to the guy last year who had pants that were so faded they were almost white). 

[Matt Hoey]

your right either color is fine, but really faded ones are deff a no good pair to bring. There was the white faded color ones I remember as well as the pair someone had so faded and washed over and over that they had a shade of purple color to them.

[ZebraStripes]

9 hours ago, Umpirechick1 said:

I don't have Heather and don't plan to buy any. I took my charcoal and it was fine. No one really cares, as long as they are still gray!  (As opposed to the guy last year who had pants that were so faded they were almost white). 

no GHSA playoffs for you, young lady

 

I've got a pair that are getting awfully light.  Just bought another pair and will try to dye the other ones.

[ZebraStripes]

Make sure that they are actual umpire pants....and they stay up...or @Umpirechick1 will hear a story.

[Umpirechick1]

Haha!!!  Good point. And a functioning zipper is preferred. I would suggest you not use a very large safety pin in place of a zipper. 

[celt62]

Good advice all.  Thanks Umpirechick1. I have probably 12 pair of charcoal colored and I would rather not buy any heather just for this tournament.  I would have no use for them outside of CDP and reading replies convinced me to not buy them.  It would be crazy to spend money on pants for one week.

[MadMax]

@celt62, that packet hasn't been updated since the Park's founding in the 90's. The kid they have coordinating our attendance does a remarkable job, all things considered, but is not an umpire himself, so doesn't know the idiosyncrasies and different terms we use.

The overwhelming majority of pants are Charcoal. Everyone knows it, including CDP. It'll just take a depth charge in a coffee can to get them to edit their documents. That being said, there are still holdout pockets in the US which use Heather Grey. And when you see that rare umpire wearing them at CDP, you'll figure out why.

Now, if you've got a dozen pair of charcoal pants, please heed my words – do not trust your expensive polywools to the CDP laundry service. Use your "beaters" whenever possible, because any CDP umpire veteran will attest, your pants will get dirty. CDP uses a clay-based infield and the sand/dirt they use has a red brick dust in it... and it gets on everything. It also rains as much as Florida there. The laundry service is free and fast, but they use detergents that can only be described as "crude" and "thorough", and their driers were likely purchased from the US Navy as salvage, and possibly employ 1960's nuclear technology (at least they were configured at one time to). I have to write on the form "NO HEAT" each time I submit my pants for they have managed to shrink and fade my polyester pants. They will butcher polywools.

So too, when you submit your laundry, have some kind of identifying mark on those pieces you can't function without that likely might get lifted or confused. There's a reason all my shirts have patches on them. With pants, I would advise getting small laundry tags, a laundry-permanent marker, and some zip-ties. Write on the tag your name (at least) and your bunkhouse number (when you get there) and then zip-tie it to the belt loop when you do laundry. Get the pants back, cut the zip-tie, and you're in business. The laundry is pretty good about not swapping shirts, because shirts are pretty unique. But all pants look the same, so if there's ever a mixup, a sorter is going to go "best guess", and we have seen some guys end up with someone else's pants, or pants end up in a pile somewhere in Reclaim.

[celt62]

Thanks.  Great tip.  I'll use my Smitty's there.

[ZebraStripes]

One of my bunk mates never got back a new pair of Gerry Davis',

 

Georgia is one of the heather holdouts.  

[shannonrcc]

If you lose any thing at CDP just tell them. I lost a shirt one year they sent me a check for it $ 25.00. JUST TELL THEM !!!!!

[celt62]

6 hours ago, shannonrcc said:

If you lose any thing at CDP just tell them. I lost a shirt one year they sent me a check for it $ 25.00. JUST TELL THEM !!!!!

That settles it.  I'm definitely bringing my $350 per pair Smitty's.

[dzperson]

Charcoal, Heather, ( I prefer my white and pink pants..... )   

Truth be told, I purchased some nice pants only to have them obtain "pink spots" from the scrub-n-bubbles when I clean my shoes there....   AAA GGG HHH !!!!

You shall be fine...         

[ZebraStripes]

rinse the shoes after cleaning with scrubbing bubbles

[Matt Hoey]

Truth be told, I have my own "Method of Madness" LOLOLOL when I clean my shoes from the Dirt/Clay there.No Matter if there Base or Plate Shoes.1.Bang them to Loosen all the excess Dirt/Clay off of them. 2. I spray Windex on the entire shoe. 3.spray foaming bubbles on them. 4. another spray of windex for shiny gloss. 5. Finally if and I do say IF they still need it I touch up the tips with KIWI BLACK DYE POLISH."Total process" About 10-15 mins. but well worth it plus"ALWAYS LOOKS SPOT ON"!!! LOLOL.

[shannonrcc]

What is wrong with good old SOAP & WATER then a good coat of KIWI SHOE POLISH ?

[Matt Hoey]

20 hours ago, shannonrcc said:

What is wrong with good old SOAP & WATER then a good coat of KIWI SHOE POLISH ?

Regular soap will eat away on alot of shoes, hence using scrubbing bubbles ans Windex are the way to shoe to have a Clean,Shiny pair everyday

[ZebraStripes]

leaving that ammonia on there will still eat the leather on the shoes

[Matt Hoey]

well My pair are fine have had them for 2 seasons so far and NO Issues?

[CarterCaplanTheUmp]

I have two pairs of Gerry Davis pants. Should I get a pair of medium or heather grey or am I okay?

[ZebraStripes]

You are fine Carter.  I only had heather my first year and wore my charcoal in nearly every game last year.  Make sure you have actual umpire pants (there is a reason that is being mentioned) 

[Umpirechick1]

What???  You mean those gray pants from Wal-Mart won't work?