On wearing a plate coat...(a continuing U-E production saga)

[SeeingEyeDog]

So, I finally got to wear my new plate coat today and it was an...interesting experience...

I don't know about the rest of you, brothers...but, I always have a bit of mental block ANYTIME I change or use a new piece of equipment or accessory. I don't really make a full assessment about whether something has earned a place in my "locker" until I have used it at least 10 times or more. I remember changing from a B/S indicator to a S/B indicator was a "very special time" for me as an umpire...

At game time it was 50 degrees and really an optimum plate coat kind of day. I'm not sure if it was my imagination or reality but I walked a little taller and felt a bit more confident going from the parking lot to the field in a plate coat. There was definitely murmurs of astonishment from parents and coaches over their morning coffees but, the best reactions were from the players..."Wow! Is this umpire an MLB umpire?!?!". I felt like I was in a bad Applebee's commercial...

The plate coat inherently has a slightly more restricted feeling than working in your shirtsleeves. Part of that was also due to the long-armed UA cold gear undershirt I was wearing underneath my CP. But, at the same time, your torso and core feel LESS restricted. Even if tailored by the best on Savile Row, a plate coat is inherently NOT conducive to hammering or pointing strikes, holding our hands up to call time and all of the other signaling we do in the course of working a game.

My number one take away is the change and feel of the ball bags with a plate coat. When the ballbags are on the belt, that's a very comfortable, familiar bit of muscle memory locating them. I retrieve and stow baseballs like all of you do...without a second thought. With the bags ON the plate coat, the point of entry is slightly higher. So, it's a new thing to teach the muscles. Also, did I mention I was on a grass/dirt field with chalked lines? Yeah...so, when I got done and got back to the car and changed into my street clothes, I was bit disappointed with myself that I had gotten quite a bit of dirt and chalk on the coat fumbling to get the baseballs and my brush in and out. It all brushed out when I got home but, not a good look from me today in the uniform department...

Brothers, it's VERY important that we dust off the baseballs and our brushes with our hands and then take a BIT more care placing them in the ballbags to help reduce the likelihood of getting chalk and dirt on our coats...🙄

~Dawg 

[834k3r]

Thanks for the review, thoughts, and recommendation. I'm still a ways out from wearing a plate coat myself (I won't wear one until I'm in the mix for state playoff crew consideration), but this is still good stuff.

[Kevin_K]

I have an off the rack size 42 Honig's plate coat. It fits just right after I had the sleeves altered just a little bit.

I feel just as comfortable wearing it as I do when I do not. The biggest adjustment I had when wearing it was how and where the pockets with baseball were situated in relation to my HOK stance. Sometimes they don't want to lie inside my arms, but other wise I have almost no distractions in any of my mechanics.

As far as dust and chalk, my plate brush goes in my back pocket when I wear a plate coat so, however dirty my backside gets, it's covered by the tails of the coat.

Enjoy wearing your new found addition. I relish the opportunity every time I dust it off.

[Richvee]

10 hours ago, Kevin_K said:

I have an off the rack size 42 Honig's plate coat. It fits just right after I had the sleeves altered just a little bit.

I feel just as comfortable wearing it as I do when I do not. The biggest adjustment I had when wearing it was how and where the pockets with baseball were situated in relation to my HOK stance. Sometimes they don't want to lie inside my arms, but other wise I have almost no distractions in any of my mechanics.

As far as dust and chalk, my plate brush goes in my back pocket when I wear a plate coat so, however dirty my backside gets, it's covered by the tails of the coat.

Enjoy wearing your new found addition. I relish the opportunity every time I dust it off.

You did look sharp last week. Even though you had to be warm back there by the middle of the game. 

[corespoon]

Thanks for that. Personally I want one, just haven't umped long enough or had any big games to justify paying for one. I do  think they're sweet and can defiantly see feeling extra confident in one. 

[MadMax]

On 10/21/2024 at 10:38 AM, Kevin_K said:

It fits just right after I had the sleeves altered just a little bit.

Bigger to accommodate the pipes? Or, longer to accommodate them orangutan arms? 

19 hours ago, corespoon said:

Personally I want one, just haven't umped long enough or had any big games to justify paying for one.

Build your own. Mine was $80, all parts & labor told, based on a… Calvin Klein 44L summer-weight sportcoat. Most of the cost was the artisan labor of the seamstress who constructed the ball pockets. 

Or, await the on-the-horizon arrival of GerryDavisSports’ plate coat. 

“Every game is a big game, Blue!” 

On 10/20/2024 at 5:46 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

Also, did I mention I was on a grass/dirt field with chalked lines? Yeah...so, when I got done and got back to the car and changed into my street clothes, I was bit disappointed with myself that I had gotten quite a bit of dirt and chalk on the coat

This is why I have delineated, in my rider, that games officiated by me be on turf… or at least a turf plate circle. 

 

On 10/20/2024 at 5:46 PM, SeeingEyeDog said:

Even if tailored by the best on Savile Row, a plate coat is inherently NOT conducive to hammering or pointing strikes, holding our hands up to call time and all of the other signaling we do in the course of working a game.

Eh, I haven’t found it restrictive in that manner, per se, but where I do find it (beneficially) restrictive is that when wearing it – as a plate coat – you tend to stay at the plate, unless compelled to otherwise (such as a rotation). You don’t go tramping out to the mound, you don’t go visiting or besieging dugouts, you don’t go conversing or socializing with the fence. You just stay near the plate, like a solemn sentry… and let everything come to you. 

[lawump]

I cannot live without my plate coat.  I had a HS baseball game 2 or 3 years ago where the windchill was in the 20's (yes, it does occasionally get that cold in South Carolina).  I was on the bases.  My partner and I were both NCAA umpires so we both had a plate coat.  I wore mine on the bases over my thermal base jacket (which was over my thermal turtleneck, which was over my cold-weather UnderArmour).

Anyways, we got more compliments walking on and off that field than any other high school game!