HOUSTON — There’s dressing down, dressing up, and, in this case, dressing in whatever is available.
Taking the field at the Astrodome on July 10, 1979 -- the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates. Plus, some other guys sporting Astros caps.
It's the umpires wearing something borrowed and not blue.
The crew's luggage never makes it to Houston, forcing the group to improvise. Some are wearing their own clothes, others wearing the same outfits as the Astrodome's concession workers.
To me, the most incredible part of all this is the access reporters had back then. Before the game, KHOU 11's Ron Franklin is in the umpires' dressing room with Fred Brocklander, who’s having a make-do chest protector assembled.
“How many baseballs can you get in those pockets?” Franklin asks.
“I guess the best we’ll get is two – one on each side,” Brocklander replies.
Umpire Paul Pryor mentions his cap has the logo of a golf course in Pennsylvania.
“At least I’m not for Houston, I’m in the middle,” Pryor says with a laugh.
The game is delayed 13 minutes and when the umpires emerge from the tunnel, upwards of 30,000 fans have a good laugh.
Pittsburgh manager Chuck Tanner jokingly placed a Pirates cap on one ump, to even things out.
There's no advantage gained, however.
The Astros lost 4-3 while the umps' plight is mentioned in newspapers around the country before getting their stuff back.
Where was it?
It was still in Philadelphia.