With the 80-100 MPH pitches, the game of baseball can become very dangerous for the umpire standing without the right equipment.
Safety is important and an umpire needs various gears to remain safe. We have compiled the best baseball umpire gears that can help you to concentrate on your work.
How Many Gears for the Umpire in Baseball?
How a baseball game can be injurious to an umpire is a long debate. But, it is for sure, when an umpire doesn’t wear protective gears, the damage is a must.
Head and Face:
Starting from the head, there are two kinds of the facemask to protect the head and face region. You can go for the hockey-style helmet or the traditional mask.
Chest:
Chest cages heart, lungs, and ribs. The high impact can cause long-lasting damage to the body. That’s why there are chest protectors for the umpires. They not only cover the chest but also protect the shoulders and neck.
Legs:
Because of the umpire stance, their legs are likely to get damaged. So, leg and shin protection is provided by special gears that further protect the ankle, lower thigh, knee, ankle, and foot.
Shoes:
Umpires wear low-top sneakers for better movement. Soles are usually made from rubber for the base umpires and plate umpires go for plate shoes having rubber cleats with steel toes. Umpires wear shoes with socks of black color mostly.
Outfit:
Under the protective gear, umpires have to wear the outfit that makes them look good. Pant is usually heather gray. It can and cannot have pleats depending on personal choice. The length is longer than normal as the pant leg bottoms must cover the ankle and back of the shoes completely. A regular leather belt or shiny black belt can go with the pants.
Shirts come in diverse styles and colors. But the most common is a black color shirt having a left breast pocket. The color to select is mainly decided by the league.
The base and plate umpire must wear a hat having a 2-inch brim. The plate umpire cannot wear it backward at all on the field.
Below is the best one for each type:
Wilson Pro Platinum Umpire Chest Protector
When it comes to protecting the chest region, Wilson’s chest protector is one of the best you can get.
It has the fitted protector at the front with extra padding at the side and the neck pad which is very comfortable. The protector easily fits at the shoulder enhancing the protection overall. To improve rigidity and support, it has a continued single-piece shoulder plate that offers wide side coverage.
Furthermore, the armor is sturdy enough to protect the body from any kind of impact. To keep things better at your end, the armor is removable and the lining can be washed easily for the next game.
This chest protector is breathable and keeps you cool so you can do your task in the field without any stress. It prevents moisture absorption for comfortable protection.
Overall, the built quality is amazing with optimal protection. It can be your partner for any game to come.
Champion Sports Umpire Chest Protector
With ergonomic armor, extra wide side coverage, and raised shoulder caps, this chest guard has every feature needed for the ultimate protection during the game.
Having soft shell padding, this armor provides comfort along with shielding the chest. The inside is made from a lightweight mesh cover that is perfect for motility during umpiring. The soft foam padding can be washed easily. The design of this umpire gear makes it cool and breathable. Thanks to this, it remains free from sweat and moisture so it doesn’t feel wet and uncomfortable during the game.
Whether you are new in the field or a veteran, it seems perfect for all. It offers extra-wide side coverage to enhance protection. Also, the raised double shoulder caps add further safety.
The outer shield is made from plastic to withstand any impact. Even when the pitches go wild, you can stand firm on the ground with this armor on. Also, the Velcro attached body pads increase its functionality.
Beneficial for softball and baseball alike, the safety it offers is supreme. Having just the right protection with the perfect comfort, along with three different sizes, this chest protector is surely for all.
Champion Sports Umpire Leg Guards
Offering the best knee protection with unhindered mobility, the quality of this single knee shun guard is unparalleled.
This shin guard provides comfort while protecting. It is very flexible so you can easily move to do your duty in the field. Not only that, but it is also very light weighted and feels like you are wearing no gear at all.
As the position of the umpires makes them vulnerable, the leg guard offers additional knee protection. It features double-panel kneecaps that means no matter how much wild the pitch is, it cannot harm you.
The outer of the leg guard has tough hard plastic but the inside is soft and comfortable. The combination provides extra impact absorption. To enhance its shielding effect, it has a wrap-around padding style that also covers the edges.
The length is also very appropriate as it is 16.5 inches long to cover the shin region from top to bottom. Also, it becomes easy to secure them with their adjustable straps. You can make them fit with comfort without affecting your mobility.
All in all, with this shin guard, you don’t have to be worried at all when putting your feet on the playing ground.
Wilson Dyna-Lite Umpire and Catcher’s Face Mask
This face mask has a high-quality steel cage with outstanding impact protection to keep the game going.
Having the combination of high profile cage design with soft inner pads, this face mask provides advanced protection. It shields the face using high profile steel cage having a polyurethane finish. Because of this, it secures against any impact.
Furthermore, it has non-wrap interchangeable pads that make it fit perfectly. This feature also makes maintenance simple and easy. The pad material is synthetic absorbent with a PU exterior; it remains dry and doesn’t hinder your work. Also, it gives the maximum shock-absorbing ability.
Also, the design is efficient and provides you with the perfect view along with proving protection. It doesn’t feel heavy to wear and it appears quite good. Overall, it keeps you safe with style.
ChamproThe Field Polyester Baseball Umpire Pant
Made from imported 100% polyester, these umpire pants are classical with all the modern features.
These pants are comfortable but tough thanks to their woven polyester construction. To keep them secure around the waist, an elastic waistband is present that gives a cozy feel. These are the combo pants that are designed in a way that leg guards can easily be set.
Hemming is required in these pants as the leg bottoms are unfinished so you can have the perfect fit. Available in nine different sizes, every umpire can find the ideal fit. These pants are highly durable as they have a double panel fabric seat.
Furthermore, the fabric is water-resistant so the sweat cannot bother you while umpiring. Also to keep your belongings safe during the game, it comes with two front pockets and two back pockets.
The quality of the fabric, design, and stitching, every aspect of these pants makes them outstanding.
Smitty Major League Style Umpire Shirt
High-quality fabric, moisture-managing, elegant in style, and beautiful in design, all these qualities are present in this major-league style umpire shirt.
Featuring moisture management performance mesh, this cool-looking shirt is made exclusively in the USA. This shirt remains dry and keeps sweat away.
When it comes to design and style, this shirt is second to none. It has contrasting piping on the collar to enhance the collar design. Additionally, there are contrasting side panels as well. To make things even better, it features additional tuck-in length split tail bottom.
The shirt is sized in a way that it can become one with the chest protector. Also, it features a left chest pocket. It is offered in a diverse range of 7 sizes starting from small and going up to 4X-Large. The color choice is also present. You can select from 4 different combinations of colors.
On the whole, this 3-button edge-stitched placket shirt is for those stylish umpires who don’t want to compromise their looks while umpiring.
Conclusions
Umpiring is tough especially due to their specific stance. As umpires are more prone to get injured in the rough game of baseball, the umpire gears allow umpires to judge without fuss. It can help them to focus on the game without getting worried about their injury.
We have made the list of the best umpire gear, so you don’t have to go through long research in taking the right decision. Just pick them and carry on with you work flawlessly.