In the Mean Time: Baselayer for Legs

[MadMax]

Before the pandemic hit, my fellow Vultures and I were implementing some new finds to our gear retinue. We've been contemplating taking football girdle-shorts, with the thigh pads already stitched onto them, and repositioning those thigh pads from the outer-flank of the thigh to the inner flank of the thigh, and a bit lower down, more towards the knee. I myself got hit 3 times in 4 games on the inner thigh! One of my Vulture buddies ordered the new All-Star Catcher's Sliding Shorts:

  

As soon as he received them, and I got a chance to check 'em out, I ordered myself a set. They're good, and a step in the right direction, but that inner-thigh diamond padding isn't quite the same as hard plate. Which, of course, would be ideal. So, until we get around to repositioning those thigh plates onto a set of sliding shorts (w/ cup pocket), these will have to carry the load. 

But, these are shorts. What does one wear for the rest of the leg? Sure, some guys would add tights over these, but here in SW US, the more layers you add, the more heat you combat. I used sliding shorts (w/ cup pocket) for awhile, and thought I had the rest of the leg solved by using OTC/knee-high soccer socks. These worked, but over time, I've been wearing out the heels, or with all the abuse they get, start to wear out or lose their elasticity. And these socks can get expensive. I had managed to get a set of sliding tights (w/ cup pocket) off eBay, and thus allowed me to use just black, cotton, cheap crew socks, which were much more comfortable on my feet and on my credit card. But, these tights don't have the padding on the inner thigh (yet) that these All-Stars offer. So, I tracked down on Groupon and Amazon, and gave a try to a set of Calf Compression Sleeves:

(those are not my feet)

This is working out great. I can now use "any ol' socks", roll these calf compression sleeves on, don the sliding shorts that have the inner leg protection, throw the personal protector in, snap on the shin guards, and I'm good to go. I can buy crew socks, in cotton, for what amounts to $1-2 per pair, and beat them to smithereens, and wash them repeatedly. So too, I can bring the sliding shorts back into a rotation without having to be dependent on the lone set of tights I have. And when you're doing 2-6 games per day, 5-6 days per week (which we were on pace for until this stupid outbreak happened), anything that reduces the gear abuse is welcome.

Oh, I nearly forgot... why not just use football girdle-shorts? Like these?:

Because: A) I/we don't need the hip and tailbone padding, which just increases bulk, B) these don't have a cup pocket, C) the thigh plates don't cover exactly where needed, the inner thigh.

So, I'm endeavouring to get a set of these, carefully snip away the stitching holding the thigh plates and pads to the shorts, transplant the plates and pads to a set of baseball slider shorts and stitch them on in the exact spots I need covered, and then just use the remaining shorts with their hip and tailbone pads for snowboarding, skating, or mountain biking, where I'm more likely to have a hip-pointer.

[Razzer]

I have samples being made right now based on the old Mcdavid design

[BCBrad]

41 minutes ago, Razzer said:

I have samples being made right now based on the old Mcdavid design

Hey  @Razzer

That’s good to hear. I was lucky to grab a pair of McDavid shorts before they dried up. 

Last season, I started thinking of what I would do when the elastic went or the shorts started to fray, especially when you wash them so many times each season.

I like the McDavids more than what I have seen from the F3s because the F3s look so bulky where the thigh padding is located. Also, I do like the comfort of the McDavids. Although, I get laughed at when I slip them over my Stanfields on cold days.  

Hope you guys are safe and healthy over there. We are getting close to full lock down in BC. Beautiful sunny spring days. It’s perfect for kids to go out and play....

Ahh crap. Everyone stay safe. 

[BT_Blue]

13 hours ago, Razzer said:

I have samples being made right now based on the old Mcdavid design

Is there thoughts of doing both a full set of leggings as well as shorts like the ones Max pictured above?

[umpstu]

15 hours ago, Razzer said:

I have samples being made right now based on the old Mcdavid design

With the floating cup pocket?

[Aging_Arbiter]

@Razzer please be sure to let us know when these hit the market.  I too have a McDavid version, but slightly modified.  They were tights, so I cut the legs off and stitched a new bottom seam to make them shorts.  Not pretty, but I'm not droppin' my pants on the field either.

[catsbackr]

I guess it's just me, but, is there really, truly a need for something like this?  You guys are talking about getting hit 3 times in 4 games, geez, I haven't been hit that many times in a whole season.  What level of baseball?  I'm just surprised at the number of times you guys are getting hit.

[umpstu]

btlofficialsgear.com sells tights and shorts with then floating cup pocket sewn in.  They're outstanding and a good price.

[LRZ]

17 hours ago, catsbackr said:

I guess it's just me, but, is there really, truly a need for something like this?  You guys are talking about getting hit 3 times in 4 games, geez, I haven't been hit that many times in a whole season.  What level of baseball?  I'm just surprised at the number of times you guys are getting hit.

It's a pro-active protective measure. Once can be enough. YMMV, cvatsbackr, but MadMax does college and "MiLB-level" ball, umpstu and BT_Blue do college, Aging Arbiter does LL, and I work leagues for kids from 8-18 y/o, so the perceived need runs the gamut of quality/level of play.

[wolfe_man]

I use soccer shin guard sleeves when doing the plate. They act as compression for lower legs. 
 

Long-legged shirts do the same from lower thigh on up. 
 

I keep looking at football compression shorts with built in pads for more coverage also in my thighs.  But then I seldom take a shot there.

[MadMax]

23 hours ago, catsbackr said:

You guys are talking about getting hit 3 times in 4 games, geez, I haven't been hit that many times in a whole season.  What level of baseball?

Alright, you asked...

Impact #1, Wednesday afternoon, High School Varsity game, RHB... inside fastball, batter lunged back, catcher didn't put anything on it... direct hit (and it was bigger pre-ice... The "after" photos are during the exam at Urgent Care, so about 2 hours post-facto:
    

The next night, I was on Bases for a High School Varsity game, and iced it right before the game, and immediately after.

Impact #2 came on that Friday, midday, for a NAIA College DoubleHeader... I'm on Plate for the first one. RHB, foul ball, and I'm damn lucky I rolled my hand off my knee as the pitch was inbound, because you can see where it impacted. It missed the catcher completely:

You can see where my hand rests – right in that cove of the C-shaped bruise (which is actually drainage)... Because I'm doing pretty much a Plate game per day, I rest my hand on that spot... which forces the draining blood away, out and down, resulting in that sickening shape.

So too in that game, as Impact #2.5, I took a foul ball direct to the mask that knocked the mask off, and left a "burn" on my chin. Didn't hurt, but that impact sure did startle me, and everybody else.

The next day, Saturday, we're doing the third game of the series, but I'm on Bases, because my partner took pity on me (thanks Joey).

Day after that, Sunday, I've got 5 games of USSSA 13-year old baseball to do. I am requested to do 3 plates, and on the 1st game (3rd game of the 5 overall), I get a Impact #3... Of course, it's a kid zipping to a 0-2 count and then wanting to throw a curveball, which he spikes at 57 feet and the catcher gets nothing on it:

I finish the day without further incident, and take the photos that evening.

The next day, Monday, I am doing the plate on the 3rd High School game of the day for me (Arizona started their Open Invite Tournament series), 2nd Plate game, and I get a skipper on the inside that spikes at 59', rattles off the catcher, and caroms off my left thigh – again – much to my consternation. Impact #4.

Then, that night, the rains descended upon us, and we lost baseball for the week. This was then compounded by the arrival of the Apocalvirus. So, I guess it means I won't get beat up for awhile.

[BT_Blue]

1 hour ago, MadMax said:

That night, the rains descended upon us, and we lost baseball for the week. This was then compounded by the arrival of the Apocalvirus. So, I guess it means I won't get beat up for awhile.

See. You wont need the leggings. Your legs will heal by the time we have games again.

[umpstu]

On 3/28/2020 at 4:40 PM, MadMax said:

Alright, you asked...

Impact #1, Wednesday afternoon, High School Varsity game, RHB... inside fastball, batter lunged back, catcher didn't put anything on it... direct hit (and it was bigger pre-ice... The "after" photos are during the exam at Urgent Care, so about 2 hours post-facto:
    

The next night, I was on Bases for a High School Varsity game, and iced it right before the game, and immediately after.

Impact #2 came on that Friday, midday, for a NAIA College DoubleHeader... I'm on Plate for the first one. RHB, foul ball, and I'm damn lucky I rolled my hand off my knee as the pitch was inbound, because you can see where it impacted. It missed the catcher completely:

You can see where my hand rests – right in that cove of the C-shaped bruise (which is actually drainage)... Because I'm doing pretty much a Plate game per day, I rest my hand on that spot... which forces the draining blood away, out and down, resulting in that sickening shape.

So too in that game, as Impact #2.5, I took a foul ball direct to the mask that knocked the mask off, and left a "burn" on my chin. Didn't hurt, but that impact sure did startle me, and everybody else.

The next day, Saturday, we're doing the third game of the series, but I'm on Bases, because my partner took pity on me (thanks Joey).

Day after that, Sunday, I've got 5 games of USSSA 13-year old baseball to do. I am requested to do 3 plates, and on the 1st game (3rd game of the 5 overall), I get a Impact #3... Of course, it's a kid zipping to a 0-2 count and then wanting to throw a curveball, which he spikes at 57 feet and the catcher gets nothing on it:

I finish the day without further incident, and take the photos that evening.

The next day, Monday, I am doing the plate on the 3rd High School game of the day for me (Arizona started their Open Invite Tournament series), 2nd Plate game, and I get a skipper on the inside that spikes at 59', rattles off the catcher, and caroms off my left thigh – again – much to my consternation. Impact #4.

Then, that night, the rains descended upon us, and we lost baseball for the week. This was then compounded by the arrival of the Apocalvirus. So, I guess it means I won't get beat up for awhile.

Ok boomer

[MadMax]

1 hour ago, umpstu said:

Ok boomer

Boomer? My parents are Boomers, Stu. I'm Gen-X. Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig difference.

[Rock Bottom]

@MadMax"s shots are brutal!  What other sport do officials put themselves in such harms way without proper protective gear?  It makes absolutely no sense when the balloon protectors when away that some better protection wasn't developed.

[BT_Blue]

1 hour ago, Rock Bottom said:

@MadMax"s shots are brutal!  What other sport do officials put themselves in such harms way without proper protective gear?  It makes absolutely no sense when the balloon protectors when away that some better protection wasn't developed.

The first and obvious answer that comes to my mind... the umpire (hey, there you go with that word again) in the middle in football.

[Thunderheads]

13 hours ago, umpstu said:

Ok boomer

I don't even understand that comment in the first place?  What does that have to with Max's post?   

[JaxRolo]

On 3/28/2020 at 7:40 PM, MadMax said:

Alright, you asked...

Impact #1, Wednesday afternoon, High School Varsity game, RHB... inside fastball, batter lunged back, catcher didn't put anything on it... direct hit (and it was bigger pre-ice... The "after" photos are during the exam at Urgent Care, so about 2 hours post-facto:
    

The next night, I was on Bases for a High School Varsity game, and iced it right before the game, and immediately after.

Impact #2 came on that Friday, midday, for a NAIA College DoubleHeader... I'm on Plate for the first one. RHB, foul ball, and I'm damn lucky I rolled my hand off my knee as the pitch was inbound, because you can see where it impacted. It missed the catcher completely:

You can see where my hand rests – right in that cove of the C-shaped bruise (which is actually drainage)... Because I'm doing pretty much a Plate game per day, I rest my hand on that spot... which forces the draining blood away, out and down, resulting in that sickening shape.

So too in that game, as Impact #2.5, I took a foul ball direct to the mask that knocked the mask off, and left a "burn" on my chin. Didn't hurt, but that impact sure did startle me, and everybody else.

The next day, Saturday, we're doing the third game of the series, but I'm on Bases, because my partner took pity on me (thanks Joey).

Day after that, Sunday, I've got 5 games of USSSA 13-year old baseball to do. I am requested to do 3 plates, and on the 1st game (3rd game of the 5 overall), I get a Impact #3... Of course, it's a kid zipping to a 0-2 count and then wanting to throw a curveball, which he spikes at 57 feet and the catcher gets nothing on it:

I finish the day without further incident, and take the photos that evening.

The next day, Monday, I am doing the plate on the 3rd High School game of the day for me (Arizona started their Open Invite Tournament series), 2nd Plate game, and I get a skipper on the inside that spikes at 59', rattles off the catcher, and caroms off my left thigh – again – much to my consternation. Impact #4.

Then, that night, the rains descended upon us, and we lost baseball for the week. This was then compounded by the arrival of the Apocalvirus. So, I guess it means I won't get beat up for awhile.

I think you need to call balls and strikes from behind the mound...

[Mad Mike]

I purchased a pair of Force 3 Thigh Protection tights and pads a few years ago. They have worked great, are easy to clean, and definitely would have protected against the shots taken and described in the photos above. Here is a link to the gear that I purchased. The additional nice benefit is these tights have a pocket for your cup, so you can kill two birds with one stone by protecting your jewels and thighs.

https://www.force3progear.com/thigh-protection-tights.html

[BT_Blue]

13 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

I don't even understand that comment in the first place?  What does that have to with Max's post?   

I think it is an attempt at humor especially since I think Stu is closer to Boomer age than Max is. Lol