The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Sports

June 15, 2012

Cooling technology helping umps handle the heat

CINCINNATI — Those summer scorchers don’t make plate umpires melt down anymore.

Cooling technology that’s been used by the military for years is now helping the umps get through those days when the temperatures soar well above 90 and the humidity makes handling the plate a very sweaty job. They can wear vests with cooling packs or tuck one of the packs under their chest protector.

Umps were a little skeptical of the equipment at first, but have quickly taken a liking to it. Some say it makes the temperature feel 20 degrees cooler for them.

It’s a vast improvement from the days of broiling games when umpires got so dehydrated their fingers would wrinkle and did all they could to stay on the field for nine innings.

 

Text Only
High School Sports

Missouri Southern Sports
Pittsburg State Sports

Joplin Globe Sports Updates
Follow me on Twitter
Purchase Globe Sports Photos


Mark Schremmer
Beyond the Box Score
75 years of MSSU Sports
Facebook
Opinion
Local News
Poll

Do you plan to attend any of the events planned Wednesday on the second anniversary of the May 2011 tornado?

A. Yes.
B. No.
     View Results