Read My In-Depth Interview at Umpire-Empire.com

Umpire-Empire.com, the up-and-coming online discussion destination for umpires and founder/umpire Warren Workman, recently interviewed me as part of their new interview series.

Read the complete interview here and learn a few new things about me and us such as,

• The details of how we got started
• My experience as an umpire in the Elbeco shirt era and why umpiring was not for me
• What equipment I used then and what I'd wear if I were umpiring again
• Trends I see in umpire equipment and apparel
• and more
  

Or better yet, read their even more interesting interview of MLB Umpire Hunter Wendlestedt.

Recent MLB Umpire Head Injuries Prompt Discussion

Only a few days after Ed Hickox received a wicked hit to the helmet from a tipped fastball resulting in a concussion, Kerwin Danley was the recipient of a even more wicked blow... this one courtesy of the barrel end of Hank Blalock's broken ash bat. Video replay and story at MLB.com is here.

There are several interesting story lines here. The biggest and most worrisome is for Kerwin Danley himself. Danley was struck by a ball last year resulting in a concussion. Now this is his second in less than a year.

How is he a few days later? The Associated Press reported he was at the hospital for 20 minutes but continues with a massive headache and will leave Toronto soon to be evaluated by Major League Baseball soon. Full story is here.

I certainly hope for him a full recovery and that he can return to umpiring soon but it's difficult not to worry about his future and his health after his second head injury. Last year, he was out for a month if my memory serves me correctly.

But there are some important issues I'd like to discuss. I sincerely want your thoughts on anything below that you want to chime in on. I'll hold my thoughts back and let you talk first for once.

• Both Hickox and Danley were wearing Shock FX umpire helmets. Is the Shock FX not doing its job or did it prevent more severe injuries?
  
  
• The concussion last year by Danley led him to changing to the Shock FX. What would have happened if he were wearing a traditional style umpire mask? Fared worse? Fared better? No difference?
  
  
• In football, you hear of players with multiple concussions retiring to prevent the threat of long-term consequences. What happens when umpires receive multiple concussions? Are we sadly at a point where this becomes an issue? Has it ever been an issue before?
  
  
• Let's say a doctor told Danley it is too risky for him to umpire behind the plate again or he sustains another concussion later (he's been in the majors for 11 years so he could umpire for 20 more years or so), could Major League Baseball or the MLB umpires allow him or any other umpire potentially in such a predicament to only work the bases as an accommodation?
  
  
• Last year, the big discussion was breaking maple bats? Do we begin discussing ash bats now as well? Does MLB and/or the bat manufactures need to take drastic measures before things get worse or is this an overblown story?
  
  
• In college and below, where most of our customers are, umpires should be immune to broken wooden bats. Have you seen, heard or been the victim of any errant aluminum bat that struck an umpire or you? If so, what was the result?

I look forward to reading your comments. There are no right or wrong answers.

And I certainly hope we don't have any more MLB umpires injured anytime soon.

Ultimate Umpire Ball Bag Review Has Historical Perspective

I am including an article John Kay, veteran umpire on multiple levels from New Lexington, Ohio, submitted to me after I asked him to provide me with some feedback our new Ultimate Pro Style Umpire Ball Bag.


(John, left with umpire Dave Teater of Danville, Kentucky at 2009 NCAA Umpire Clinic in Chicago)

I had the luxury of meeting John at the Chicago NCAA Umpire Clinic where he also joined us at our dinner event at Giardano's.

John's review includes an historical perspective on umpire gear, especially ball bags, that provides more knowledge than I have on the subject. The article is so good, I wanted to share it with you in its entirety.

Evaluation of New Ump-Attire Umpire Ball Bags
By John Kay

Having been an umpire for a long time (longer than I care to remember) there have been a lot of changes to equipment. Maybe the largest one in the past 10 or 15 years is the West Vest line of equipment by MLB umpire Joe West. What Mr. West did was twofold: one, he raised the level of umpire protection to a new level. He got very good or great equipment in the hands of a lot of amateur umpires who never had access to it before. Two, he started a boom on specialized umpires equipment.

For too long umpires were the “red-headed stepchildren” of baseball. We wore gear that was much like catcher equipment and many umpires frankly wore catcher’s equipment. Or at least, catcher’s chest protectors with shoulder pads on them and catcher’s shin guards with a few pieces on or off. Except for a few places like +POS, Reach (who had a very nice line of great protective gear designed by MLB umpire Randy Marsh in the mid 1980’s), SOS in California, Spot-Bilt and their famous plate shoes, and then the umpire’s umpire Cece Carlucci (who many people did not know about), there were not many options for gear out there. Let’s not even talk about pants and shirts either unless you want to buy my stock of El-Beco shirts.

It is truly sad to see that the options are starting to become few and far between again. Everyone sells Wilson/West Vest, Diamond, Pro Nine, or one of a few other names. The majority of that gear is made by just a few Chinese manufacturing plants and they rebrand the same stuff over and over. Where is the Cooper line of protective gear? How about Douglas? Who doesn’t miss +POS shin guards and maybe their chest protectors?

Only in plate and base shoes is there a lot of choice these days. Let’s hope it stays that way in the shoe market.

This long introduction/rant is to introduce you to an old, old ball bag, and a new one. For most people in the 80’s and before, to find a ball bag that looked good was impossible. There just was nothing out there worth a hoot and that is why guys who used the Balloon always had pockets on them, because there was nothing else worth putting on your belt to store things. It’s almost funny to think that +POS at one time actually sold an accessory bag to hold a brush, counter, and lineup cards, that you put on the opposite side of your belt from your ball bag.

The exception was a small Texas company who made something called the Kangaroo Bag. They had ads in Referee Magazine at the time, when the subscription base was probably big enough to count on both your hands. The Kangaroo Bag was marvelous with two inside pockets and made in a special way with very thick and heavy polyester. It was cut in a different direction than the weaved direction of the material. This gave the bag a strength to it that allowed you to actually carry four balls, indicator, brush, pen and lineup cards in one bag! Even better it would not bulge out at the top or sag from the weight. Low and behold it even had two long pieces of fabric to run your belt through and keep going through your belt loop instead of three little loops that hung on your belt! In short, it looked good, and fitted well. My Kangaroo Bag lasted for almost 15 years of umpiring until it just wore out. I spent years trying to find more of these bags or at least the people who made them. But alas, nothing lasts forever.

Just as my search for a replacement became some fabric bags my wife made I ran into a little company in Kentucky called Ump-Attire. These folks had actually come up with something new, a canvas-type material (I believe) ball bag that could hold a lot of balls had inside pockets and even had a zipper on the inside pocket for cash and keys if you wanted to keep them with you.

The stiff canvas material had some problems. The bags did not hold their color real well at first. They sewed some elastic in the top to help keep its shape, and keep bags looking good but that was not a real good solution. Eventually these bags would start looking bad and you really could not hold more than 3 balls in the bag with them sagging and the top of the bag sagging. So they got put in the closet and I was very fortunate to get a pair of Mr. Carlucci’s bags. These were made with a nylon material, and they were good bags. I still have these bags and use them on occasion.

Then I ran into the new Ump-Attire bags. Due to the kindness of the folks at Ump-Attire and owner Jim Kirk, I was able to get a special set of bags and take a look at them. I am currently using a set a little bigger than the regular sized Ump-Attire bags for sale but other than the size they are the same as ones currently for sale. If you can, see if you can order the larger sized bags.

At first, I did a double-take on the price $19.95 for a ball bag is a little expensive. My Scotch ancestry came out for a moment, since my first ball bag was a brand new Rawlings UBB bag (yes, with the pockets outside the bag, and nobody told me how tacky that was in 1980) that I got at a mom and pop sporting goods store for $1.99. What is it about a ball bag that can justify paying $40 + shipping/handling for two of them? (editor's note: current price of ball bag bag is $17.95)

A ball bag should do four things in my opinion:

1. Carry game balls and gear in a safe manner where an umpire can easily get to them.
2. Lay flat as possible against the hip so it looks good, and things do not fall out of them.
3. Let an umpire carry balls and other items while not getting in an umpire’s way while running.
4. Carry lots of baseballs so an umpire can keep the game moving and not have to constantly restock with baseballs.

I have used these Ump-Attire bags for around 20 plate games this season. In my opinion, these ball bags are worth what you pay for them. I can say without hesitation that this is the best bag I have used since my old Kangaroo Bag and it might just be better than the old favorite.

Since I have not done any games in warm temperatures this year I cannot say that the extra layer of fabric will keep sweat away from the balls in the bag.

In every other way these Ump-Attire bags exceeded my expectations for them. My Carlucci bags are very, very good bags. I will use them for a while since they look better with blue than the black Ump-Attire bags I have. But even in comparison to them it is no contest the Ump-Attire bags are second to none.

The bags are very well constructed. The seams are very tight, the fit and finish is great. If there is one thing I like most about the bags it is how flat they lay, there is no gap or opening at the top of the bag, and they tend to stay on your hip as you run. If the bags are close to empty, they do not flop around very much. The material is tightly weaved, which to me means they will keep their shape for a very long time. With my larger sized bags, I can easily carry a dozen balls in a game (six per bag), and more if needed. The regular size bag should carry five balls in them, and I would guess at least two fast pitch softballs, if you use them for SB.

So far in my larger sized bags I have carried as many as five balls per bag (10 total), a laminated NCAA DH rule card, a large brush (an old Brinkman scraper brush), two indicators, lineup cards, a pair of gloves, and pens. The extra pen pocket in the bag between in the center between the two pockets is a greatly appreciated feature, by the way. That is enough room for any umpire, and if you carry keys or cash with you in the zippered pocket, it adds no problem to the look of the bag.

I usually use a small plate brush so there have been one or two times the brush has gotten lost in the bag pocket, but that is more my fault for not putting the brush in right. If you use an older, smaller brush, that is an issue for you to deal with.

Most of all, these bags look good. They look professional on your belt. They run easy with you when you are hustling up the line or the infield to cover the batter-runner when your partner goes out. In these days where appearance counts for more and more in umpiring, a good set of ball bags is crucial for how you work, and how you present yourself. These ball bags will help you to look professional. That in itself is worth the price you pay for the ball bags.

Cleaning them is a breeze as well. I have not thrown them in the washer, but I have turned them inside out and cleaned out the dust and dirt that builds up in the bags. A good wash once in a while should not harm them.

I am not going to give these bags 5 out of 5 stars or 6 on 4 point scale. Instead, let me tell how good I think these bags are. First, you call Ump-Attire and get a pair of bags, or two pairs if you need them in different colors. Second, when you get the bags, try them out for two games. Finally, put your old bags on Ebay, so you can recover part of the purchase price. You won’t regret it.

MLB Umpire Suffers Concussion Wearing Shock FX Umpire Helmet

I am always preaching about the additional safety of umpire helmets as opposed to traditional style umpire masks. MLB Umpire Ed Hickox's recent blow to his Shock FX proves there is no such thing as head gear that protects entirely or is indestructible.

Did this helmet protect him more than if he had been wearing something else? Should you not purchase the Shock FX considering it cracked and he was concussed? Read my 2 posts at umpire.org on the discussion of what happened in the Indians-Yankees game on Saturday April 18th. (Article Here).

Post 1

I looked high and low for a video clip and could find nothing. Then I realized I had just signed up for an MLB.TV subscription and was able to locate the inning it happened although there's no way to provide a link. So, I'll provide as a good of a description as I can.

MLB Umpire Ed Hickox was hit in the absolutely worst place on any mask. It was dead center right at the forehead. The shot knocked him backwards a little. He staggered but did not fall. It's very difficult to see on the video if it actually hit the topmost bar of the cage and deflected off the shell or it hit shell only.

The ball was deflected up from a foul ball and the trajectory happened in such a way that it actually pulled his helmet up and back about a third of the way off of him. So this was a good thing as not all 2,400 lbs of force I believe it is from a fastball went directly to his head.

The ball also either deflected straight up in the air or back toward the screen. That helmet does have some curvature there, more than a traditional mask, but not as much of an angle as the sides of the helmet.

It appeared either the cage or shell cracked. If it hit the cage, I'm not sure how much he benefited from the shock absorbers because the trajectory came up an angle of 20-30 degrees instead of the cage being pushed directly in.

He seemed fine pretty quickly smiling, laughing and re-entering the game after getting a new helmet... a direct contrast to MLB Umpire Kerwin Danley's hit last year where he was left lying on the ground. But apparently Hickox became light headed 2 innings later, was replaced, spent the night in a hospital and will be out for a week.

Post 2

The truth of the matter is there is no such thing as an indestructible mask or one that prevents all concussions.

It is rare to have any mask bend, or helmet crack but it happens. Manufacturers such as Wilson and Diamond will perform anvil tests and ball tests to insure the integrity of their masks, but they'll not admit that bending of a frame or cracking of a helmet is not impossible.

I think I've heard at least one story of every type of mask from the Wilson dyna-lite (2 cases), Wilson titanium (1 case on this forum, 1 from customer) or Diamond Featherweight (heard about, not seen) and now the Shock FX (Hickox and 1 case from a customer where it cracked at the shock absorber).

So if your logic is not to wear something you've heard about bending or other, then you're going to be left with very few choices.

Also, whether you are an umpire or let's say a football player as an analogy, it's rare to sustain a concussion (although it seems to be happening quite a bit too often at the MLB level), but there is a risk by nature of the profession. It doesn't mean necessarily that the type of umpire or football helmet used is faulty.

When I spoke with Kerwin Danley in January, he said there was nothing wrong with the mask he was using (A3009X Dyna Lite Wilson), that in his words "it was just one of those things". I would suspect Ed Hickox would say the same thing, assuming he saw it on replay. In my opinion, his hit looked much more violent than Danley's, especially given the placement of the hit.

In my opinion, the fact that Hickox fared much better given the more violent nature might be a testament to his Shock FX despite it cracking. I can't say that for sure, but I'm sure in time we'll hear his thoughts on it.

Reebok Plate Shoes to Improve for Fall

Tom Wood, the baseball footwear product manager of Reebok e-mailed me recently after reading a recent blog post on Reebok plate shoes.

Here is an excerpt:

Will the Vector be toned down on the plate Shoe - YES

After listening to various comments we have toned down the large white vector making it a more subtle looking shoe although still showing the brand. Please note that in the fall we will be updating the plate shoe to this silhouette...

We have also made a few additional cosmetic and performance changes as well.

• Weight has been reduced to 3 pounds
• The large RBK on the metatarsal plate will be replaced with the MLB logo and Reebok will be on the heels

We're looking forward to having these available in the future.

Our Customers Are Experienced Umpires

I am continually impressed by the knowledge our customers exhibit when it comes to umpire gear and apparel. A recent survey shows that much of that knowledge is likely a reflection of seasoned umpiring experience.

We certainly have our share of customers who are younger or newer or who, at the other end of the spectrum, are at the minor and major league levels. However, most fall into groups that are older and have a substantial amount of experience.

So who is our typical customer?

• Is 45 years old and older
  
• Has 10-20 years experience
• Is at or desires to umpire at the collegiate level
  

Testing for Throat Protector Size and Placement

I have always advocated that you wear a throat protector despite the fact that umpire masks have an extension. Most umpires wear a throat protector although some do not.

The issue is not a pitched ball that comes in straight but a ball that bounces up, typically from one that hits the ground or is fouled into the ground and up through the gap that exists horizontally from the chest protector out to the mask frame (there shouldn't be a vertical gap).


Umpire throat protectors come in standard 4 inch and 6 inch lengths. Typically, they are placed on the bottommost part of the mask frame but I've seen variations as high as the third bottommost of the frame.

So which size is best and where is the best placement to hang it from on the mask? The answer is that it will depend on your mask as some extend farther down or out, but most importantly it will depend on your stance when behind the dish.

If you bend more at the waist where your head is farther out horizontally, especially in an extreme scissors style stance, it is likely a longer 6" or 6 and 1/2" throat protector one is needed. If you are more upright, possibly a shorter 4" one will do.

Richard Siegel, an umpire and moderator at ABUA's umpire.org had a very good explanation on the size and placement of throat protectors:

"It needs to be long enough so the bottom end of the throat protector will hit your CP when a ball hits the throat protector...

To determine if your throat protector is long enough to protect you, put on your mask and get into your normal plate stance. Have another person use his fist (to simulate how the ball would travel) and slowly impact the throat protector straight on and see if the throat protector pivots up into your throat, or if the bottom end of the throat protector hits your CP. If it goes up into your throat you either have to re-attach the throat protector lower on your mask, or get a longer throat protector, or both."

If you want to read the full thread of other umpires discussing throat protectors at umpire.org, you can read it here.

Random Thoughts from MLB Spring Training

I've been on a little hiatus blog-wise after taking a half business / half R&R trip to Florida 2 weeks ago. I don't know about you but whenever I leave town for a week, it takes me a week to get prepared then a week to get caught up after I get back.

This is this first time since I've owned Ump-Attire.com (3 years) that I left for a week of Spring Break right smack in the middle of the heavy part of our busy season. I was very hesitant to do that but I had the opportunity to go to 3 spring training games and spend some time with one of the MLB umpires in the Fort Myers, Florida area. Plus, I knew things were in good hands here.

So you're at a spring training game? What do you watch? The star players to see if they're on their game yet? The prospects? Women in the stands who are dressed for the beach? Of course not. You go to watch the umpires. If you're an umpire and you're reading this, you know what I'm talking about.

Ok, here are some random and some meaningless observations.

• The umpire crews working the games were not the umpire crews put together for the regular season. They were all MLB umpires, except for maybe one MiLB umpire I couldn't figure out who he was, just not from the same crew. I would have expected they would have wanted to work together in training just as the players worked together but my suscipion is that this had more to do with where umpires live more than anything else.
  
  
• I was happy to see Tim Tschida umpiring the Twins-Cardinals game on 4/5. Tim is a really super nice guy who I was able to spend some time talking to at the UMPS CARE GOLF CLASSIC.
  
  But I actually thought Tim missed a call a first base calling a Twins runner safe where it appeared the throw was in time. Of course, his vantage point was MUCH better than mine as he was standing right there, and I was 20 rows up behind home plate. I'd place my bet on the crew chief with 22 years of experience, 2 All-Star games and 2 World Series any day. But I joked with my wife that Tim is actually from Minnesota, and I was wondering if anyone else at the game might know that and accuse Tim of home cooking.
  
  
• In all the games, the umpires in the field switched after every few innings with each calling a few at 1st and a few elsewhere. I have never seen this before.
  
  
• One MLB umpire had had a death in the family and was not able to umpire 2 of the 3 games I attended. He was not replaced for either day he was to umpire. Using a fill-in is normally the case on the MLB level, but at spring training they simply worked a 3-man system instead (at least in these games).
  
  
• In the Red Sox-Rays game on 4/6, there were quite a few hard line drives. I couldn't help but notice the 1st and 3rd base coaches with their helmets, but the MLB umpire working between the pitcher's mound and 2nd base in a 3-man system (at a shorter distance than the base coaches) was unprotected. I couldn't help but think how smart it would be for an umpire on the bases to wear some type of head protection. I've alluded to this in a blog post before (at bottom).
  
  Why would that be so bad? Umpires are not normally the athletes that players are, so they honestly can't get out of the way as quickly of one of these line shots nor do they have a glove to defend themselves. I do know some umpires wear a cup on the bases. So there is logic that some umpires feel there is a risk they'll get hit in a significant area. Why not the concern for the head? Shouldn't it a significant area require just as much protection?
  
  I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
  
  
• Brian O' Nora umpired every game I attended. Brian was the subject of 2 blog posts from last year. On the day Brian called behind the plate, he was not wearing his signature black-and-tan mask (tan padding at top / black at bottom) that I light-heartedly made fun. He has also not moved to a bucket style helmet after being hit by a broken bat last year.
  
  
• Most of the umpires on the bases wore umpire shirts without pockets. I was happy to see that as I've been discussing the possibility of providing this option in the near future.

Twins - Lee County Stadium


Red Sox - City of Palms Park