"George Hendrick used to tell us when he played in St. Louis, he used three pairs of shoes," Marsh said. "He kept two on a big bucket of ice and would change shoes every inning because it was so hot on that turf."
Umpires could get so dehydrated that their fingers would wrinkle. Sometimes, the plate umpire overheated and had to be replaced. Now, training staffs are aware of their need to keep drinking fluids. Plus, with the multipurpose turf stadiums replaced by grass fields, those blistering days aren't nearly so bad.
"When they went to grass, it made all the difference in the world," Tschida said.
The high-tech cooling packs have ramped down the heat even more.
"It's been a welcome, welcome addition to our equipment bags, that's for sure," Tschida said.
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