NFHS Baseball Rules and Rulebook

I have been asked a few times if the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) baseball rulebook is available online. The answer is yes, but you must be a member of an NFHS Professional Association or state staff member in order to access it. As a HS umpire registered with my state's activities association I was able to register with the NFHS and log on. The link for the rulebook is:

https://www.nfhs.org/custom/resourcelibrary/Ajax/Action.aspx?action=download&fileid=%2fbrjOESE61Q%3d

The baseball casebook is also available online at the same site.

Mike Walsh Memorial Advanced Umpire Clinic

The 3rd Annual Mike Walsh Memorial Advanced Umpire Clinic will be held July 31st thru August 2nd, 2009, in Carmel, Indiana.

From the website:

"The Mike Walsh Memorial Advanced Umpire Clinic was created to give umpires the opportunity to gain knowledge from some of the top instructors in the Mid-West to help them be successful at the college level.

The Clinic is designed for umpires who are looking to work baseball at the collegiate level or for those looking to acquire the skills necessary to advance to the next level. It will provide a solid base of knowledge through classroom, cage work, and live game experience. The student to instructor ratio is set at 3:1 to give maximum personal attention in small group settings. This will provide you with a foundation for a successful collegiate career.

The Mike Walsh Memorial Advanced Umpire Clinic will be held in conjunction with the Indiana Bulls fall tournament. Students will get the opportunity to work two full games with video feedback. Instructors will work with students to enhance mechanics, positioning, and judgment. Students will receive a written evaluation of their performance in accordance with NCAA standards, as well as suggestions on skills necessary to advance."

Check-in is from 9-10 a.m. Friday, July 31 at the Jameson Inn in Indianapolis. Costs include a non-refundable deposit of $150.00 if paid before July 1st, or $175.00 if paid after July 1, and $100.00 is due at check-in.

Ultimate Ball Bag versus Dry-Lo Ball Bag

Today’s post looks at two exceptional ball bags: The Ultimate Ball Bag from Ump-Attire and the Dry-Lo Ball Bag sold by Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring. Click on the images for a closer look at the front, rear, and inside of the bags.

Ultimate Ball Bag
Price: $17.95
Dimensions: H: 12 ¾” Bottom: 10 ¾” Top 10 ¾”
Pocket Depth: 5 ½”
Pocket Width: 3 ½”, 4 ½” and one pencil pocket
Large Zippered Rear Pocket: H: 9 ¾” W: 8 ¾”

The Ultimate Ball Bag is not tapered. The Ump-Attire website states that the Ultimate Ball Bag is “Handmade by Amish craftsmen in Kentucky, U.S.A.” How cool is that? The bag is made from twill fabric with a nylon interior on the pant side to prevent the transfer of moisture. Most seams are double stitched where you need it most.

Dry-Lo Ball Bag
Price: $14.95 (two for $24.95)
Dimensions: H: 12 ¾” Bottom:12” Top: 11 ¼”
Pocket Depth: 5”
Pocket Width: 4”, 4” and one pencil pocket

The Dry-Lo Ball Bag is slightly tapered and made from 100% polyester fabric. The back side is made from a different polyester fabric and is water resistant. The entire bag is single stitched and “is bonded with a special high strength glue under more than a ton of pressure” according to the Jim Evan’s website.

Impressions
These are both great quality bags. The Ultimate Ball Bag is slightly smaller than the Dry-Lo Ball Bag and the Dry-Lo is slightly tapered. Does it matter? I really can’t say because I’ve only used tapered ball bags in the past (most recently from Honig’s). I have never had a problem with losing baseballs.

My plate brush fit snugly in both 4” pockets of the Dry-Lo bag, but it was accommodated better in the 4 1/2” Ultimate Ball Bag pocket. My plate brush would not fit in the Ultimate’s 3 ½” pocket, so the brush goes either right-hand front or left-hand rear on the second bag. I also did not like the deeper pen pocket in the Ultimate. I grabbed five pens out of my desk drawer and all of them were 5 ½” or shorter. I absolutely hate fishing for a pen in my ball bag. That is really a small complaint and easily overcome (longer pen, stuff the pocket, etc.), but it is something that I recognized, so I’ll pass along the observation.

The Ultimate Ball Bag has a rear zippered pocket and the Dry-Lo does not. However, the water resistant fabric is not between your leg and the bag, so paper could potentially get wet by rain or perspiration. I also wonder what I would put in there. . . a rule book? Old School Mattel Electronics Baseball? Tic Tacs?


Which is better? Both are super. The Ultimate appears better made, although I prefer the features of the Dry-Lo (two 4” wide pockets, waterproof shell between my pant leg and the bag, tapered design). I guess the bottom line is that, for me, it is a coin-flip.

***FIELD TEST RESULTS - DRY-LO***

I have used the Dry-Lo exclusively for the past few weeks and will be using the Ultimate exclusively for the next few weeks. My experience with the Dry-Lo has been less-than-positive:

1. the corners curl outward when holding balls;

2. the single stitching on one of the belt loops has began pulling away and unraveling after only a few games; and

3. the inside pockets are too narrow and I find it difficult to remove my plate brush.

As I said, I will be field testing the Ultimate over the next few weeks and then I will post my "field test" impressions of the Ultimate.

***FIELD TEST RESULTS - ULTIMATE***

O.K. I have field tested the Ultimate during several games and now conclude it is absolutely superior to the Dry-Lo. Honestly, I still have not found a use for the zipper compartment, but it is nice to know it is there if needed. The untapered design does not seem to be an issue and baseballs stay in place. I especially like the increased size of the inside pocket for my plate brush for easy access. I worked in rain last night and the baseballs remained dry in the bag.

The Ultimate Ball Bag from Ump-Attire looks good, is durable, and keeps contents dry. The highest praise I can give this bag is that I don't think about it at all while working the plate. It is dependable and functions flawlessly - like a great piece of gear should.

Umpire Concussions (Mama Said Knock You Out)

Ever notice how anal we are as umpires about checking for the NOCSAE stamp on youth equipment? Ever notice that our own gear doesn’t have that stamp?

Go check, I’ll wait.

Scary, huh?

What does a NOCSAE stamp exactly mean? Well, it turns out not much when applied to umpires as there are no test standards for umpire masks. To test a youth catcher’s helmet the tester mounts the helmet on an instrumented head model which is free to move, and an air cannon is used to shoot a baseball from close range into the helmeted head model at 60 mph. Impact accelerations are measured and a Severity Index is calculated and compared with the NOCSAE standard to determine if the helmet meets the requirement. NOCSAE guidelines permit a catcher’s helmet to pass if the peak severity index of any impact does not exceed 1200 SI (severity index explained here).

Unfortunately, there is strong evidence that a concussion becomes likely at a severity index of 300. Now I'm no physicist, but 300 happens long before 1200, right? And the safety test is rated at sixty miles per hour? Are you kidding me? When was the last time you were on the plate with a kid throwing 60?

Last year in the wake of the Kerwin Danley injury USA Today did two stories about MLB umpire injuries: here and here

USA Today states that through June 11, 2008, umpires had reported 36 blows to the head through a program set up by athletic trainer Mark Letendre, who works with the umps for Major League Baseball. In 2007, 38 were reported. Every year in the major leagues there are reports of umpires being concussed and leaving games. And we all know what tough sons-of-guns those MLB umpires are.

The threat of concussion is a real concern, even at lower levels of ball. Not only can a foul ball strike you in the mask, but a backswing can knock you out also. That happened to Jerry Crawford last season.

So who is protecting us? No one it seems. I have searched the internet for information regarding testing of umpire masks. I even emailed Wilson, the leading provider of umpire masks. After three days Wilson has not replied. All I could find was a commendable effort, but flawed test of a youth hockey style mask and youth traditional mask by undergraduate students at Kettering University. The manufacturer of the masks (All Star, apparently upset that they were singled out) responded to the report at the end of the article. Also Jim Kirk, owner of Ump-Attire and friend to the umpire, questioned the methodology and conclusions on his blog:

C- Grade to Safety Study on Traditional vs. Hockey Style Mask

What can we do? First, umpire masks and helmets need to be evaluated and tested. As consumers we are entitled to know the level of protection a mask provides. There may be some legal liability to the manufacturer as well. Personally I think it is reasonable for Joe Umpire that buys an MLB mask to believe that it will protect him from concussions in his H.S. JV games. The lesson of former MLB catcher Mike Matheny teaches us otherwise.

Some umpires are using the hockey style masks that offer some protection against back swings and perhaps more protection frontally as the design is more angular allowing for more glancing blows. An article in Men’s Health Magazine reports that the Wilson Shock FX hockey style mask with little “shock absorbers” built into the cage reduces impact force by up to 50 percent. However, I cannot find information or claims from Wilson that substantiate this and they did not respond to my email. If true, the Wilson Shock FX may be the most important piece of safety gear available to umpires. I can say that I have noticed more MLB umpires (and other umpires in the WBC) wearing the Wilson Shock FX including Kerwin Danley when he returned to duty after his injury.

It is simply speculation, but the lower profile masks offered by Wilson may be a contributor to umpire concussions. The lower profile mask sits closer to the face and is flatter with less angles. Jim Kirk asks the question best:

"Physics dictates a flatter low profile umpire mask will divert less force than a more curved standard one, but how much less and is this a significant difference?"

Jim asks a second very important question:

"More padding between the ball and you as in Wilson's wrap around padding is more protective than one with less padding but how much more protective and how significant is this difference to umpires at various levels?"

Hopefully we will have these questions and more attention focused on this matter in the future. In the meantime it looks like we're on our own.

Umpire Teacher Review

The first thing you notice when visiting Mike “Bugsy” Segal’s Umpire Teacher website is that Mr. Segal is a man of vision in the field of training future umpires. His vision corresponds to the changing way people learn and obtain information in this age of computers.

The second thing you notice is, and I mean this with all sincerity: Bugsy is nuts! Umpire Teacher is charged with an energy that is infectious. It comes straight from the top, from Bugsy himself. He obviously has a passion for umpiring and teaching. Bugsy’s high energy style keeps the student actively engaged in each lesson (as well as entertained).

Umpire Teacher is the first umpire instructional website to use video and message boards for feedback. Students view video lessons and can ask questions directly to Bugsy, retired MLB umpire Vic Voltaggio, or to the “power team” members which includes professional and veteran amateur umpires.

During the video lessons Bugsy likes to emphasize the important points and adds his comments. The insight is terrific and really drives the point home. The best thing about the video lessons is that you can return to the lesson for reference at a later date. The first lesson I reviewed was a beginning lesson about the strike zone that featured a discussion by the late John McSherry while at Bugsy’s camp a few years back. A sample of this lesson is provided free at the Umpire Teacher YouTube site.

After discussing the basic mechanics of the strike zone and positioning, I moved on to the advanced strike zone video. These videos are terrific in teaching the large and fine points of calling balls and strikes. The mechanics are broken down into simple, easy to follow instructions. The video is clear and smooth, and the audio is exceptional. All lessons are instructive and insightful for both the beginner and the veteran umpire.

The price plans are reasonable for the information provided. For example, $9.95 per month gets you in the door as a paying member (AA Member Level), while $124.95 gives you total access for one year (Big League Level). The price difference mostly involves a larger video screen (which makes sense because of the increased bandwidth. Larger bandwidth means a greater cost to the company). I would recommend trying the site out at the $9.95 level before upgrading as the entry level video is very acceptable.

Umpire Teacher is very generous in offering free content that I encourage you to check out. First, Umpire Teacher has a YouTube site with free video samples. Also check out the Tips of the Week. Finally, Bugsy writes a newsletter that you can signup for here. Some past newsletters are archived here.

Online continuing education is an idea that all umpires should get behind. Continuing education is a real problem for most umpires during the season largely resulting from a busy schedule and burn out. Self study can be tedious. However, the Umpire Teacher website is open 24 hours a day with all lessons available anytime, and trust me, Bugsy is never tedious. Do yourself a favor, skip two fun meals at your local burger stand and pay the $9.95 for this training.

Interview with Umpire Teacher Owner Bugsy Segal

UmpireTeacher.com is an exciting and promising development in umpire training. To get a better look at the site and how it can fit into an umpire’s growth, I went straight to the source: owner Mike “Bugsy” Segal. Bugsy agreed to answer a few questions about his site:

MWU: Can you give us an overview of umpireteacher.com?
Bugsy: In one sentence we are an online umpire school that provides basic and continuing education, youth through college. Umpire Teacher is also a great prep training for people who plan on attending Pro Umpire School.

MWU: Can you give some background information about yourself and your staff?
Bugsy:
· Vic Voltaggio, retired Major League Umpire of 20 years who was on the plate for one of Nolan Ryan’s no-hitters and for Roger Clemen’s 1986 20 strikeout game and the World Series that had the Earthquake. Vic and I have known each other over 30 years.
· Me? I'm Mike "Bugsy" Segal. I have been umpiring for 33 years, about 3 years of Pro, 500 pro games including Minor league spring training and I worked AAA and Major League “B” Squad Spring training games.
· From 1990 through 1993 I owned the “Mike Segal Florida Umpire Camp” in Kissimmee, FL and Vic was with me every day of the camp and Chief Instructor too. I also had John McSherry-NL, Jim McKean (current MLB Supervisor), the gregarious Durwood Merrill, Larry Reveal (PBUC supervisor) and Bruce Ravan (NCAA SE supervisor at the time), Darren Goryl, and Bill Kinnamon. Bill owned one of the orginal Professional Umpire Schools.

The UmpireTeacher.com “Power Team”
· Frank Laparik – our east coast connection and NCAA rep
· Jeremy Barbe – 5 years pro experience and Director of Minnesota Youth Athletic Services for Baseball Umpires
· Larry Gallagher –MSHSL Clinician and NCAA Umpire and our Amateur Rules Expert
· Dan Feigum & Chuck Triggs –both men assign youth ball and train youth umpires and have for many years.
· Allan Goldenberg- our Canadian connection-many years of H.S. & College ball
· Billy Peterson – Our Softball Expert. Softball training will be a separate entity within UmpireTeacher.com when it’s ready.

MWU: Why did you develop Umpire Teacher?
Bugsy: I’ve always felt that professional umpires know how to do it best. Now with the internet and high speed video we can get our message and lessons out to umpires that need it. However, there is a small twist involved. With amateur baseball you have a part of the game that is oh so different from the pro game, not mechanically but philosophically. So Vic and I have brought on some top amateur umpires as a consulting team, we call it our “Power Team”. These guys help us bridge the gap between the pro and amateur games.

MWU: What is your teaching philosophy?
Bugsy: You never stop learning, continuing education is the key. I learned more in the short time I was in pro ball especially AA than I ever did in umpire school. Umpire school gives you the base foundation and too many guys come from Pro school and come back to their home town and think that’s it, “I’ve got it whipped.” I call that “the umpire school rut.” It’s like taking a Driver’s Ed. Class and then you get on the real road and BOOM! you realize that there’s a lot more to it and its much more involved than you thought.

MWU: Is the internet an effective means to obtain umpire training?
Bugsy: What a way to go! And the response has been great! We have members from Germany, Italy, Australia and all over the USA. The website is open 24 hours a day, so umpires can train on their own time, at their own pace.

MWU: What kind of feedback can a student expect to receive?
Bugsy: Students get their questions answered by me, Vic, or one of the power team members. A question can be asked in one of two ways, either by posting to a forum so everyone else can read the question and answer, or by private email. Students (paid members AA Level and higher) might even get a video answers!

MWU: How important is this type of training to an umpire that is considering a move to college ball or a professional career?
Bugsy: Excellent for both. What we have and are adding applies to college ball. The mechanics are the same, but different in philosophy and some rules. I’m also developing a separate program for people who want to get ready for umpire school and a pro career.

MWU: Like an umpire school prep course?
Bugsy: Absolutely! By preparing for pro umpire school you have a better chance of graduating in the top 10% of your class when you go and landing a pro job. It is very competitive at umpire school and at the PBUC evaluation, so if you want to start a career as a professional umpire, you’ve got to train, train, train!

MWU: Do you offer group discounts to associations to supplement their training?
Bugsy: Absolutely, groups and associations can call or email me and we can supply video and support for group training. Our lessons are a great way to teach groups of new umpires or train veterans properly.

MWU: What is in store for the future of umpireteacher.com?
BUGSY: The future’s so bright around here, we’re wearin’ shades! This site will be the ultimate site for umpire training, from A to Z. Our lessons include one, two, and three man umpire mechanics; rules via video illustrations; and handling situations via video demonstrations. We will soon have our first webinar (live interactive seminars on the internet) up and going, so now is a good time to join!

MWU: What about training for softball umpires?
Bugsy: Our focus has been baseball to start, but soon we’ll be adding a complete section for softball umpires too.

MWU: What more can you tell us about umpireteacher.com?
Bugsy: Umpire Teacher is not competition for the 1-7 day camps or even the Pro Umpire Schools, its an opportunity for the serious umpire to keep learning and improving no matter what level or experience. Vic and I tell it like it is, the right way to umpire. There are a number of NCAA umpires and H.S. umpires who have never been formally trained and they just don’t get it! They say, “I’m working the best games already, so I must be doing things right!” These guys get their training from who knows where? If you want to learn the right way, learn from a professional. Umpire Teacher teaches the right way. Check us out!

Umpire Shirt Comparison Review

Many umpires cannot select their equipment and apparel in person and must make decisions based upon the advice of others and descriptions both on-line and in catalogs. Questions concerning fit and durability are frequent subjects on umpire forums. Today’s post takes a comparative look at seven different umpire shirts from different manufacturers.

My goal in this article is to provide information to umpires regarding the more popular umpire shirts and hopefully make the decision process a little easier. Shirts will be evaluated in seven categories: Weight, Breathability, Construction, Value, Appearance, a “Prick” test, and a Wrinkle test. The line-up is:

1. Gerry Davis Signature Umpire Shirt with thanks to Mary
2. Ump-Attire Ultimate Umpire Shirt with thanks to Jim Kirk
3. Honig’s Major League Umpire Shirt
4. Dalco D260 Umpire Shirt
5. Smitty Apparel Umpire Shirt with Comfortech 100 with thanks to Dawn
6. The Official’s Choice Umpire Shirt with thanks to Paul Anderson
7. Cliff Keen MXS Umpire Shirt

Initial Research
Before I begin, I need to discuss an important matter. When I set out to evaluate these seven umpire shirts I did not expect such a variety of different fabrics. All of the umpire shirts tested are made from some type of polyester fabric, however five of the shirts (The Official’s Choice, Cliff Keen, Ump-Attire, Dalco and Smitty Apparel) claim to be made from moisture wicking fabric.

The concept of moisture wicking clothing has been around a long time. The idea is to draw the moisture away from your skin to a place where it is either absorbed or can evaporate. An old hunter’s trick is to wear silk socks under wool socks. The silk socks wick away the moisture and the wool absorbs it.

Older polyester fabrics, like the disco shirts from the 1970s, did not breathe well which consequently trapped sweat and made Disco Stu into Stinky Stu. Early polyester clothing also tended to snag easily. Cotton breathes very well, but as every umpire knows cotton absorbs and holds moisture. The best sports fabrics are blends of high-tech polyester and cotton which use the best features of both: moisture wicking and breathability.

In the 1990s a Maryland Terrapins' football player tired of his soggy t-shirt worn under his football pads developed an undershirt that became the Under Armour brand. Under Armour (and all the copy-cat materials developed in its wake) wicks away sweat from your body so it can evaporate. Does it keep you cooler? I don’t know, but I can attest that my UA Heat Gear t-shirt keeps me feeling drier and more comfortable. I love my UA Heat Gear and recommend it to all umpires.

A moisture wicking undershirt is a great benefit, but that begs the question, “What benefit is provided by an outer layer of moisture wicking material?”

I asked this question to TUG (The Undershirt Guy) at UnderShirtGuy.com. TUG has done personal testing and review on undershirts and has this to say:

“I wouldn't say I'm an expert in moisture wicking technology, but from my research, it is my understanding that it would be better to have a single close/tight fitting moisture wicking product that would allow air to flow freely over the outer part of the garment to allow the wetness to dry out quicker. One thing to remember, if the garment is not tight fitting, the moisture from your body will not make contact with the garment and will not transfer to the outer layer of the fabric as effectively.

Also, from my personal experience, some moisture wicking materials dry much faster than others. I've had some that dry in 15-20 minutes and others that take hours to dry. So, these fabrics are definitely not all created equally. In the event you're interested, I've also been doing some additional research and have been finding evidence that moisture wicking products hold odor much more than other non-wicking materials like cotton so people have noticed, for example, that moisture wicking undershirts hold on to someone's B.O. a lot more than standard undershirts.”

Thanks to TUG, his research and his input. TUG has a number of informative articles on his site that are of interest to anyone sweating in the hot sun, including this one on moisture wicking undershirts:

http://www.undershirtguy.com/2008/06/13/moisture-wicking-undershirts-which-one-to-choose-and-why/

Testing and Measurements
Shoulder measurements were taken from the collar seam along the shoulder seam to the bottom of the sleeve. Chest measurements were taken from under the arm hole across the chest to the under the other arm hole.

To test breathability I used my wife’s hair dryer on cool setting to force air through the shirt onto my face. To weigh the shirts I used a postage scale. For the pricking test I ran a car key over the inside of the shirts to see if it would snag (and I wore each shirt with my Wilson Platinum chest protector). Unscientific? You bet! My apologies to the ghost of Lavoisier.

Now on to the review. . .

DALCO D260 UMPIRE SHIRT

Construction
The Dalco Umpire Shirt is one of five shirts made from moisture wicking material (the manufacturer description is “treated with Comfort Finish for moisture management”). I purchased this XXL shirt from a local retailer when asked to do a last minute USSSA softball tournament. It is one of two open-hole shirts in the review (the other is The Official’s Choice). The shirt performed poorly in the prick test and snagged frequently on my chest protector. The feel of the mesh is cheap and stiffer than the other shirts. The dimensions of this XXL shirt are quite large:
28.5” chest
28.5” bottom hem
19.5” shoulder

Breathability
As one of two open-hole shirts in this review, it is not surprising that the Dalco shirt performed extremely well in the breathability test, second only to the other open-hole shirt, The Official’s Choice.

Appearance
The shirt looks good although the open-hole design makes the shirt a little transparent. While not as transparent as The Official’s Choice shirt, a different undershirt shirt color will bleed through. The shirt performed adequately in the wrinkle test.

Weight
The Dalco shirt weighs 11 ounces and is surprisingly heavy for an open-hole shirt.

Value
Ump-Attire sells the Dalco D260 for $27.95.

$26.95 at CAT Sports

Final Rank: Last place
The Dalco shirt is cheaply made and costly. For the price of a Dalco D260 I can get a much nicer Gerry Davis Signature Shirt, or a Smitty Apparel Shirt and a Big Mac, or a shirt from The Official’s Choice and dinner at Applebee’s.


CLIFF KEEN MXS

Construction
The MXS stands for Moisture eXchange System and is one of the five shirts in this review made from moisture wicking fabric. The construction is fair, but with limited use shows wear faster than other shirts I have owned. The XL shirt dimensions are:
25” chest
25” bottom hem
19” shoulder

The Cliff Keen MXS accommodates a chest protector and fits me well enough on the bases. The Cliff Keen MXS feels “spongy” like a polyester shirt from the 70’s. The shirt construction is good and appears well-made around the seams. It is close-holed construction and the holes are very small. This shirt performed best in the prick test and the fabric is very soft and smooth (and spongy, did I mention that?).

Breathability
The Cliff Keen shirt performed the worst in the breathability test allowing almost no air through the fabric.

Appearance
This shirt looks good on the field, although it performed poorly in the wrinkle test.

Weight
The Cliff Keen MXS weighs in at 10 ounces - the middle of the pack in weight.

Value
A quick search for the Cliff Keen MXS found that it sells between $33.00-$36.00. This is a premium price for an umpire shirt:
$33.00 at Lester’s Upstate Sports

$36.00 on the Cliff Keen Website

$35.90 at Gerry Davis

Final Rank: 6th out of 7
I purchased this Cliff Keen MXS shirt from a local retailer last year when I needed a blank powder blue shirt for a few college softball fall games. I do not like the feel of this shirt or the lack of breathability. It is also one of the most expensive in the review. Even though it actually scores higher than the Dalco, it is my least favorite umpire shirt. A friend of mine owns this shirt and commented that the shirt stains easily and is hard to keep clean. Of course, maybe it’s my friend that is hard to keep clean.


THE OFFICIAL’S CHOICE

Construction
I have previously reviewed The Official’s Choice shirt. The shirt is open hole and made from a moisture wicking material the company calls “UmpDry.” I would rank the construction below average, but still very acceptable. The stitching is neither tight nor consistent and the seams are not as substantially bound (hey, I’m not a tailor, so please forgive my poor description. In simple terms the seams and stitching are not as “good” as other shirts). The Official’s Choice shirt performed poorly on the prick test although I have not had a problem with snagging with this shirt from my chest protector.

Be warned: The Official’s Choice shirts run large. The dimensions of the L shirt I tested are:
25” chest
25” bottom hem
18” shoulder

The XL measures:
25” chest
25” bottom hem
19” shoulders

Breathability
The Official’s Choice shirt performed the best in the breathability test. The open-hole design allowed the most airflow of the shirts tested. As discussed above, creating airflow is extremely important to the evaporation process.

Appearance
As detailed in my previous post, the open-hole design tends to show print underneath it and a different colored undershirt can bleed through. The shirt performed below average in the wrinkle test.

Weight
The Official’s Choice shirt weighs 8.75 ounces – the lightest of the shirts.

Value
These shirts are currently offered by The Official’s Choice starting at $19.84.

Final Rank: 5th place out of 7
Since the open-hole design has a greater “see-through” factor, I am reluctant to use this shirt behind the plate where the MLB emblem of my Wilson Platinum chest protector is plainly visible. However, my association requires a navy blue t-shirt under the navy blue baseball shirt, so I suspect this will be my favorite shirt for hot weather wear on the bases. As August rolls around, I might even talk myself in to using this shirt behind the plate. It is light weight, inexpensive, and very breathable. The bottom line is that I will purchase more of these shirts for hot weather wear.


HONIG’S MAJOR LEAGUE SHIRT

Construction
The Honig’s Major League Shirt is one of two shirts not made from moisture wicking material (the other is Gerry Davis). The holes are closed, but larger than other closed-hole shirts tested. After hundreds of ballgames I can personally attest to the durability of this shirt. However, this shirt does sometimes snag on my chest protector and performed below average in the prick test.

The Honig’s Major League Shirt is cut slimmer than other umpire shirts, but accommodates my chest protector adequately. The dimensions of the XL shirt I tested are:
24” chest
23” bottom hem
17” shoulder

Breathability
The Honig’s shirt performed surprisingly well during the breathability test and was the best of the closed-hole designs.

Appearance
The Honig’s navy baseball shirt is a lighter shade of navy blue than any other shirt tested. Since the shirt is cut a little slimmer it fits better and therefore looks better in the field. The shirt performed below average in the wrinkle test.

Weight
The Honig’s shirt weighs only 9.5 ounces, and tied with the Ump-Attire shirt as the second lightest shirt.

Value
These shirts are currently offered by Honig’s for $32.95. Honig’s also offers flat-rate ground shipping and 10% discounts for members of many associations.

Final Rank: 4th out of 7
Honig’s has a great reputation in the umpire community. Many umpires swear by the brand, including myself until conducting this review. Honig’s is a very good umpire shirt and its combination of light weight and breathability make it a good choice for year round work. On the other hand, it costs considerably more than other all-season shirts (like Smitty Apparel).


GERRY DAVIS SIGNATURE SHIRT

Construction
The Gerry Davis Signature Shirt is one of two shirts not made from moisture wicking material (the other is Honig’s). This shirt is actually manufactured by Cliff Keen. The holes are closed. This shirt has a very substantial feel to it and the stitching at the seams appears very well made. The Gerry Davis shirt was average during the prick test.

I described my frame (48” jacket, 5’10” 210#) to the folks at Gerry Davis and they sent me an XXL shirt. I wrote back before testing that I thought the shirt was a little large and was told that the shirt is “sized to accommodate your chest protector.” The dimensions of the XXL shirt I tested are:
27” chest
27“ bottom hem
18” shoulder

I found the XXL shirt obviously too large for me. Its dimensions are large, but not as large as the XXL Dalco reviewed here. Keep that in mind when ordering.

Breathability
The Gerry Davis shirt performed poorly in the breathability test.

Appearance
The Gerry Davis shirt is a sharp looking shirt. If looking your best is your only criteria, choose this shirt. It also performed surprisingly well in the wrinkle test.

Weight
The Gerry Davis shirt weighs 14 ounces, the heaviest shirt in this review and 5.25 ounces heavier than The Official’s Choice shirt.

Value
These shirts are currently offered by Gerry Davis for $25.90.

Final Rank: 3rd out of 7
Reading the above ranking might give the reader an impression that I dislike this shirt. Not so. The testing is heavily weighted to prefer shirts that perform well during hot summer days. But not all games are played in August. I remember playing in a snow storm during college when I couldn’t see the outfielders from the plate (yep, we got an official game in that day). I have also seen my share of snow, sleet, and freezing rain while umpiring. The Gerry Davis Signature shirt screams quality. It is also almost a half pound heavier than the other test shirts. I rank this shirt at the bottom of the list for a hot weather shirt, but at the top for cold weather.


SMITTY APPAREL UMPIRE SHIRT WITH COMFORTECH 100

Construction
The Smitty Apparel Umpire Shirt with ComforTech 100 is one of the five shirts made from moisture wicking material. It is a closed-hole design and well constructed. It also performed above average in the prick test and did not snag on my chest protector. The dimensions of the L shirt are:
23” chest
23.5” bottom hem
17.5 shoulder

The dimensions of the XL shirt are slimmer than most and very similar to Honig’s:
24” chest
25” bottom hem
17.5 shoulder

Breathability
The Smitty Apparel shirt performed average in the breathability test behind Honig’s and the two open-hole shirts (The Official’s Choice and Dalco).

Appearance
The shirt performed very well in the wrinkle test. In my opinion the Smitty Apparel shirt looks slightly better than the Cliff Keen shirt.

Weight
The Smitty Apparel shirt weighs 10.5 ounces and is in the middle of the pack.

Value
A quick search for the Smitty Apparel Umpire Shirt with ComforTech 100 found prices between $22.95-27.90:

$26.00 at The Official Call

$27.90 at Discount Umpire Gear

$22.95 at Ump-Attire


Final Rank: 2nd out of 7
I was pleasantly surprised by the Smitty Apparel shirt. At this price point I expected a cheaper quality shirt and did not expect it to perform as well during testing. Just like a scrappy middle infielder, the Smitty shirt just kept showing that it could do the job and hang with the big boys. It ended up second in the test, one point behind Ump-Attire, but over $10.00 cheaper in price than the Ump-Attire Ultimate Umpire Shirt.


UMP-ATTIRE ULTIMATE UMPIRE SHIRT

Construction
The Ump-Attire Ultimate Umpire Shirt is one of five shirts made from moisture wicking material. Jim Kirk, owner of Ump-Attire, reports an extensive process in the development of the Ultimate Umpire Shirt. It was important to Jim that these shirts withstand the rigors of umpiring and remain comfortable. He writes:

“What we found was a material used by the military that not only was comfortable and wicked moisture but also was wrinkle-free and most importantly could stand up to any metal or hard plastic rubbing against it. In other words, the fabric will not "pick".”

The holes are closed and the shirt is very well constructed. As Jim predicted, the shirt performed exceptionally well in the prick test and did not snag on my chest protector. The dimensions of this XL shirt are:
25.5” chest
25” bottom hem
18.5” shoulder

I like these dimensions on the plate. It is a little larger than the Honig’s shirt and accommodates my chest protector a little better.

Breathability
The Ump-Attire shirt performed below average in the breathability test.

Appearance
The shirt looks great and performed best in the wrinkle test. While I prefer the appearance of the Gerry Davis Signature Shirt, the Ultimate Umpire Shirt is a close second.

Weight
The Ump-Attire shirt weighs only 9.5 ounces, second lightest of all shirts (tied with Honig’s)

Value
Jim Kirk states that these shirts will be offered by Ump-Attire and sell for $32.95. That’s a competitive price with Cliff Keen and Honig’s for a nicer shirt.

Final Rank: First Place
The Ump-Attire Ultimate Umpire Shirt will be available in late March, 2009. Is this the ultimate umpire shirt? Well, after tallying all categories it scored the highest overall. This is definitely a quality shirt that was designed with care and attention to appeal to umpires across the board.

SCORES

Scale is 1 to 7; 7 being best

Weight

The Official's Choice 7, Ump-Attire 6, Honig's 6, Cliff Keen 4, Smitty Apparel 3, Dalco 2, Gerry Davis 1

Breathability

The Official's Choice 7, Dalco 6, Honig's 5, Smitty Apparel 4, Ump-Attire 3, Gerry Davis 2, Cliff Keen 1

Construction

Gerry Davis 7, Smitty Apparel 6, Ump-Attire 5, Honig's 5, Cliff Keen 3, The Official's Choice 2, Dalco 1

Value

Smitty Apparel 7, Gerry Davis 6, The Official's Choice 5, Ump-Attire 4, Honig's 3, Dalco 2, Cliff Keen 1

Appearance

Gerry Davis 7, Ump-Attire 6, Smitty Apparel 5, Cliff Keen 4, Honig's 3, Dalco 2, The Official's Choice 1

Prick Test

Cliff Keen 7, Ump-Attire 6, Smitty Apparel 5, Gerry Davis 4, Honig's 3, The Official's Choice 2, Dalco 1

Wrinkle Test
Ump-Attire 7, Smitty Apparel 6, Gerry Davis 6, Dalco 4,Honig's 3, The Official's Choice 3, Cliff Keen 1

Total

1. Ump-Attire (37)

2. Smitty Apparel (36)

3. Gerry Davis (33)
4. Honig’s (28)
5. The Official’s Choice (27)
6. Cliff Keen (21)
7. Dalco (18)

CONCLUSION AND FINAL THOUGHTS
I encountered a few surprises in writing this article. As stated the first surprise was the different moisture wicking materials used in these shirts. I was also surprised by the differences in weight and breathability. Finally, I was surprised that the quality of construction was actually very similar – none of these shirts will fall apart on you.

So which is the best shirt? For me I found the answer to this question depends on the weather. The best cold weather shirt is undoubtedly the Gerry Davis Signature Shirt which is heavy, does not breathe well (a plus in cold weather), and costs only $25.90. A close second is the Ump-Attire shirt with a $32.95 price tag.

In warm to hot weather I would choose the Smitty Apparel shirt for its decent breathability, wrinkle resistance, solid marks across the board, and very low cost ($22.95). Note that the weight difference between Smitty Apparel, Honig’s, and Ump-Attire is merely one ounce.

In the dog days of August I choose The Official’s Choice shirt at under 9 ounces for its open-hole mesh design and superior breathability. It is also the cheapest shirt in the review at $19.84. When its 98 degrees, no wind, and high humidity, I’ll take the lightest and most breathable shirt I can find. The Official’s Choice is the ideal shirt for that day.

Mile High Advanced Umpire Clinic

From the Mile High Advanced Umpire Clinic June 17-21, 2009 in Denver, Colorado:

"The Mile High Advanced Umpire Clinic is the culmination of the Umpire Training, Evaluation and Promotion (UTEP) program and is used to develop and prepare motivated individuals for advancement to higher levels of Baseball officiating.

Our staff of highly trained and experienced Professional, Semi-pro and NCAA Collegiate clinicians tailor our program to the needs of each student. Students are taught the fundamentals of Plate mechanics, head height, positioning, proper use of eyes, working the "slot" and making the call. Video tapes of the students are reviewed and critiqued for additional reinforcement of the in-cage instructions.

The field portion of the clinic concentrates on 2 and 3 man mechanics and is reinforced with video instructions and immediate feedback from our qualified team of instructors.

The clinic is held in conjunction with live competitive baseball games designed to build confidence and knowledge in 2 and 3 man mechanics. This provides the opportunity to use the skills acquired in the instructional portion of the clinic during real game situations."

Cost is $175.00, but get this: they pay you for the games you officiate while at the clinic!

Students also receive a clinic t-shirt, clinic photo, and a certificate of completion signed by the clinicians and instructors.

Mid-American Umpire Clinic

The tentative dates for the 2009 Mid-American Umpire Clinic are September 11-13 in Springfield, Missouri.

The Mid-American Umpire Clinic is designed for high school umpires looking to improve or make the jump into college baseball.



Cost is $125.00 by August 8 and $150.00 after August 8.
The registration deadline is September 1

NFHS Softball Illegal Pitches

The NFHS website has an outstanding collection of instructional videos to aid umpires in identifying various illegal pitches.

Go here

Umpire Schools, Camps, and Clinics

Below are U.S. umpire clinics and training. If you have a clinic that you would like to include, send me an email with the name, dates, and location.






On-Line
Baseball Rules Seminar
Eight week seminar
Hosted by Midwest Ump

UmpireTeacher.com
Midwest Ump Interview
Midwest Ump Review

Alabama
Central Alabama Collegiate Umpires Association Annual Camp
Faulkner University in Montgomery Alabama
September 17-September 19, 2010

Alaska

Arizona
Arizona Umpiring Academy
Surprise, AZ
January 29-31, 2010

Arizona Sports Officials Baseball Clinic
Phoenix, AZ
October 9-10, 2010

National Collegiate Umpire School
Peoria, AZ
October 10-17, 2010

Jim Evans 2009 Desert Classic Clinic
Tucson, Arizona
October 26 - October 31, 2010

Western Regional Umpire Clinic
Peoria, AZ
Oct. 20-24, 2010

National High School Umpire School
Peoria, AZ
Oct. 24-31, 2010

Pro Umpire Camp
Phoenix, AZ
March 3-7, 2010

Arkansas

California
Major League Baseball Umpire Camp
Compton & Long Beach, CA
November 7-14, 2010

Los Angeles Unit / MLB Umpire Clinic
Compton, CA
November 6, 2010

Between the Lines School of Umpiring
Sonoma County, CA
September 10-12, 2010

Gerry Davis Sports Umpire Clinic
University of Pacific, Stockton, Ca
January 15 - 17, 2010

BBUC (Black and Blue Umpire Camp)
Sacramento, CA
November 3-7. 2010
Contact: billy@blackandblueumpirecamps.com

Colorado
The Mile High Advanced Umpire Clinic
Denver, CO
June 16-20, 2010

Connecticut

Delaware
Gerry Davis Sports Umpire Clinic
Delaware Umpires Association
Caesar Rodney High School, Kent County
September 10-12, 2010

Florida
Southwest Florida Umpire Camps
Sarasota, FL
October 2, 2010

Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring
Kissimmee, Florida
January 3, 2011 - February 5, 2011

Jim Evans 2010 Florida Classic Clinic
Kissimmee, Florida
December 27, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Wendelstedt Umpire School
Daytona Beach, Florida
January 2, 2011 - February 6, 2011

Oceanside Umpire Training Seminar
Cocoa Expo Sports Center, Cocoa, FL
February 28th-March 14th, 2011
Midwest Ump Interview

MAC/MEAC 3-Man Florida Umpire Clinic
Orlando, FL
Week 1: October 17-23, 2010
Week 2: October 24-30, 2010

MEAC Camp
Daytona, FL
October 29-31, 2010

2010 Florida Collegiate Umpire Camp
Daytona, FL
October 22-24, 2010

Pro Umpire Camp
Ft. Pierce, FL
March 9-15, 2010

FHSAA State Baseball Umpire Clinic
Vero Beach Sports Village, FL
January 21-22, 2011
Other FHSAA clinics found here

Georgia
International Umpires Camp
Atlanta, Georgia
October 14-17, 2010

Southern Umpires Camp
Atlanta, Georgia
February 10-13, 2011

2010 National Umpires Association Spring Camp
Marietta, Georgia
February 20-21, 2010

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois
Great Plains Umpire Camp
LINCOLNLAND COLLEGE, Springfield, IL
October 8-10, 2010
donkingump@comcast.net

Wendelstedt Umpire School ChiTown Umpire Classic
Chicago, IL
November 19-21, 2010

Indiana
MIKE WALSH MEMORIAL ADVANCED UMPIRE CLINIC
Carmel, IN
July 30-August 1, 2010

Iowa

Kansas
Topeka Premier Umpire Clinic
Topeka, KS
September 24-26, 2010

Kentucky
Kentucky Baseball Umpires Camp
Louisville, KY
February 21, 2010

Louisiana
Wendelstedt Umpire School Bayou Umpire Classic
Covington, LA
November 26-28, 2010

Maine
State O'Maine Umpire Clinic
Windham, ME
April 24 and 25, 2010

Maryland
MAC/MEAC Advanced 2-Man Camp
Baltimore, MD
October 9-10, 2010

Massachusetts

Michigan
Bruce Doane Sr. Umpire Camp
Grand Rapids, MI
February 5-6, 2011

2011 SouthEast Michigan Umpire Camp
Livonia Stevenson HS
February 19-20, 2011

The Umpire Clinic
Battle Creek, MI
February 21, 2010

Minnesota
Vic Voltaggio Umpire Camp
St. Michael, MN
August 7-10, 2009
Midwest Ump Review

Gopher State Advanced Umpire Clinic
Rogers, MN
March 30-31, 2010

Mississippi
Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Umpire Camp
Hinds Community College, Raymond, MS
September 17-19, 2010
Contact Robert Holloway (601) 941-6146 or champ_39@yahoo.com

Missouri
Mid-American Umpire Clinic
Springfield, Missouri
September 10-12, 2010
Midwest Ump Interview
Midwest Ump Review

Mid-American Advanced Umpire Clinic
Springfield, Missouri
September 16-19, 2010

Montana
Montana Umpire Clinic
Helena, Montana
December 18-19, 2009
Featuring Dana DeMuth (MLB), Hunter Wendelstedt (MLB) and Doug Eddings (MLB)
Cost: $75
Contact: Jim Knight at 406.459.8755 or jknight@helenamotors.com

Nebraska

Nevada
Rocky Mountain Advanced Umpiring Clinic
Las Vegas, NV
September 22-27, 2009

New Hampshire

New Jersey
Wendelstedt Umpire School Patriot Umpire Classic
Flemington, NJ
November 11-14, 2010

New Mexico

New York
ECUA 2-Man Umpire Clinic
Yaphank, NY
August 9-11, 2010

CBUOA/ECUA 3-Man Umpire Clinic
Yaphank, NY
September 22-26, 2010

2010 Big Apple Baseball Umpires Clinic
New York, NY
12 weeks beginning January 13, 2010

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma
National Umpire Camps
Norman, OK
February 27-March 1, 2010

Oregon
Portland Baseball Umpires Association
Jim Evans Umpire Clinic
Tigard, Oregon
March 6-8, 2009

Northwest Region (LL) Umpire Mechanics Clinic
Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
March 19-21, 2010

Pennsylvania
Little League Umpire Clinic
Williamsport, PA
March 29-30, 2010

Rhode Island

South Carolina
Jim Evans 2010 Myrtle Beach Classic
Myrtle Beach Athletic Complex, Myrtle Beach, SC
December 7-12, 2010

South Carolina Umpire's Camp
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
January 23-24, 2010

South Dakota

Tennessee
2010 West Tennessee Umpire Camp
Jackson State Community College, Jackson, TN
September 18-19, 2010

Texas
South Texas Umpire Clinic
San Antonio, Texas
January 28-30, 2011

2010 Baseball USA "The Yard" Advanced Umpire Camp
Houston, TX
January 22-24, 2010

Basic Umpire School
Houston, TX
August 13-15, 2010

The Umpire Life Dream Camp 2010
Arlington, TX
February 18-21, 2010

Karl Young Baseball Advanced Collegiate Umpire Camp
Houston, TX
November 12-14, 2010

Heartland Umpire Classic
Euless, TX
January 29-31 OR February 5-7, 2010

The Lone Star Baseball Umpire Camp by The Alamo
San Antonio, TX
September 3-5, 2010

The Lone Star Baseball Umpire Evaluation Camp
Waco, TX
November 5-7, 2010
November 19-21, 2010

The Lone Star Baseball Umpire Camp
Abilene, TX
November 12-14, 2010

Baseball on the Gulf Umpire Camp
Corpus Christi & Kingsville, TX
December 3-5, 2010

Utah

Vermont

Virginia
MAC/MEAC Collegiate 2-Man Camp
Harrisonburg, VA
September 18-19.2010

MEAC Camp
Williamsburg, VA
September 24-26, 2010

MAC/High School 2-Man Camp
Northern Virginia
October 1-3, 2010

Washington
2nd Annual Kitsap Umpires Camp
Bremerton, WA
October 23-25, 2009

1st Annual Lower Columbia Baseball Umpires Clinic
Mark Morris HS - Longview, WA
August 21-22, 2010

Right Call Umpire Academy
Skyhawks Park - Lacey, WA
5 weeks beginning January 25, 2011
(360) 556-6982

West Virginia
2010 PRO Performance “Elite Umpire” Development Clinic
Morgantown, WV
February 21, 2010

Wisconsin

Wyoming