Tuesday, May 11, 2010

HOW TO DRESS FOR BASEBALL IN BAD WEATHER.

I firmly believe that there is a science of how to dress appropriately for baseball in wet weather, baseball in cold weather, and baseball in rainy and cold weather. It might seem simple to you, but I get enough search queries on the subject that I thought it was high time I wrote something about how to dress for a baseball game when the weather is less than perfect. This advice can apply for males and females.

I carry a bag of clothes to the ballpark until well into June, and even after that, I always have a long-sleeved tshirt with me at all times. I have watched August days that were 80 degrees and sunny deteriorate into windy and cool nights. However, I don’t like being cold, don’t care much about what anyone thinks about what I’m wearing, and don’t think it’s cool or edgy to be uncomfortable the entire night, and my home ballpark allows bags.  Let’s get into the details.

SHOES. It really does start at the bottom up. I have a pair of LL Bean Merrell moc knockoffs that I use pretty much just to go to the ballgame in when the weather is cold and wet (or to help my mom garden). These are better than sneakers because there aren’t a lot of holes or nooks and crannies that wind or wet can sneak through. I wore real sneakers to a windy game a few weeks ago and could absolutely tell the difference. Whatever you choose, my only caveat is to make sure that they aren’t totally uncomfortable and that they breathe. That means anything plastic or rubber is out, including those ‘cute’ rubber rain boots that are all the rage.

SOCKS. You don’t want cotton, you want wool. Good wool socks make such a difference. If your feet get wet in cotton they will just be cold for the rest of the night. If they get wet and you’re wearing wool they will still stay warm. This is a trick I learned when I was in Girl Scouts. Buy a pair or two of 100% wool socks (you can get deals on Smartwool on eBay) and put one in your baseball bag. You will spend about $7 on a good pair of socks but it is worth it.

LEGS. I recommend jeans, because of the thickness, but not the ‘nice’ jeans you might be able to wear to work because the fabric is too thin. I don’t wear tights or long johns unless it is snowing and that’s usually something that’s happened in late season baseball. I did put on tights for Opening Day in Cincinnati in 2008 because it SNOWED. That’s also the only time TBF has worn something under his jeans.

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CHEAP FLEECE BLANKET. I make up for the lack of tights with this. You need to go to your 99 cent or dollar store and buy a fleece blanket. Don’t take anything good to the ballpark, don’t bring the one from home. You need something fleece so it’s light and you need something crappy so you don’t care if you lose it or if you drop it in a puddle. 

GLOVES AND HAND WARMERS. I am convinced that you need both. Ideally the gloves have the ability to have access to your fingertips or you will drop your phone in a puddle and be pissed. Good polar fleece or wool, again. Polar fleece are light, wool will keep you warm…I know, I know, when your hands get wet.  Handwarmers can be acquired at any camping or army-navy surplus store. I have sometimes stuck a handwarmer in my hat when things were very bad.

HATS. If you have an official New Era wool hat, you’re in pretty good shape but the hat will get messed up if it’s raining, so you might not want to do that. For the guys, this and a pair of earmuffs is probably all you need in cold or windy weather. My usual plan involves any baseball cap and a hood over it. In extreme weather I stop caring about team colors and have a merino wool hat I bought to go to the inauguration in 09. Again, wool insulates even when wet. The giveaway knit hat from your team is not wool and will only keep you warm to a certain extent. I wouldn’t count on it.

SCARF. I get a sore throat when a warm breeze blows by on a 70 degree day so I always have a scarf. But I think that a scarf is a quick and easy way to add warmth that doesn’t take up a lot of room in your bag or pocket, and even my companion has started carrying a scarf because he agrees that it makes a difference. The back of your neck is very vulnerable in a ballpark. Bring a scarf. I use a wool blend or fleece for this because wool is too scratchy around my throat. Your team’s scarf giveaway may or may not be warm enough, bring a backup until you know if it is or not.

TOP LAYERS: Tank top or Under Armour, long sleeve tshirt, team tshirt. I bring another LS tshirt as a layer. Don’t put it all on when you leave the house, especially if you’re going to be in a car or a train, you will just get too hot and sweaty before the game even starts. You want to add layers as the game goes along. I usually end up adding layers in the 4th inning.

OVER EVERYTHING: The trick is to buy the biggest guy’s hooded sweatshirt in your team colors that you can find. It has to be at least 2 sizes bigger than you are. Yes, it has to be a hoodie, because it keeps the wind off the back of your head when you are sitting in the cheap seats. I ended up with a 3x men’s sweatshirt when the Mets were in the playoffs in 2006 because it was all they had left and it has been a lifesaver. The reason it has to be big is so you can pile on all your layers underneath it but still be able to move around. No matter what you will do you will look like the Michelin man. You can look cute and freeze your ass off or you can just be warm.  I know guys like to rock the hoodie underneath a jersey but then your jersey has to be huge. It’s not a look I like so I don’t do it, my jersey is big enough already. But it is a solution.

IF IT RAINS: You want a rain poncho, not an umbrella - all an umbrella does is annoy everyone around you as you hit them or block their view with the umbrella. You want a poncho that’s cheap enough so that if you lose it or it gets ripped you don’t care, but not garbage bag cheap. That said I have both, and have carried the cheap-ass ones late in the year or when I don’t have room in my bag for anything else (the cheap ones are smaller). You want a poncho and not a raincoat, no matter how dumb you think it makes you look, because it is more conducive to sitting down or standing up for long periods of time. The poncho also goes on easy over your hoodie/layers combination above.

HOT COFFEE: Really will help. If you can get some right before the game, when you’ve just arrived and still have some body heat, it will help keep you warm through most of it. Getting it later when you are chilled to the bone already, the warm beverage will have a harder time warming you up.

ALCOHOL: Probably wouldn’t hurt if you could get it in, but of course I would never endorse anything illegal. I don’t think that beer helps and cannot see the logic in holding a cold beverage and consuming a cold beverage WHEN I WAS ALREADY COLD.

LOGISTICAL LAST TIP: Unless you are at a playoff game, if the weather is not good, don’t go sit in your seat until after the anthem. This is critical. I don’t care if you stand in the bathroom the entire time, but don’t waste your body heat in pointless pre-game activities. You will get an extra two innings of comfort if you do this. Other places to hide until first pitch include the team store and near the bullpens (if they’re not on the field). If you drive, stay in the car. I like to be in my seat about 10-15 minutes before the anthem so I can get settled and eat in peace, but it’s not worth it when it’s miserable.