Wardrobe malfunction. Yeah, that’s not exactly the phrase most people associate with Major League Baseball, but there have been instances. Back in mid-May this year, home plate umpire Jim Wolf had a belt malfunction. As a result, the first pitch of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Los Angeles Angels game was delayed. Almost three months later, another wardrobe malfunction occurred at Progressive Field in front of 30,862 people.

“What’s happened here?” the broadcast booth seemed to be wondering, according to the X post from Foul Territory. “Got some malfunction. Equipment wardrobe malfunction.”

The Detroit Tigers were already leading 6-0 in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday. They looked well on their way to winning the third game after dropping the first two of the four-game series, but then something unusual happened. Home plate umpire Ron Kulpa started walking toward the Guardians’ dugout, and nobody seemed to know why. Stephen Vogt stepped out of the dugout and briefly spoke with Kulpa before pointing toward the team’s training staff. The official then walked inside, where the staff appeared to help him with his chest protector.

Apparently, one of the straps came off. Kulpa removed his shirt halfway to provide them with better access, and they taped it up to make the protector secure again. 

“Strap came out. So he’s gotta make sure he gets to take care of that for those foul tips,” the announcer could be heard saying. “It’s not duct tape, though. [Something] that would really hold. He wants to make sure he’s covered up.”

The home plate umpire is stationed directly behind the catcher as each pitch is delivered, putting them in one of the most vulnerable positions on the field. And it’s not just high-velocity pitches they have to worry about. Even a foul tip can suddenly change direction and strike them directly, making protective equipment essential.

That’s why they wear chest protectors beneath their shirts, and if the protector isn’t placed properly, it increases the chances of the umpire getting heavily injured, and Kulpa certainly wanted to avoid that.

The 57-year-old recently had another incident on the field.

During a matchup between the Colorado Rockies and the Atlanta Braves, Kulpa suffered a foul tip. Reliever Jimmy Herget’s pitch bounced off the bat of Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies in the seventh inning. The ball hit the side of the catcher’s helmet before making hard contact with Kulpa’s face guard.

The impact immediately knocked the guard off his face, and the umpire appeared to be in considerable pain. Fellow umpires and medical staff checked on him, and he was able to continue after a brief delay. But for a moment, it sent a chill through everyone watching, as they were reminded of his concussion from a similar incident back in April.

Fortunately, the incident from a week ago was much less severe, but it taught Kulpa to be cautious.

That said, there have been plenty of instances where umpires have suffered serious blows despite wearing protective gear.

Risks umpires face behind the plate

Brian O’Nora was officiating a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers in July. A foul ball off the bat of Gabriel Rincones Jr. struck him on his exposed right hand. The 63-year-old immediately stepped away from his position, shaking his hand in pain. Athletic trainers attended to him, and he was able to continue officiating the game.

However, what went down in May was much more severe.

A foul ball caromed off the bottom of O’Nora’s mask and struck him in the neck area. He immediately dropped to one knee. Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya helped him back to his feet, but O’Nora had to leave the game, which continued with just three officials.

Jordan Baker faced a similar concussion-like situation in August when he was struck in the face by a foul ball off the bat of San Francisco Giants catcher Andrew Knizner during the second inning. He continued officiating for three more innings before eventually having to leave the game.

Will Little suffered another foul tip earlier this week when Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong couldn’t glove a ball off the bat of Cole Young, resulting in it striking the official just below his mask. Little left the game with a sore jaw after taking the ball “pretty good.”

All these instances prove just how dangerous a job home plate umpires have. And while the baseball community is often critical of their on-field errors, fans seldom consider the risks they face behind the plate. That’s why Ron Kulpa didn’t want to take any chances when it came to his protection.