We will build you from the ground up. No one expects all newer umpires to acquire all the items below in one season. It will take some time to acquire all of this. Everyone in NW must have our cap and the proper basic uniform along with the correct safety equipment.
1. Shoes – Plate – predominately black, safety shoe (hard toe & instep pad). Minimal white showing.
Base – predominately black that can be used on natural and/or artificial turf.
2. Shoe shine kit.
3. Socks – black.
4. Jockstrap or tights with a cup pocket. There is a set of tights that protect your thighs with a padding for balls that bounce up at might sting if the padding were not there. I have a pair and they are great.
5. Pants – heather or charcoal gray. Wide leg for plate and narrow leg for bases or a combo pant.
6. Leg Guards – protection for knee, shin, ankle and top of foot.
7. Belt – black – preferably a 1 ½ inch width.
8. Navy Blue or Black Ball Bags – you may use one or two. This is an individual decision but gray ball bags do not match well with any type of uniform. So, your best bet is to invest in at least one new navy or black ball bag depending on what level of ball you do. I suggest if you work with only 3 or 4 balls in any of your games, you only need one bag. If you have the luxury of working with more than 4 balls in any game, use 2 ball bags. Again, NW suggests to get rid of your gray ball bags. Never wear a ball bag on the bases and if you every umpire just in a batting cage, never wear one there either. For any clinic we do, do not bring ball bags.
9. Indicator for plate only. Learn to not use one on the bases and learn to keep track of it without using it as a crutch on the bases.
10. Plate Brush – one that is small enough to carry in your ball bag, back pocket or breast pocket without being seen but will clean the plate with a few brush strokes. Never clean the plate facing the pitcher. Only clean it while facing the catcher and bend at the knees while cleaning. Clean the plate with your mask in your hand and not on your face. Do not kick the plate clean. Show respect for the game by doing it correctly and professionally. Do not clean the plate while a batter is at bat if it can wait until between batters. Clean it before an inning begins if it is necessary. Also, in wet conditions, get one of the teams to get a dry towel to clean the plate with. If the dirt is dry around the plate, use the dry dirt to dry the plate and then use your plate shoe to push or pull the dirt off and you will be amazed how well that dries up the plate for awhile.
11. Pen, Pencil, Lineup Card Holder
12. Extra shoe strings.
13. Shirt – High school – navy blue polo style shirt with red/white/navy trim. College – black with white trim or powder blue with the correct black and powder blue collar. Other colors are correct as long as you match with your partner in summer baseball. So are the colors for high school and college. However, all umpires must have a navy blue high school shirt above to be a member in this organization. This is our standard shirt.
14. Jacket – It must be navy for high school and black for college. However, for any other ball it can be either the navy or the black. The key thing is to match with your partner’s color. If one of you wears their jacket, it does not mean the other one has to wear a jacket. It does mean you need to have the same color.
15. Chest Protector – Inside is preferable but there are a few of our veterans that are allowed to be grandfathered in with the outside protector (balloon).
16. Cap – a. Plate – Combo (4) stitch or 6 stitch cap is ok here.
b. Base – Combo (4) stitch or 6 stitch or 8 stitch cap is ok here. All Northwest assigned games must use a NW cap for all umpires.
You can purchase them for a nominal price at General Sports near 50th & France in Edina from our own Shawn Vellek.
17. A Safe and Proper Mask. It can be the standard mask or the Hockey Goalie style. The color should be close to the color of shirt you will wear most of the time. Navy or black is a good first choice.
18. Undershirt – Navy blue, red for under the navy or powder blue shirts. White or black under the black, powder blue college or the cream color. I am sure there are other combinations I am missing here. The key thing is to match your partner if the undershirt shows above your chest protector.
19. Insect Repellant, Sun Block, Water, Towel or Handkerchief.
20. Cold Weather Gear – windbreaker, thinsulate black gloves, thinsulate neck and head protection, many layers of tights and or tops to prevent the wind from making you uncomfortable.
21. Hot weather Gear – undershirts that will wick the moisture away from your body and cool you.
22. Miscellaneous items that you might need that I cannot think of at this time.
23. Other items will be added as a need arises. Items like the NCAA Designated Hitter Cheat Sheet. A pre-game checklist that you or NW has designed to use in a good pre-game that we all need to do every game.