Are the New Smitty Performance Polyspandex the Next New Umpire Pant?

[kylehutson]

3 hours ago, umpire20 said:

Is anyone else not a huge fan of the poly spandex pants? I thought stretchy would be a good idea, but my first few games this year behind the plate have been awkward with the pants. It just doesn't feel right.

Wore mine for the first time last night. I thought they felt great. "No ragrets"

[txump81]

Only "complaint" I have is they are so lightweight. My game last night had 25 mph winds and the pants weren't heavy enough to stay down over my shoes.

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[kylejt]

I do think the base pants are bit too wide in the legs, and long in the crotch.

That said, there's no other pants I'd rather wear.

[Mr Ump]

Wore mine for the first time tonight. Like them but not more than my Fetcheimer's. A bit wide in the leg and dark like GD pants but I can make them work. I am still a Poly Wools guy but these new pants can get in the rotation.

 

[kylejt]

2 hours ago, Mr Ump said:

Wore mine for the first time tonight. Like them but not more than my Fetcheimer's. A bit wide in the leg and dark like GD pants but I can make them work. I am still a Poly Wools guy but these new pants can get in the rotation.

 

Wear them on a hot day, and tell me you still think wearing wool is a good idea.

[Mr Ump]

On 4/1/2017 at 1:44 AM, kylejt said:

Wear them on a hot day, and tell me you still think wearing wool is a good idea.

I have worn them on a hot day. With all we wear I doubt the pants will make any difference but I got some of the new Smitty's to find out this summer and I will get back to you after my test.

[taa71458]

Got my first weekend of the new plate pants. Love them. Had combo smitty through most of last year. Usually had to hike them a little to give when I get into my stance. These guys slide so nice on the shin guards and never have to worry about them getting caught. Also washed and dried for the first time (on tag instructions) and crease seemed to hold.

[slo8140]

Worked with a guy that had them last weekend. I really like them, but they are so dark. Nowhere near the color of the old (good) polywools. My college group won't allow them yet. They seem the closest in color to the GD charcoal pants.

[kylejt]

I agree that they really don't match any other pants on the market.

 

But, at what point do we, as a group, say it's time for a change? Honig's has stopped supplying us with decent pants, so this may be the time.

[Kevin_K]

 Color of pants. That's the reason to not buy them? Lightweight, machine washable, athletic styled pants replacing outdated heave wool pants and people are concerned with the hue.

Look at your partner's shirts. Are they an exact match? With all the suppliers, there are significant variations in not only color, but texture as well. Hats? Where was the outrage when Richardson supplanted New Era hats? 

Stop already with the color argument. Nobody but an umpire would ever say anything.

[Stk004]

I've said it before but I'll state it again because we got some serious rain yesterday. 

My partner was on the bases, and by the time we walked off the field half of his pants were significantly darker and heavier from the sideways rain. My pants had dried out completely by the end of the game. 

On another note, I may need to start using a pencil for my lineups when they're practically falling apart in the rain. 

[kylejt]

On 3/12/2017 at 5:09 PM, umpstu said:

What does passable for HS mean?  I mean, I'm using them for college ball.  I love them so far.

Some organizations are sticklers on what umpires can and can not wear. HS, as least in my area, doesn't really care. But the local college guys I know are told to wear polywools.

 

[dl1340]

Just picked up a pair of plate pants and base pants of these from my local umpire supply store. They felt very nice when i tried them on. Now to get them to tailor to get altered. Hopefully they will be in rotation next week 

[Majordave]

Took mine to Jos. A. Bank and had traveler' creases put into them. Picking them up from my seamstress Thursday and planning on wearing them at University of Kansas Hoglund Stadium this Friday night. My partner will also be wearing his. 

Worked wirh @ballgame this last Saturday and he wore them. Looked great and did not notice any color differences versus my 2015 model Honigs's Poly-wools. 

[Panther32]

Is there any place that has these in stock still?

[umpstu]

Somehow I got stains on them like somebody dropped their chapstick in the washer or something.  I'm the only one who would notice, but that's my OCD shining through.

[Mr Ump]

On April 18, 2017 at 2:05 PM, Majordave said:

Took mine to Jos. A. Bank and had traveler' creases put into them. Picking them up from my seamstress Thursday and planning on wearing them at University of Kansas Hoglund Stadium this Friday night. My partner will also be wearing his. 

Worked wirh @ballgame this last Saturday and he wore them. Looked great and did not notice any color differences versus my 2015 model Honigs's Poly-wools. 

Men's Warehouse would not put Travelers Crease in citing the type of material.

[humanbackstop19]

9 hours ago, Panther32 said:

Is there any place that has these in stock still?

UmpAttire.com has a limited selection.  The base pants are proving hard to come by.  I'm searching for 38's, but found 36's on Lester Upstate Sports' web site.  It'll be a tough fit to start til I knock off some lbs., but most worth it for these pants.  

[humanbackstop19]

10 hours ago, Panther32 said:

Is there any place that has these in stock still?

UmpAttire.com has a limited selection.  The base pants are proving hard to come by.  I'm searching for 38's, but found 36's on Lester Upstate Sports' web site.  It'll be a tough fit to start til I knock off some lbs., but most worth it for these pants.  

 

Back to the drawing board.  Lester's is out of the mid-range sizes.........

[spiffdawg7]

18 minutes ago, humanbackstop19 said:

UmpAttire.com has a limited selection.  The base pants are proving hard to come by.  I'm searching for 38's, but found 36's on Lester Upstate Sports' web site.  It'll be a tough fit to start til I knock off some lbs., but most worth it for these pants.  

 

Back to the drawing board.  Lester's is out of the mid-range sizes.........

It looks like Hudson51wear.com has them in stock in those sizes.

[dl1340]

https://www.gearef.com/

I bought a pair of plate and base pants from them a few days ago. They where honig's here in Raleigh, nc but have now switched name and no longer with honig's

[gnhbua93]

4 hours ago, dl1340 said:

https://www.gearef.com/

I bought a pair of plate and base pants from them a few days ago. They where honig's here in Raleigh, nc but have now switched name and no longer with honig's

The same thing that happened with the former Honig's East.

www.allsportseast.com

 

[Panther32]

4 hours ago, spiffdawg7 said:

It looks like Hudson51wear.com has them in stock in those sizes.

Thanks! Just ordered 3 pairs of the plate pants. Hopefully I like it as much as my GD Fechheimer pants. 

[kylejt]

On 4/20/2017 at 2:31 AM, Mr Ump said:

Men's Warehouse would not put Travelers Crease in citing the type of material.

My local one did them for me, $10 per. I do understand their hesitation, though, as they might think they'd be easy to burn.

BTW, mine came out nice, and it would be worth the effort to try to find someone to do this for you.

[dl1340]

Got to try both plate and base pants out last night. Very comfortable, plate didn't get hung on my shin guards any last night. Like them so far.