Red Mask Opinions for HS Baseball...

[wolfe_man]

I'm in Ohio and we are required to wear navy shirts for HS baseball with red and white trim.  I've been toying with the idea of getting a Mag coated a red metallic color and then pairing it with navy pads.

I am seeking your opinions on if you think this is too 'show-boaty' or not. I don't want to shine a spotlight on me, but I can't think a red mask (which would match the red trim on the navy shirt) should stand out all that much. I know that in the 90's MLB umpires wore red masks, so it hasn't been all that long ago.

I am soon to be 43 and don't have any aspirations of moving up.  This is a hobby for me and i mostly do HS baseball with some summer Travel/Legion/Babe Ruth baseball as time permits.  But I don't want to be a clown or have my peers upset with me needlessly, so that's why I'm seeking opinions.  I know we have guys on here with gold, tan, white, blue, etc. masks, so I don't think it's all that out-of-the-ordinary, but I'm one voice.

Your thoughts?

[boyinr]

I would go navy/navy, silver/navy or navy/grey.  IMO I think that the red would be garish.    

[kylehutson]

I think it would look OK. But take that from a guy whose SWMBO sometimes says "you're not leaving the house in THAT, are you?"

[MadMax]

1 hour ago, wolfe_man said:

I am seeking your opinions on if you think this is too 'show-boaty' or not.

You really had to ask? 

Worn for HS-age baseball in Wisconsin and Cooperstown Dreams Park. Both still stubbornly ol’ navy holdouts. 

[wolfe_man]

12 minutes ago, MadMax said:

You really had to ask? 

Worn for HS-age baseball in Wisconsin and Cooperstown Dreams Park. Both still stubbornly ol’ navy holdouts. 

Have to? No.  But I want recognized for my abilities, not my "garish" mask. LOL 

Yours is navy with red pads - that's my other choice. I was thinking red frame, navy pads.  A little bit brighter.

[Thunderheads]

13 minutes ago, MadMax said:

You really had to ask? 

Worn for HS-age baseball in Wisconsin and Cooperstown Dreams Park. Both still stubbornly ol’ navy holdouts. 

God I love this!   And @wolfe_man .... I'd go this way ... navy mask red pads instead  OR ... OR .... matte gray mask, and a combo of red and blue pads (upper/lower)  

[umpstu]

4 hours ago, wolfe_man said:

I'm in Ohio and we are required to wear navy shirts for HS baseball with red and white trim.  I've been toying with the idea of getting a Mag coated a red metallic color and then pairing it with navy pads.

I am seeking your opinions on if you think this is too 'show-boaty' or not. I don't want to shine a spotlight on me, but I can't think a red mask (which would match the red trim on the navy shirt) should stand out all that much. I know that in the 90's MLB umpires wore red masks, so it hasn't been all that long ago.

I am soon to be 43 and don't have any aspirations of moving up.  This is a hobby for me and i mostly do HS baseball with some summer Travel/Legion/Babe Ruth baseball as time permits.  But I don't want to be a clown or have my peers upset with me needlessly, so that's why I'm seeking opinions.  I know we have guys on here with gold, tan, white, blue, etc. masks, so I don't think it's all that out-of-the-ordinary, but I'm one voice.

Your thoughts?

DON'T.   I wore a red mask for a season, +POS,  and man it brought so much attention.   Got permission from the Northern League to wear it and they wound up making me change it about 2 weeks into the season.  Actually wore it for a season in the  Cape Cod League before that.  I might still have it.  Wore it to a 3 man clinic and was told to stop wearing it as it brings attention.  I said no it didn't when obviously it did.  DON'T.

[SeeingEyeDog]

@wolfe_man, as an ardent individualist my advice to you is...we get few opportunities to identify ourselves as individuals capable of making individual choices. If your association leadership doesn't have a problem and your assignors don't have a problem, then everyone else...doesn't matter. We are not here long. You do you, brother.

~Dawg

[kylejt]

Personally, I think glossy belts bring far more attention, so what do I know?

Oh, we polish our shoes to a high gloss, but no one pays attention to that, right? 

 

(honestly, what non-umpires would think of these conversations would be hilarious. My daughter said this sounds like locker room talk. In the girl's junior high locker room, that is)

 

We are all but slaves to fashion .......

[kylejt]

Oh, and I do have a red on red mask somewhere. My son or I would wear it when dealing with real a-hole managers, especially to draw attention to ourselves. We called it "El Diabo". It would make an appearance every three or fours, for "special occasions only". 

 

[SeeingEyeDog]

2 hours ago, kylejt said:

Personally, I think glossy belts bring far more attention, so what do I know?

Wait...there's another kind?

~Dawg

[MadMax]

I’m more in the navy frame camp because a red frame limits you to two shirts – navy with red trim, and the infamous red with navy trim (ahem, no, I no longer acknowledge powder with red-white-blue trim, or the white with red & navy trim as viable shirts). At least, with a navy frame, you can put on red pads to “get a rise” out of people, or throw on greys, or tans... or navy pads in order to match up with the wretched powder blue shirts – the ones softball typically use with the navy and white trim. 

Long live Eric Gregg and the Red-Padded Mask.

[Catch18]

DON'T.   I wore a red mask for a season, +POS,  and man it brought so much attention.   Got permission from the Northern League to wear it and they wound up making me change it about 2 weeks into the season.  Actually wore it for a season in the  Cape Cod League before that.  I might still have it.  Wore it to a 3 man clinic and was told to stop wearing it as it brings attention.  I said no it didn't when obviously it did.  DON'T.

HS ball ≠ Cape Cod league.


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[MadMax]

23 minutes ago, Catch18 said:

=/=

Here’s the unequal symbol for ya: ≠ 

Bonus! Here’s approximately: ≈

[The Short Umpire]

I have some red Nike pads if anyone is interested in pursuing this. 

[wolfe_man]

7 hours ago, The Short Umpire said:

I have some red Nike pads if anyone is interested in pursuing this. 

Why did I just grab my back pocket to see if my wallet is still there when you said that?

[eagle_12]

I’m in the navy frame/red pads camp over the other way around. 
 

To me the navy frame tones down the “pop” of the red pads so it’s not as look at me, but still gets the point across and allows the individualized look. 
 

red frame just is in your face and navy pads don’t tone it down. 

[Catch18]

Here’s the unequal symbol for ya: ≠ 
Bonus! Here’s approximately: ≈

Hmm, just found these hidden in the phone’s keyboard….learn something new everyday {no longer hangs head in shame}.


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[Mr Ump]

I last wore the red pads, navy shirt combo in 2000 when filming HARDBALL with Keanu Reeves…not going back

Edited September 5, 2021 by Mr Ump

[Mr Ump]

19 hours ago, Mr Ump said:

I last wore the red pads, navy shirt combo in 2000 when filming HARDBALL with Keanu Reeves…not going back