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Who makes the Equipment Flight Shipping Cases?


bbetancourt6
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50 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

I think it's a standard box trunk (wood) from what I've seen.

Here's a link to a neat article on how their stuff gets around and includes pics of their trunks.

https://www.ttnews.com/articles/two-freight-carriers-make-sure-mlb-umpires-gear-always-safe-and-arrives-time

Saw that recently. Still looking for the trunk used to ship.

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Selections from the (rather good) article:

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But unlike teams, every game is a road game — unless they live in a city with a major league team. Rained out and rescheduled games, injuries and other factors sometimes can mean last-minute schedule changes and additional travel.

This is "the life" (and this isn't said with a whimsical sigh, but the groan of cold hard reality). You must become accustomed to not having things "your way", not sleeping in your own bed (for whole spans of time), and having someone/thing else dictate the schedule and itinerary. There is one absolute – a/the game shall never wait on a/the umpire! Never! That should be your creed in every way you conduct yourself in travel, gear inventory and maintenance, and coordination (communication). And, you must understand and accept that the schedule can and will change, and that we (all of us) must be flexible and adaptable. I had a colleague in the League I worked who was incredibly inflexible, and embarked on a campaign of whining and griping and b!tching about how he should not be expected to do more than 2 games per day without "support"! Made life very difficult on himself. 

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It is 1:30 a.m., and they are leaving Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., after umpiring the Nationals’ Sunday night game versus the Philadelphia Phillies, an 8-6 Washington win that included a 38-minute rain delay.

Case in point. Things happen. Life and weather happens. Quit griping about it, and thinking every game you call is going to happen in this nice, tidy 2-hour window... and quit dreaming that you have any control over it, beyond your own game management skills. 

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... that before the first pitch is thrown, the umpires’ 90-pound equipment trunks are delivered to the next ballpark, no matter when the last game ended, and when the next one starts.

90 lbs??? Yeesh. You're not going to get away with that as a traveling umpire. Try to keep it below that magical airline-set weight of 50 lbs. 

Also, keep this in perspective. DHL & Crane are freight companies. We non-MLB umpires don't have this luxurious service comp. We gotta tote our own!

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During one stretch in 2016, Vanover’s crew umpired six games in six days in four different ballparks. While it is rare to go from coast-to-coast in one day, it does happen.

This is the nature of the beast. And Vanover is a 26 year veteran, so it's not like they're heaping the grueling games upon the rookies and pampering the veterans. 

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On a travel day, Vanover and his crew will spend 15 minutes before the game meticulously packing their protective equipment, multiple uniforms, several pairs of shoes, weather gear and other items. They will leave out only the uniform and equipment they need for that night’s game.

This cannot be repeated enough.

  • "Meticulous packing" – make/take the time to arrange your gear and gear bag(s) – whatever they are – into a system that doesn't hinder or impede your ability to A) properly look the part, B) get to the field and the plate meeting On Time, and C) wrap it up and get to the next game (venue) on time. 
  • "Multiple Uniforms" – have more than one shirt, guys! This is a very gear & uniform -intensive career! Even if you're the weekend hobbiest, you must understand that you are not only judged on your appearance, but also you're working with colleagues that expect to, and sometimes need to, maintain a higher standard. 
  • "Several pairs of shoes" – always have at least 1 pair of intact plate shoes, 2 pairs of base shoes, and all the shoelaces, black duct tape, and shoe goo necessary to keep them in working order. 
  • "Weather gear" – this goes back to the "multiple uniforms" topic. Here in the SW United States, we can get away with having nothing but short-sleeved shirts for around 9 months of the year. But of course, once that sun drops below the horizon, it gets cold like anywhere else. You should have long-sleeved umpire shirts in your inventory! You should have jackets! If you live in rainy regions – the Pac Northwest or... at the other extreme... Florida – be prepared to conduct a baseball game in the rain! 
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Each MLB stadium has several extra uniforms and protective equipment for emergencies, but the extra gear is rarely needed.

And this is where Wilson gets ya. They've got a CP (probably a Gold), a set of shins (again, probably Golds), and a DynaLite (likely steel, might be aluminum now) in every umpire room at each of the 30 ballparks, just in case a trunk shipment is late or delayed. If they were All-Star products, or Force3's, or just about anybody else, we'd see a tip towards some real innovation in gear for umpires (truthfully, though, we'd see it simply if the other manufacturers were allowed to show their brand marks instead of Wilson forcing them to obscure them). In fact, many AAA callups or fill-ins routinely use the "house" DynaLite instead of their own "personal" mask because of the condition that if a mask hits the ground, it cannot be used any further. It's harsh, but that's the reality of insurance underwriting in today's age. 

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Once the trunks arrive in the next city, in this case for Vanover’s crew in St. Louis and San Francisco for Wegner, two drivers are waiting at the airport to take the equipment to the ballpark and the umpires room, where it will be cleaned and neatly prepared for the next game.

Granted, these are the professional MLB umpires, and these duties and tasks are taken care of for them, but clean, maintain and prepare your gear, guys! Don't just throw it in the trunk of your car, and cop the attitude of "Well, navy's all ya need!" 

30 minutes ago, bbetancourt6 said:

Still looking for the trunk used to ship.

I would strongly advise against a trunk. 

Those shipping trunks are expressly suited for freight handlers. They are routinely used for artists and art galleries, bands and other performing arts, and of course, professional sports teams. 

However, if you're just starting out on this "road life", you'd be better served by a really good rolling gear duffel or gear bag, something that is robust and durable, but also, when packed, will keep your packed weight at or below 50 lbs. With those shipping cases (also called "roadie cases"), because of their hard-and-fixed dimensions and construction, you immediately step into the "oversized" baggage category for trains and planes, and you really want to keep your travel arrangements as flexible and cost-conscience as possible. Different airlines charge differently for oversized baggage – for example, Frontier charges for all bags, period. Carry-on all the way thru Oversized. American Airlines charges for checked bags, higher for oversized bags / cases, but allows for a carry-on FOC. Southwest, though, is even better, because it allows for 2 checked bags! So, my umpire gear bag is included in my ticket fare for Southwest! Because it's not a hard case, it's not considered oversized. 

 

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On 4/6/2021 at 11:51 AM, wolfe_man said:

No brand shown, but closer.

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/dp/B00WRHA0UO

 

On 4/6/2021 at 11:53 AM, bbetancourt6 said:

Thanks bud. Better insight. Much appreciated!

I like how @MadMaxwrote this whole dissertation and breakdown of the article above. And its Keith that gets the thank you. Lol

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3 hours ago, BT_Blue said:

 

I like how @MadMaxwrote this whole dissertation and breakdown of the article above. And its Keith that gets the thank you. Lol

I think some people may be afraid to talk to @MadMax.  It may be the don't poke the bear survivalist instinct tingling.

 

 

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4 hours ago, BT_Blue said:

 

I like how @MadMaxwrote this whole dissertation and breakdown of the article above. And its Keith that gets the thank you. Lol

To be fair, Chris is the one that answered his question.  I was just trying to give him the information he sought (who makes the case).  Max provided much more insight and attention-to-detail on why he doesn't want to use what he thinks he does.

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