New masks for old MLB umpires

[BT_Blue]

7 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

@MadMax ..... not yet, .... the MAG isn't offered officially to 'umpires' like their other models ........ YET  

From talking to guys. Sounds like the MAG will be offered to start with right about that $270-$280 mark shipped.

[BT_Blue]

On 4/1/2018 at 9:21 PM, tpatience said:

And I’ve also been noticing something interesting with the guys wearing plate coats. They have been blacking out the Ws on their WV golds. Hamari, Everitt, Holbrook and even Joe West. 

Watching the Yankee game on MLB Network right now and ol Cowboy Joe looks super shinny without the W on his chest. Almost looks like he put some kind of vinyl cover over his CP. Almost not even sure it is a West Vest. 

On second look: it looks like he put a shinny vinyl coating over his Gold. Probably to get ready for the eventual move away from the Wilson contract.

Edited April 4, 2018 by BT_Blue

[Thunderheads]

Watching the Yankee game on MLB Network right now and ol Cowboy Joe looks super shinny without the W on his chest. Almost looks like he put some kind of vinyl cover over his CP. Almost not even sure it is a West Vest. 
On second look: it looks like he put a shinny vinyl coating over his Gold. Probably to get ready for the eventual move away from the Wilson contract.

You are correct sir, no W on Joe's chest protector

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[MikeSafari]

Looks like Greg Gibson has changed from the old MVP4000 bucket to the new All Star magnesium TM.

[MadMax]

14 hours ago, MikeSafari said:

Looks like Greg Gibson has changed from the old MVP4000 bucket to the new All Star magnesium TM.

Gibby doing so doesn’t surprise me, but it might be a symptom of something going on behind the scenes in MLBU-land.

No, the real two HSM -wearers to watch are Kerwin Danley and Gary Cederstrom. If the Big C switches off a Shock FX, then I can say that Wilson’s world is ending. There is no way that Gary’s mush is going to fit into a Pro Stock HSM... it wasn’t designed for umpires. It was designed exclusively for catchers.

[conbo61]

59 minutes ago, MadMax said:

Gibby doing so doesn’t surprise me, but it might be a symptom of something going on behind the scenes in MLBU-land.

No, the real two HSM -wearers to watch are Kerwin Danley and Gary Cederstrom. If the Big C switches off a Shock FX, then I can say that Wilson’s world is ending. There is no way that Gary’s mush is going to fit into a Pro Stock HSM... it wasn’t designed for umpires. It was designed exclusively for catchers.

There is no way Danley can ever switch.  I don't think there is an umpire ANYWHERE in the country that has taken as many head shots as this poor fellow has in the past few years.

[Thatsnotyou]

17 hours ago, MikeSafari said:

Looks like Greg Gibson has changed from the old MVP4000 bucket to the new All Star magnesium TM.

Why does Greg Gibson take his hat off so much? The guy is always walking around with his hat and mask in his hand. Just something random I noticed.

[BT_Blue]

2 hours ago, Hkepuck said:

Why does Greg Gibson take his hat off so much? The guy is always walking around with his hat and mask in his hand. Just something random I noticed.

Jim Wolf and Rob Drake have been doing it forever.

[Thunderheads]

Jim Wolf and Rob Drake have been doing it forever.

Drives me nuts!

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[Thatsnotyou]

6 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

Drives me nuts!

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Looks kind of stupid, too. 

[MikeSafari]

11 hours ago, conbo61 said:

There is no way Danley can ever switch.  I don't think there is an umpire ANYWHERE in the country that has taken as many head shots as this poor fellow has in the past few years.

I could see him maybe going to a Force3 bucket. But there have been a lot of really vicious shots over the last couple of seasons and with pitchers throwing harder than ever, we're only going to see more and more injuries and retirements à la Dale Scott.

[MadMax]

4 hours ago, MikeSafari said:

I could see him maybe going to a Force3 bucket. But there have been a lot of really vicious shots over the last couple of seasons and with pitchers throwing harder than ever, we're only going to see more and more injuries and retirements à la Dale Scott.

... unless this macho tough-guy traditionalism of wearing a mere hat and using barbaric leather pads finally is put out to pasture. Time for a change.

#EvolveOrExpire

[wolfe_man]

4 hours ago, MadMax said:

... unless this macho tough-guy traditionalism of wearing a mere hat and using barbaric leather pads finally is put out to pasture. Time for a change.

#EvolveOrExpire

Uh oh... you don't mean going to wear a "gasp" bucket do you Max?   Or were you thinking maybe a skull cap with a F3-esque mask maybe? 

 

PS - before someone kills me for saying anything about a bucket, I used to wear an All Star MVP bucket, so I can see both sides. I took a pretty good shot in it and decided I preferred being hit with a mask versus the bucket.  Personal preference.

[BT_Blue]

17 hours ago, BT_Blue said:

Jim Wolf and Rob Drake have been doing it forever.

 

17 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

Drives me nuts!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

 

11 hours ago, Hkepuck said:

Looks kind of stupid, too. 

Oh... add Eddings to this list as well.

G2 I can understand. He has worn a helmet for years. So it is second nature for him to not have a hat on while working the plate.

The other names... I got nothing. 

[BT_Blue]

Add Marty Foster and Tim Timmons  to the Force3 list. 

[MikeSafari]

On 4/7/2018 at 3:50 PM, BT_Blue said:

Add Marty Foster and Tim Timmons  to the Force3 list. 

Just wish retailers had it in-stock so I could buy one! Seems to be backordered for months everywhere.

[BT_Blue]

33 minutes ago, MikeSafari said:

Just wish retailers had it in-stock so I could buy one! Seems to be backordered for months everywhere.

Beginning to think you should give up on this until the fall. Lol

You keep having zero luck tracking down the gear you want.

[MikeSafari]

2 hours ago, BT_Blue said:

Beginning to think you should give up on this until the fall. Lol

You keep having zero luck tracking down the gear you want.

Ain't that the truth. I feel like I start buying when the US season is in full swing. Mine doesn't begin for another month yet, so by the time I'm looking, everyone else has bought the gear I want

[blue32]

Interesting sight in the Twins-Astros game right now. Estabrook is wearing a silver MAG with a matte black base coach helmet. Not sure if this is normal for him this year, or if he couldn’t get his hat over his hood? It’s pretty cold there. 

At least I think it’s a base coach helmet, but I haven’t gotten a good look yet to see if it’s got a visor on it.

[umpstu]

1 hour ago, blue32 said:

Interesting sight in the Twins-Astros game right now. Estabrook is wearing a silver MAG with a matte black base coach helmet. Not sure if this is normal for him this year, or if he couldn’t get his hat over his hood? It’s pretty cold there. 

At least I think it’s a base coach helmet, but I haven’t gotten a good look yet to see if it’s got a visor on it.

It's certainly not a hat. I think it is a haelmet of some sort.

[blue32]

Yeah definitely a helmet, they just haven’t shown him with his mask off much, so I think I saw a visor on it, but haven’t been able to see for sure. I’ll probably get my chance though, as this game seems like it is going slooooow.

[eagle_12]

From Facebook post

[MadMax]

Didn’t I say so? Told ya something was coming.

The missing factor as to why catchers, using (more or less) the same traditional masks as umpires and “suffer” less concussions, is in that “batting” helmet. We need a hard(ened) shell that absorbs some of that resonant energy. At least something more than a mere hat.

Let’s see the macho tough guy hardliner umpires start (continue) ridiculing the MLB guys now.

[BT_Blue]

23 minutes ago, eagle_12 said:

From Facebook post

My own opinion...

I could care less about the helmet. To each their own and who am I to complain about extra standoff head protection.

But why does the MLB logo look like it is a raised sticker put on there rather than it being a sticker placed on there like a catchers skull cap would.

[sd181612]

1 hour ago, blue32 said:

Interesting sight in the Twins-Astros game right now. Estabrook is wearing a silver MAG with a matte black base coach helmet. Not sure if this is normal for him this year, or if he couldn’t get his hat over his hood? It’s pretty cold there. 

At least I think it’s a base coach helmet, but I haven’t gotten a good look yet to see if it’s got a visor on it.

Seems like the change is permanent.