06/18/2025
LET'S DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY & LOOK THE PART!
Many don't know this, but there are several "unwritten rules" and a standard for our apparel that we wear, and I'd like to go over some of those for you; some are more important than others, but the more professional we can be, the more respect we will receive from others...coaches, players, fans/parents, and other umpires.
1.) MATCHING - All working umpires want to match their shirts, but we also want to match our own apparel. What I mean by that is if we wear black shirts (or anything black on it), we also should be wearing a black cap/hat & black ball bags. If we wear navy shirts (or anything with navy on it), we should be wearing a navy cap and navy ball bags.
2.) ASSOCIATION/LEAGUE - We want to wear shirts and caps that are either blank (NO logos on them), or wear it/them ONLY with the logo of the game we're working...or an association logo, if you're a part of one for that game. For example, we should NOT wear hats with a "WIAA" logo on it for ANY other game than sanctioned WIAA games. If you're working an American Legion Baseball ("ALB") game, you should only be wearing a blank cap or a cap that has the ALB logo on it (link at the bottom of this post to order yours). And we certainly shouldn't be wearing caps, shirts, or jackets with professional or collegiate league or association logos on them if we're not working those games. You'd NEVER see me wearing a Minor League Baseball cap or shirt while working a high school or ALB game. Does this cost more? Sure! But that's part of the investment we're committed to as an umpire.
3.) NO SLEEVES - It's the summer, so we shouldn't see too many sleeves being worn right now, but it's not kosher to wear long-sleeved shirts underneath short-sleeved umpire shirts. Solution: Either invest in the long-sleeved version of that particular shirt or wear a jacket. I've seen some wild combos, even lately, and they just don't look good or professional.
4.) CLEAN/CRISP - Please make sure your apparel (including your hat) is clean...and "crisp", as in not faded. Due to being in the sun as much as we are, our apparel will eventually fade. At some point we need to get new stuff when it looks like crap. Respect the profession and how you look and you'll automatically garner more respect from others.
5.) WEAR IT/THEM CORRECTLY - Our apparel and gear is designed the way it is for a reason!
A.) NEVER wear your hat backwards on a baseball field. I'm all about wearing a backwards hat when hanging out with my buddies, but when you're on a baseball field, wear it the way it was designed. As a plate umpire, LEARN how to properly take off your mask so that your hat doesn't fall off; ALWAYS take off (and hold) your mask with/in your left hand (along with your indicator), and while taking off your mask you flare the bottom of the mask "out", then "up", and your hat should stay put.
B.) Wear plate shoes and cut or pull the "flaps"/extensions off of your shin guards. If you don't have plate shoes, please invest in them; had I not been wearing them last weekend I would have broken my right big toe! Until you have them, you can use your shin guard flaps...but once you have your plate shoes, get rid of them because they look ridiculous and aren't needed.
C.) Press your pants! If you show up on a baseball field as an umpire and your pants and/or shirt are all wrinkled, you've already lost credibility with those in attendance. Look the part and be professional.
D.) TUCK IN your shirt, and keep it nice and tight. Please, for the love of the game, don't look like a slob. The moment you don't look like an umpire is the moment you won't be treated as one...with respect, anyway. Why would anyone have respect for someone who doesn't take what they do seriously?
There are more things than this that we should be aware of, but that list should work for now. As always, don't hesitate to reach out to me with ANY questions! Feel free to message me on here, or give me a call at 210.428.9243
Let's start going to the black shirt with gray side panels and sky blue shirts with black side panels, rather than the old shirts; most umpires across the country haven't worn the old navy shirts in over a decade...I think it's about time we get up to date and with the times.
Here are several sites to choose from for apparel, accessories, and gear:
www.Ump-Attire.com
www.PurchaseOfficials.com (can get WIAA caps here)
www.OfficialsDepot.com
www.Hudson51Wear.com
www.StripesPlus.com
www.GerryDavis.com (can get WIAA caps here)
www.Honigs.com
www.PlusPOS.com
For those umpires who are working American Legion baseball games - as mentioned above - please either wear blank caps/hats or ones with the American Legion Baseball logo on them. To repeat, if you're wearing a black shirt, then wear a black cap...and the same goes for navy. You can get your ALB caps here:
https://emblem.legion.org/searchprods.asp
Send a message to learn more
