Mask Pad Replacement

[Ump Man Do]

So I have seen recommendations that mask pads should be changed every 1 to 2 years.  Do those who have been doing this for awhile go by that?  I have 2 Diamond masks with Team Wendy pads.  One has been used for 3 years and the other for 2.  Both still feel good and since I don't sweat too much are both in great shape.  I will gladly spend the money to replace them this off season if most people think the 1 to 2 year life is legit?  Any thoughts are appreciated.  And while we are at it, for those that use TW pads, how do you clean them?  Thanks.

[MadMax]

1 hour ago, Ump Man Do said:

So I have seen recommendations that mask pads should be changed every 1 to 2 years.

Consider the source. This has been an exaggeration sprouted from … official sources who more often than not, have vested interest in our purchasing of said pads, or have a relationship with the vendors of said pads (and shirts, and hats, and… ). This “advice” is then fostered and propagated at camps, clinics, and association meetings, often in casual passing and with little to no contestation. Very, very few of us know anything about what comprises mask pads. 

1 hour ago, Ump Man Do said:

Do those who have been doing this for awhile go by that?

Nope. 

I do some 150-160 plate games per year, and all five of the masks in my arsenal have pads that are greater than 2 years old. In fact, the two DynAlums I use for about 75% of those games are using Team Wendy pads that I purchased before I relocated to Phoenix… so 6 years old. 

I keep them clean and structurally intact. I took a whallop last week wherein I caught the mask in mid-air after it got knocked off my face! 🤷🏼‍♂️ And, I’m fine… or no worse than before. 

1 hour ago, Ump Man Do said:

I will gladly spend the money to replace them this off season if most people think the 1 to 2 year life is legit?

It’s not. Spend the money on new shirts, or a better jacket, or on something for your SWMBO ( @Aging_Arbiter would endorse this). 

1 hour ago, Ump Man Do said:

And while we are at it, for those that use TW pads, how do you clean them?

Launder them, but for any of my umpire-specific washable gear, I don’t use off-the-shelf detergent (like Tide). No, I use a technical soap, such as Nathan (or Penguin) SportWash. 

[tpatience]

3 hours ago, MadMax said:

Consider the source. This has been an exaggeration sprouted from … official sources who more often than not, have vested interest in our purchasing of said pads, or have a relationship with the vendors of said pads (and shirts, and hats, and… ). This “advice” is then fostered and propagated at camps, clinics, and association meetings, often in casual passing and with little to no contestation. Very, very few of us know anything about what comprises mask pads. 

 

MiLB umpire development/medical highly recommends that pads are replaced every 1-2 seasons. I get new pads before every season 

[MadMax]

5 hours ago, tpatience said:

MiLB umpire development/medical highly recommends

When your boss, who foots your medical coverage, recommends something, I wouldn't argue, understandably. 

However, I'm going to reiterate – none of these sources understand how pads function or what comprises them. They couldn't even properly differentiate between titanium and steel when presenting a slapdash advisory on how "titanium was dangerous". This same advisory leant heavily on HSMs as the "ideal solution". We work in a sport that is dominated by numbers, metrics, and data, and thru all these advisories, there's been a glaring lack of data, numbers and metrics on pad performance. If there was, we'd have had a much more definitive action undertaken – either the "official supplier" would be fired (still hasn't happened) or the "official supplier" would be drastically revamping their product lineup to provide better numbers and data. 

 

[boyinr]

I 100% agree with @MadMax.  I have 4 masks in an informal rotation.  Each mask sees about 15-20 games/year max.  It would be wasteful to changes these pads out after 2 years.  I fully understand the science behind masks.  We spend a lot of time talking about frames but, in reality,  the frame has two functions;  stop the ball from hitting the face and to hold the pads.  The pads are what really absorbs the impact.  

I hand wash my washable pads with a little ivory soap and rinsed very well.  Air dry in the bright sun.

 

[Ump Man Do]

Thanks for all of the info.  For those with leather pads, how do you clean them?  I have the Diamond Big Leagues pads that I use in colder weather and looking for best way to clean them.

[Mister B]

I don't have leather pads, but I have a set of Honig's that I really like. 

I use a mix of 1 part filtered water, 1 part vinegar and a couple drops of biodegradable dish soap. (This doubles as our veggie wash/all purpose cleaner) Spray the pads, lightly scrub and rinse. Then air dry. After drying, I hit them with a couple squirts of Lysol, anti-bacterial and let them air dry again, then a couple squirts of Scenturion. https://specializedsaddles.com/product/scenturion-sports-odor-eliminator/

The Scenturion came highly recommended by the equipment manager of the local WHL Junior team. He buys the stuff by the case and it's saved them a small fortune on pads. 

[Ump Man Do]

So as the OP above I wanted to resurrect this thread and ask a few questions.  I am still using my original 4 year old Team Wendy pads.  I have 2 in my cart at UA but want to look into mask/pads further.  I took a direct shot off of an inside foul ball the other day and it really rang my bell.  I took 2 shots all of last year and really felt both of those as well.  I use Ump Life harnesses and have them fairly loose but this shot was dead center so the mask didn't really move.  I see that the Force 3 is out of stock so that is not an immediate option.  So here are my questions:

Are Team Wendy's really the best pads for protection?

How often do most of you take one off of the mask in a season?

How do you feel afterwards?

Could the age of the pads compromise the performance?

For those who have been concussed with shots to the mask how did you know?

This is my 5th year and I really love umpiring.  I had a great HS schedule this spring and have already been assigned 2 playoff games so I don't want to jeopardize my umpiring future with concussion issues.   Open for any other feedback on masks/pads.  Thanks.

[Scissors]

6 hours ago, Ump Man Do said:

So as the OP above I wanted to resurrect this thread and ask a few questions.  I am still using my original 4 year old Team Wendy pads.  I have 2 in my cart at UA but want to look into mask/pads further.  I took a direct shot off of an inside foul ball the other day and it really rang my bell.  I took 2 shots all of last year and really felt both of those as well.  I use Ump Life harnesses and have them fairly loose but this shot was dead center so the mask didn't really move.  I see that the Force 3 is out of stock so that is not an immediate option.  So here are my questions:

Are Team Wendy's really the best pads for protection?

How often do most of you take one off of the mask in a season?

How do you feel afterwards?

Could the age of the pads compromise the performance?

For those who have been concussed with shots to the mask how did you know?

This is my 5th year and I really love umpiring.  I had a great HS schedule this spring and have already been assigned 2 playoff games so I don't want to jeopardize my umpiring future with concussion issues.   Open for any other feedback on masks/pads.  Thanks.

I don't like the TWs. Too hard for me. I recommend Japanese Belgards or the All Star Magnesium pads. When I was concussed I felt it for the next couple days, mostly headaches and nausea.

[tpatience]

6 hours ago, Ump Man Do said:

So as the OP above I wanted to resurrect this thread and ask a few questions.  I am still using my original 4 year old Team Wendy pads.  I have 2 in my cart at UA but want to look into mask/pads further.  I took a direct shot off of an inside foul ball the other day and it really rang my bell.  I took 2 shots all of last year and really felt both of those as well.  I use Ump Life harnesses and have them fairly loose but this shot was dead center so the mask didn't really move.  I see that the Force 3 is out of stock so that is not an immediate option.  So here are my questions:

Are Team Wendy's really the best pads for protection?

How often do most of you take one off of the mask in a season?

How do you feel afterwards?

Could the age of the pads compromise the performance?

For those who have been concussed with shots to the mask how did you know?

This is my 5th year and I really love umpiring.  I had a great HS schedule this spring and have already been assigned 2 playoff games so I don't want to jeopardize my umpiring future with concussion issues.   Open for any other feedback on masks/pads.  Thanks.

You need to replace mask pads every year to every two years at the most. The minute you take them out of the plastic, the foam starts to degrade. That goes for all pads brands, not just TW. 

[The Short Umpire]

6 hours ago, tpatience said:

You need to replace mask pads every year to every two years at the most. The minute you take them out of the plastic, the foam starts to degrade. That goes for all pads brands, not just TW. 

Just playing devils advocate here… but what evidence is there of this? Also, if there is some internal clock that starts the second you take them out of the plastic what is the true catalyst? Ozone? Well wasn’t that present when the pads were packaged? So wouldn’t that mean the pads started to deteriorate the second they were manufactured before they were put in a non- airtight ziploc? If that’s the case shouldn’t the pads list a manufactured date so you know the exact date to replace them? What about pads that come stock with the mask? They weren’t packaged in plastic. So if they sit in inventory for a year aren’t the pads garbage before you even buy them? 
 

Im not saying to not replace your pads, I think it’s best practice to replace them often. It’s what MiLB suggests. However, there really isn’t much science behind any of these claims. It’s all insurance and liability control. 

[tpatience]

14 hours ago, The Short Umpire said:

Just playing devils advocate here… but what evidence is there of this? Also, if there is some internal clock that starts the second you take them out of the plastic what is the true catalyst? Ozone? Well wasn’t that present when the pads were packaged? So wouldn’t that mean the pads started to deteriorate the second they were manufactured before they were put in a non- airtight ziploc? If that’s the case shouldn’t the pads list a manufactured date so you know the exact date to replace them? What about pads that come stock with the mask? They weren’t packaged in plastic. So if they sit in inventory for a year aren’t the pads garbage before you even buy them? 
 

Im not saying to not replace your pads, I think it’s best practice to replace them often. It’s what MiLB suggests. However, there really isn’t much science behind any of these claims. It’s all insurance and liability control. 

That is straight out of research from MiLB and MLB doctors 

[Rock Bottom]

On 5/7/2022 at 3:10 PM, tpatience said:

You need to replace mask pads every year to every two years at the most. The minute you take them out of the plastic, the foam starts to degrade. That goes for all pads brands, not just TW. 

The plastic bag my pads came in had designed holes in it - so what's causing the degradation? Oxygen, UV light, time?

[tpatience]

18 hours ago, Rock Bottom said:

The plastic bag my pads came in had designed holes in it - so what's causing the degradation? Oxygen, UV light, time?

UVs

[MadMax]

On 12/10/2021 at 12:18 PM, Ump Man Do said:

I have the Diamond Big Leagues pads that I use in colder weather

It’s a wise move to use a “softer” pad in colder temperatures; however, make sure you’re not trading away valuable volume (stand-off distance) just for the sake of comfort. Standard, off-the-shelf Diamond mask pads are dangerous because they are simple, basic open-cell upholstery foam and they lack the volume necessary to retard and  absorb full compression during an impact. 

To address this, Diamond merely doubled the volume on the “Big League” pads. That’s the volume they should be by default. If Diamond really wanted to make a “Big League” level-appropriate pad, they should start by borrowing a page out of All-Star’s book, and infuse a distributor plate inside the pad. If I had my way, that plate would be a carbon fiber weave, impregnated with resin, and behave like the carbon-fiber chassis of high-performance sports cars, sucking up road vibration. 

Of course, that means additional cost. Which scares away purchasers (umpires) who have been drilled on replacing pads annually (and arbitrarily). 🤔 Hmm. Think there’s a racket there? 🤫

Now, those Diamond Big League pads do not involve leather. It’s vinyl, in simple point of fact. Leather, as an organic, requires more attention in production and more care in use & maintenance than a second-tier company like Diamond is willing to spend. So with that in mind, I’d just recommend a premium car-interior cleaner, such as Mother’s or Maguiars (not and never ArmorAll!!!). 

If you do have real leather involved in your mask pads, I’d push you towards LeatherCPR to clean them. This not only cleans, but rejuvenates leather, and is 100% skin-safe, since it is heavily recommended (and I think intended for) horse saddles. 

Guys, I think I’m brewing one of the biggest, most thorough posts I’ve ever typed on here so as to address @Ump Man Do’s questions. I have to be comprehensive, for while these mask pads are oft-overlooked and trivialized, they’re doing most of the work in protecting us. This will be published soon. 

[Ump Man Do]

Thanks Mad Max.  I enjoy any post by you so I look forward to it.