Post away!

okay ump, here's a few you might not have thought about:

What's the purpose of that fu manchu thingy hanging off the end of the home plate ump's mask?

and another:
what's the most extraneous piece of equipment that you are either required to wear, or given an option for?

and for silliness sakes:
is there any player that makes your stomach flutter whenever you see him at work? you know, like, "oh my G-d! there he is!"

Best of luck in your new forum Ump!!

and finally:
do ump's have a voice in improvements in equipment, or suggestions for those things that would be handy or great to have?

[quote]Originally posted by smrobbins65:
okay ump, here's a few you might not have thought about:

What's the purpose of that fu manchu thingy hanging off the end of the home plate ump's mask?

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That's a throat guard. Masks nowadays are made with an extension that helps protect our throats. Some umpires have a throat guard that is further attached to this bottom part of the mask to afford us even more protection.

Even with these helpful things, you'd be surprised how dangerous and painful it is getting a foul ball hit right to that area.
[quote]
and another:
what's the most extraneous piece of equipment that you are either required to wear, or given an option for?

---

My cup, which bugs the hell out of me when it won't stay straight. One game it fits just right, another game it's driving me nuts.
[quote]
and for silliness sakes:
is there any player that makes your stomach flutter whenever you see him at work? you know, like, "oh my G-d! there he is!"

Best of luck in your new forum Ump!!

---

Nope. My mind is set on only one thing: Doing my job.
[quote]
and finally:
do ump's have a voice in improvements in equipment, or suggestions for those things that would be handy or great to have?

---

Yes, we offer suggestions to our superiors on certain things, especially since our present union believes that we need to have a cooperative, interactive approach with MLB. We don't believe in the old union days when everything was always confrontational, "us vs. them" type attitudes. We believe if we can work together and share ideas, then we can make our jobs better and thus make the game better.

With respect to our equipment and uniforms, there are a few of us who actually got into the manufacturing or selling of this. For example, Gerry Davis, a major league crew chief, owns his own business called Gerry Davis Sports, in Appleton, WI., his home town. Unlike other sports officials suppliers who provide for every sport known to man, Gerry focuses on baseball only (he recently did, however, introduce basketball to the mix). Gerry has taken the many suggestions of umpires on the professional and amateur level to make and sell some top-notch stuff that most of his competitors don't sell.

We refer to it as "For officials, By officials." A nice change we think.

[ June 21, 2002: Message edited by: Ump25 ]

Many thanks, Ump25, for sharing your Major League Baseball expertise with us.
Since the subject of "The Cup" has already been broached, I thought I would ask some of the "inevitable questions" about this article of equipment. It's not my intention to begin a salacious discussion here, but I will say that, for a long time I've wondered about the answers to these questions, and I've found no one else I could ask!
Do all professional baseball players wear a cup, or is this more a matter of individual choice? Yes, I'll admit that I'm one of those spectators who admires baseball players from head to toe as well as every area in-between, and it strikes me that I'm not usually noticing an endowment of protective plastic beneath the uniforms. I imagine it must be a fairly discreet piece of equipment to remain essentially invisible.
The comfort level of wearing a cup must be another matter entirely because, judging from the occasional player responses I've heard, it seems that it proves to be an almost universal irritant. Is this the reason many baseball players appear to have the inclination to "adjust" themselves every few minutes? Some of the female fans I know consider this to be a weird gonadal fixation; would I be correct in informing them that it's just an ill-fitting cup causing the problem?
What is this thing made of, anyway?
Thanks again for your helpful replies to our inquiries.

[quote]Originally posted by fielderschoice:
Do all professional baseball players wear a cup, or is this more a matter of individual choice?

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It's strictly a matter of choice, and just about everyone I know wears one. Are there those who do not wear one? Well, permit me to say that to each his own.

[quote]I imagine it must be a fairly discreet piece of equipment to remain essentially invisible.

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It depends on which type of cup one wears. There are several types, the absolute best of which is the traditional banana cup. That particular one is the strongest nonmetal one made.

[quote]The comfort level of wearing a cup must be another matter entirely because, judging from the occasional player responses I've heard, it seems that it proves to be an almost universal irritant. Is this the reason many baseball players appear to have the inclination to "adjust" themselves every few minutes?

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This is correct. As I mentioned previously, these damn things are finicky, to say the least. Sometimes mine fits right in there, content to stay put and never move during the game. At other times, it's driving me nuts, moving around and making it uncomfortable. I can never seem to figure it out, even after all these long years of umpiring.

[quote]What is this thing made of, anyway?
Thanks again for your helpful replies to our inquiries.

---

They're made of either plastic or a fiberglass type of material for the most part. The banana cup is the hardest nonmetal one I have used. I've taken fast balls there with nary a hint of discomfort.

[Edited to ask the always burning rhetorical question: Are we really talking about protective supporters--"cups"--on this board?]

[ June 24, 2002: Message edited by: Ump25 ]