List of Umpiring Equipment & Uniform Suppliers

Many suppliers and companies sell equipment and uniforms for umpires. In my 27 years as a softball umpire, I've found a few reputable dealers. The following is a list of companies and organizations I've come to trust over the years. No doubt there are others; take my recommendations as “word-of-mouth” suggestions from someone who has spent a little time in the trenches over the years.

There are a few points to consider when looking for uniforms and protective equipment.

Uniforms are just that--UNIFORM. Every umpire in an organization should look alike. The organization for which you work has very specific uniform requirements. Be a professional and meet the requirements, even if it means spending an extra buck or two.
Take care of your uniforms. Buy sized hats. Your nut isn't going to grow that much during the lifetime of a hat. Clean and peak your hats. Wash your ball bags often. Make sure your pants show good, sharp creases. Always walk on the field with shined shoes. They may get dusty before your pregame conference is over, but remember first impressions are very strong and hard to change. If one umpire looks sloppy, the players and fans will say that the whole crew looked like hell. It isn't fair, but it is true.
Regarding protective equipment: BUY THE BEST. Wear what the professionals wear, even if it costs more. If you get hurt, you miss games. If you can't rely on your equipment for adequate protection, you cannot fully concentrate on every pitch. You'll start hiding in the catcher's back pocket, and miss the outside corner. Protective equipment is your toolkit: don't buy cheap tools.

+POS: Parson's Official Supply 515 W. Lunt Avenue, Schaumburg, IL 60193 USA Fax: 847- 352-3375; Telephone: 1-800-323-5722.

Top-of-the line protective gear: shin guards, shoes and masks. Excellent uniform shirts and pants. They also sell Leather Luster^® kits and sized hats. You get 10% off protective equipment every December. Warning: softball orders in December and January usually take several weeks to complete. You can order by email, but their site is NOT secure.

Honig's Whistle Stop 3710 Old College Road, Bryan, TX 77801 USA Fax: 409- 260-6808; Telephone: 1-800-666-7827.

Top-of-the line clothing: shirts, pants, McDavid InteraWear undergarments. Lots of accessories like cap caddies and banana cups. I've not used their chest protector, but many friends have them and swear by them (not at them). Honig's is great for processing orders FAST. You can order by email; their site is secure.

ASA's Umpire Uniform Program ASA Properties, Inc., 2801 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111 USA Telephone: 1-800-654-8337 (7 am-4 pm MST).

This is where to get official ASA Umpire gear. Sized caps and ballbags with ASA logos are the only types acceptable in National Tournaments. You can order securely over the Internet.

BodyGuard Products, Inc. 341 Barrett Road, Emmaus, PA 18049 Telephone: 1-800-274-6070.

This is where to buy UMP^® chest protectors and UMPSkins^® compression shorts. These are my personal choices as the best for softball. Dale Culton (the owner) is an ASA umpire and a Regular Joe. He's very pleasant to deal with on the telephone. Unfortunately, the telephone is quite often busy (he's a one-man operation), and you cannot order directly from his Web site. I've asked him about this, but he doesn't seem interested in changing this to an automated ordering system anytime soon. Once you've gotten through, delivery is almost between 3 days and a week.
Personally, I would steer away from the UMPShins^® shin guards in favor of more sturdy gear sold by +POS. Always look for shin guards with a “floating double-knee” guard. (If you don't know why, you will learn the first time a pitch hits you on the seam, right between the knee and shin plates. It's like wearing nothing right below your kneecap.)