Everyone would love to have a $400 glove, but the reality is that we all can’t afford them. I bought a Rawlings Gold Glove series Trapeze Outfield glove this year, and it really is a steal.

This glove broke in very easily. I worked it in for a few weeks with some glove oil and a baseball, and it was just about ready to go. After a few games it felt like my favorite old mitt. The leather is not the finest, but it is still high quality. It feels like glove that costs twice as much. I am extremely happy with this glove and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality glove at an affordable price. You can get this one or others in the line at Baseball Rampage for only $89.99. Check out the Rawlings GG601B.

Taking care of your glove is important at all levels and there are some important facts to know when it comes to taking care of your glove and making it last. Leather is similar to your own skin, so treat it like you would your own. There are all kinds of crazy ways you’ll hear about how to break in your glove. Don’t put a baseball glove in the oven, and don’t run over it with your car.

The first step is to soften your leather, any number of oils, creams, and foams will do the job. Most pros prefer Neatsfoot oil, but no matter what you use don’t over do it. Nokona Leather Treatment is an outstanding leather conditioner that will protect and help break in your glove.

The next step is to form the pocket. The key to this is stick a ball in there, wrap it up, and let it sit for a couple of days. Patience and dedication is important when it comes to a new glove, so get out there play some catch, take some grounders and slowly work your glove in and make it your own for years to come.

Oh yeah, and don’t be the kid to leave it in your dugout after the game!

Choosing the right baseball bat can be a very confusing process.
Today with all of the different options and technologies being offered what seems like an
easy process can become a daunting task. With some key knowledge and a little research,
buying the right bat can be an easy and rewarding experience. We have created a “bat buying guide”
to help you find the bat that fits your needs.

Starting with the basics: Different Types of Baseball Bats

High School/College/Adult Bats

Otherwise known as adult, these baseball bats are designed for players
age 13 and up. Specifically for high school and college players, the sizes of the bats will range from 30″ to 34″.
The barrel diameter is 2 5/8” and a – 3 weight drop (for example is you have a 32” bat the weight will be 29 ounces).
All of these bats will have the size and barrel diameter stamped somewhere on the bat and needs to have
a BESR (Bat Exit Speed Rating) certification to be legal for most leagues.

Shop for High School/College/Adult Bats

Senior League/Big Barrel Bats
Senior league bats are those designed for the intermediate youth players generally 10 to
13 years old. The lengths of these bats can range from 27″ to 32″ and will either have a barrel diameter of 2 5/8″ or 2 3/4″
known as the big barrel. The weight drop in these bats will vary from -5 all the way up to -11. Baseball leagues will
vary in rules whether they allow the 2 5/8″ or 2 3/4″ barrels, so make sure you check with your league rules before you
decide on your bat.

Shop for Senior League/Big Barrel Bats

Youth/Little League Bats

Little league bats are geared for players approximately age 7 through 12. All of these bats
will have 2 1/4″ barrel diameters; the lengths will range from 27″ to 32″. Youth league bats will have the largest
weight drop of any bats available, -7 to -13.5. Generally the bats will be labeled with the leagues in which they
are used, Little League, Dixie Youth, Babe Ruth, Pony, and AABC.

Shop for Little League/Youth Bats

Weight:
As a general rule, bigger, stronger players usually prefer a heavier bat for maximum power.
Smaller players usually benefit from a lighter bat that allows greater bat speed. To determine the weight that’s
right for you, swing a variety of bats and see how much weight you’re comfortable with.

Length:
Length and weight combine for peak performance. A longer bat gives you greater reach, allowing you to hit balls on the other side of the plate. But remember that a longer bat may be heavier, and the extra weight could slow you down. Like checking the weight, you need to swing bats of different lengths to decide what length best suits you.

Different Bat Materials

Today almost all bats are either made of High grade aircraft alloys, or recently
composite bats have emerged. This is where things start to get confusing, in the last 5 – 10 years high
grade alloys have always been used in the construction of these bats, recently composite and hybrid technology
have changed the way the leading manufacturers are making their bats.

The options available:

1. 100% Alloy bats – made completely of aircraft grade alloys
2. 100% Composite bats – made of composite fibers
3. Half & Half bats – bats that have a composite handle, and aluminum, alloy, or hybrid barrel
4. Hybrid Bats – Bats that have combined two different materials, such as alloy with carbon

Composite Baseball Bats
The new composite bats on the market are different from the alloy bats.
A composite bat has different features, which require a “break in” period before the bat reaches
its optimal performance. With composite bats a player will need to hit approximately 200-300 real
leather baseballs while rotating the barrel to completely break in the surface area of the barrel.
The composite bats will also sound more like you are hitting a wood bat than an alloy one. Once the
composite bats are broken in they will greatly increase the sweet spot and durability, which some
studies have shown surpass the ability of standard alloy bats. The composite bats will carry a higher
price tag, but with the correct break in and care will be worth the price.

To be a good hitter it is always a good idea to watch the pitcher and try to pick up small changes in body language when different pitches are being thrown (curveball, fastball, changeup). In high school there usually are small signs that can tip off what pitch is coming. A common one is the angle that the pitcher holds the glove at.

1. Place two cones, one 20 feet out from home plate and 10 feet from the left foul line.
2. Do the same with the other cone from the right foul line
3. Work on bunting the ball towards the line so that it rests in fair territory between the foul line and the cone
4. Do this for both sides of the field
5. Bunting many times is the difference between winning and losing games. This drill will help you determine the bat angle and technique required to bunt down the lines

Woods bats are generally thought to be used by Major League players only, but woods bats can be very useful to youth players, high school players, and college players as well.

Wood bats or wood composite bats are great for batting practice and taking reps in a batting cage. Wood bats are ideal because they are a lot cheaper than aluminum and will save you the wear and tear on your aluminum bats. Batting cage balls are hard on your aluminum bat because they are dense and heavy which will take the life and pop out of your bat. Wood bats don’t loose their pop and will take the punishment of the batting cage balls.

Another advantage of using wood bats is bat control. Wood baseball bats are heavier and have a smaller length to weight ratio, which is in a scaled down way like weight training. Once you have been in a cage and practiced with wood, it will be make a world of difference when you get on the field and hit your aluminum bat. The ball will fly off the barrel and your confidence will be sky high.

Take a look at wood bats as an excellent training option, and you will be happy with the results. Check out these wood baseball bats at Baseball Rampage.

That’s right. Our national pastime has been chopped from the list of sports for the 2012 olympics in London along with softball. As a lifelong baseball player and fan, this is pretty unsettling.

I understand that it is not the most demanding sports from a cardiovascular perspective, but hitting a 100 mph fastball has always been called the most difficult sporting activity. These young men and women train their minds and bodies to complete in their sport, and I think that it is a travesty that table tennis, sailing, and badminton are included, but baseball is not. Baseball is more than a US sport. It is widely played in Central and South America as well as Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands.

At the start of the 2007 season, Major League Baseball reported, 246 of the 849 players on team rosters were born outside the United States. That is 29% of players in the Majors. I think it is pretty safe to say that baseball is being played all over the globe.

Baseball and softball are still considered Olympic sports, but have been removed from the Olympic program for 2012. They can be brought back for 2016. I urge anyone with a voice and a passion for baseball to write emails and letters to the Olympic committee telling them to bring back baseball and softball. Here is a link to the Olympic Committee site: Olympic Committee Website.

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Aluminum baseball bats cost up to $400 these days, so taking care of them properly is more important than ever. Here are some tips for taking care of your baseball bat.

• Limit the bat to your individual use only.
  
• Rotate the bat 1/4 turn each swing.
  
• Do not use in temperatures below 60° (16° C).
  
• Do not store the bat in extreme hot or cold temperatures, such as in a car trunk or garage.
  
• Do not clean metal spikes or cleats with your bat. Use with leather-covered balls only, not plastic or rubber cage balls.
  
• Do not hit waterlogged balls.
  
• If using a softball bat, do not use balls that exceed 400lbs. compression.
  
• Routinely check your plastic end cap and replace it if it cracks or becomes loose.

These simple tips can save your bat wear and tear, and keep you from having to buy a new one every year.