Pleated Umpire 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

Sooner or later, the aura of two games back-to-back enters into the umpire's life. The other situation, when the umpire does not know whether they will have a plate or base assignment is also situation we all deal with. It might be a regular occurrence, or part of a tournament schedule, a weekend or just the way the schedule tumbled, but whether it is one, two or more games it can mean a complete change of clothing, equipment, shoes, socks even underwear.

Two pairs of pants, one for bases and one for plate, are an important part of the umpire's game clothing. With a plate pant, the extra two inches in the knees, additional room to accommodate the cup and full cut seat assist the umpire in staying comfortable as the game progresses.

Wearing your plate pants out to the bases is a perfect example of umpire fashion gone amuck. Modern teenagers, who wear pant legs wider then their waist, will ask you "Where'd you get the cool wide-leg pants dude?" Not only that, the impression given by the umpire dressed in the wrong pants is one of sloppiness. Wearing base pants behind the plate creates a look of being poured into the wrong clothing, while wearing plate pants out to the bases creates the opposite look the umpire is striving for.

For me, part of the Sunday routine has become one game on plate, the next on bases, with fifteen minutes between games: barely time to take the equipment off, or put the equipment on, let alone the complete clothing change, go to the washroom or get a drink. Add to this, the field we are at has no facilities for the umpire to change in, meaning accomplishing this change in the parking area, hidden between the doors of our car.

Scanning the web for what was new in umpiring brought me to Lesters Upstate Sports who were advertising a new Pleated Combo Pant made by Fechheimer which according to David Prong, company president, met all the requirements of the extra room required, and a trim look which looked fine on the bases. The price, at $46.00, was right and true to his "fast delivery" promise the package arrived.

First stop, the best professional seamstress I know, my mom. A quick cuff turn, a little trick I do sewing the back left pocket (the one with the button) partially closed, and the pants were ready for the diamond. I want to relay to you my mother's observations because she took more than a few minutes to explain some of the manufacturing techniques used in the pants.

• There is a double seat sewn into the pants. Invisible, but fully serged into the pants is a second layer of material. This is similar to the uniform construction found in riding pants or pants developed for people who must sit a lot, particularly drivers or pilots. It ensures a pant that will have extended wear and will retain its shape without undue stress on the fabric over the stretched areas.
• The zipper was an extremely strong metal "K" lock style, exactly what you want on a pant that will undergo the stretching, pulling and laundering of an umpire pant.
• The waistband was wide, and fitted with three rows of high quality Snug-Tex® material. There were seven belt loops, designed to handle a wide uniform belt.
• The stitching in the rear seams was particularly well done, and would require a miracle to pull apart.
• The overall craftsmanship was superb. I was shown how this material is not considered easy to work with since it stretches freely. The eyes of a trained seamstress were impressed with the attention to the detail stitching, reinforcing and overall craftsmanship.

Now for the critical factor: the look. On the bases these pants looked sharp. There was only a hint of bagginess in the back, and the extra width in the legs easily disguised, certainly not visible to the casual observer. The two pleats in the front balanced the pant's look so they created the pleasing visual lines an umpire likes to have. As base pants, I am 100% pleased.

Fully loaded, with the umpire wearing McDavid's InteraWear full-length compression tights (also available through Lesters), a cup protector and leg guards (in my case +POS BB316-18's) the pants looked and felt comfortable. They did not bind or restrict my full range of motion, whether in a standard heel-toe stance or in a deep scissors stance. It is impossible to wear my plate equipment under a normal base pant so these were a definite improvement. As plate pants, again I am very happy, but I must admit to being spoiled here, for years I have worn a proper plate pant and I found the Combo pants just a touch less flowing over the surface of my equipment. It was not something that I would even claim as a fault with the pants, nor a reason I would not wear them behind the plate, just a statement of a personal feeling.

My recommendation: personally, if I have a choice I will continue to select my specialized plate pants whenever possible, but on Sundays, tournaments, or games when I am not sure whether I will be working plate or bases, these pants have a definite place in my wardrobe.

If I were an umpire buying their first professional pair of pants this would be my clear choice. I have a sneaking suspicion that as the season progresses, more and more my regular base pants are going to be left at home, replaced by these pants. They are just too comfortable to leave hanging in the cupboard.

As the season progresses I will keep you updated on how these pants launder and hold up.

- a four plate rating! (4/5)

.... December 27, 1999

What is the back pocket trick?

Several seasons ago I got fed up regularly replacing the button on the back left pocket of my pants. It was, in my opinion, a combination of the stretch and strain of the material, coupled with sitting or getting in and out of wearing the pants while traveling to and from the field. (Who has not found the buttons lodged into the seats of our cars?)

I only use the left back pocket for one thing, occasionally, very rarely, I will put my indicator there. I did a sewing trick I had learned in the theatre. The pocket was sewn closed, not all the way mind you, but just under the edge of the button flap. If the pocket had the looped over button a few stitches were also applied to it, just under the button.

The pocket is still usable and will hold my indicator, but there is no stress or strain placed on the button or button loop, The results, no lost buttons in two seasons of baseball.