Cliff Keen Plate/Combo Pants

Lesters Upstate Sporting Goods
7353 State Route 96
Victor, NY 14564
Ph: (585) 924-3508 or (800) 468-9520
Fax : (585) 742-3708

For many umpires, double headers have become a fact of life: travel expenses, time off work, school, other reasons.   Many leagues are moving to double headers as a solution.  Last season my crew regularly saw at least one double header each weekend, and often one or two similar games during the week.  For the umpire; one game on the plate, a short turnaround, and the next game on bases.

For other umpires not knowing whether you are on plate or bases is also a concern.  Changing clothes in the parking lot is the norm rather then the exception and discovering you have the plate tonight, when you came dressed for bases, can be an unwelcome surprise.  What pants do I wear to the field?  What shirts do I bring?

Last season saw the release of the first “combo” pants.  My son and I had tried these pants last season.  On him, a physically fit 6’ 2” athlete, the pants looked clean, acceptable on base or plate.  On me, a significantly heavier land mass, the pants were only marginally acceptable, looking, as my wife put it, “OK, but only for house league.”

Shortly after the new year dawned I received an e-mail from David Prong, president of Lester’s Upstate Sports.  David and I regularly carried on discussions about new products and developments for umpires.  I have found him a valuable source for honest information about the tools of the profession.  Unlike many discount mail-order companies, where the person answering the phone has only a computer screen knowledge of the product, David had proven to be one of a few “trusted” information sources.  Over a series of messages last year we had discussed the pants issue, so when a new product by Cliff Keen came out, David arranged that I would have one of the first pairs to arrive in his store.

As usual, David’s service was prompt.  The package arrived by post only days after it was ordered.  Included with the package were two other items, a Hole-E-Brush and a new Lineup Card Wallet which are also reviewed on this site.

The pants, listed as “Cliff Keen Pleated Front Plate/Combo Pants” in his online catalogue, are traditional heather gray, not the newer sage gray (which should become available by next season).  The material is equivalent to the professional umpiring pants I normally wear.  Thread-count, the number of threads in a square inch of fabric, can make a significant difference in the long term wear (and laundering) of a uniform.  In the past I had purchased pants from other companies that had a lower thread-count.  They lasted for a season, sometimes only part of a season, before stretching, losing their seams, or showing abnormal wear.  The Cliff Keen pants had the familiar feel of the highest quality of umpiring pants I had purchased in the past.

The Tale of the Tape

It took only a few moments trim off the excess and turn the cuffs.  Since these pants would see use on the plate I make certain to machine stitch the cuff.  I always add one little bit of stitching on the buttoned back pocket.  By adding that small amount of stitching across the flap, slightly above the button, the back pocket is sewn closed in the middle and the flap, and button, are not stressed during wear.  Since I will rarely, if ever, use this pocket the cosmetic look of the pants is maintained throughout a season, and the button stays in place.

The pants are incredibly comfortable, not tight or binding, no restrictions to movement.  Unlike wearing plate pants while working the bases, there was not feeling of the “big cuff” following me around.  On bases they passed the “look” test and were pronounced suitable (by my wide) for any level of ball I might be working.

Working the plate, that is where the choice is mine.  Fully loaded, the pants were more then acceptable for use.  My +POS BB316 leg guards did not produce any binding in the knee or cuff area.  The pants had more then enough room to accommodate the cup protector without any tightness or stretching.  The long pleats expanded each time I went into the plate stance with no perceivable binding in the seat.  The pants returned to neat, trim look as I stood up.

From the measurements it is easy to see how the Cliff Keen pants are very similar to the professional plate pants I would normally wear.  The rise and expansion makes for a very comfortable pant.  The belt looks, which are not rolled into the waist band, take the wide professional belt and provide for a no-roll under the weight of ball bags.  As one expects in a quality product, lock stitching and reinforcement stitching was present and in all the proper places.

There is still snow on the ground as I write this review, but the pants have already seen their way through several umpire training sessions and clinics.  They have made their way in and out of my luggage bag, pads on/pads off, plate to base to classroom, numerous times.  I am more then satisfied with all aspects of these pants.

Overall, the Cliff Keen pants are an improvement over other combo pants I have tried and a high quality plate pant, if bought only for that purpose.  They are, in my opinion, a significant improvement over my normal base pants. I look forward to contacting David and ordering a second pair as the season gets underway.  What started out as a convenience for the double header weekends will take its place in my daily wear on the diamond.

.... reviewed March 14, 2001

On A Personal Note ....

I remember an umpire who bragged that he had saved $12.00 on the mask I had just ordered.  Mine arrived, the pads that I had been promised, the harness exactly as described.  Several weeks later his arrived, with vinyl pads and a replacement harness.  He contacted his supplier and returned the mask.  At the end of the season he had yet to see his new mask, it was now “out-of-stock” and he was out-of-pocket for the return shipping costs.

Does that mean that “deals” are not to be found?  Absolutely not.  It does speak volumes for those who know their product and stock personally and who can promise your satisfaction with what you order.  Over a season I probably spend only a few dollars more for this one-to-one service then if I ordered through chain suppliers, but I regularly save hours of frustration and expense waiting or returning items that are not exactly as the catalogue showed.

If you are an official purchasing equipment I strongly encourage you to first discuss your choice with someone who knows umpiring and who has a wide range of quality products available. You may spend a dollar more, you may actually save a dollar, but ultimately you will have a purchase that you are happy with and that meets your needs today and for the future.

That voice, on the end of the phone, or on your e-mail response, may turn out to be one of the most important members of your umpiring crew.  Some “Charlie” will always have a better system: how by sewing zippers into the legs of his pants he can slide his leg guards in and get by with a pair of pants he purchased at the local Goodwill Store.  The words of Jim Evans from the Academy of Professional Umpiring ring in my head at those moments: “What is the first criteria for the umpire?”  The answer: “Appearance”

When I first started umpiring I would have saved hundreds of dollars had someone pointed me in the direction of the suppliers I regularly use now.  As a seasoned official I encourage you, when it comes to ordering new clothing and equipment to make one call: the right call.  Check out your purchase carefully and thoroughly with someone who knows their product first hand. Let their professional experience point you in the right direction.