Buying a Baseball Bat for your Little League baseball player.
Apr 11 '01 (Updated Jun 04 '05)
The Bottom Line Baseball bats (even for kids) are expensive. Be sure to get the right bat, and don't pay top price when you can shop around on the net.
I guess I am now Little League mom even if I did ask the coach about the sports cup with the straw. I’m a quick study, and ball means a lot to Caleb. Actually I was the first girl in this county to play Little League, so I did have a background. But things do change—and change a lot I might add.
My last big baseball study was on bats. Caleb wanted one, and I was not willing to click SUBMIT ORDER until I was sure he was getting the right bat at the right price.
Here is what I learned about bats for Little League (ages 11-12). . .
Kids can use wood or non-wood in Little League (see www.littleleague.org), but non-wood is what most of the kids buy and what most coaches have in the bags. The non-wood tend to cost more, but they don’t break like wood and they last longer.
You may find some debate about the dangers with non-wood. That is mostly for older players. The problem is the ball comes off non-wood faster and the pitcher and in field may not have time to react. Studies by Little League show that is really not a problem with little guys/girls. But, this is why the professionals use wood so as not to kill the infield.
If you want to buy a bat, then talk to the coach and find out what bat is working best for your child. Generally the coach can give you a pretty good idea as to where to start on length and weight (which is how the bats are sold).
Maybe none of the team bats seem to work well for your child. The coach will not have all the various sizes and that could be part of the problem (though helping your child bat is the best bet—but you need a bat to do that). If your child is behind the ball, then he/she needs a lighter weight bat. If your child hits ahead (maybe fouls off all the time), then a heavier bat may be the ticket.
The big thing is to make sure the bat meets standards for Little League. You don’t want to buy a bat that your child can’t use at games.
Here are the basic rules. There are more you can find at the home page (and also on wood bats) . . .
For non-wood, not more than 33 inches long and not more than 2 1/4 around at the widest part. Must have cork, tape, or composition material wrapped around at the bottom where the kids put their hands and that cover must go up at least 10 inches along the bat.
If you have a general size idea and know the Little League rules, then you need to look at the minus numbers on the bat.
Bat sizes are listed by minus numbers. The higher numbers like 㪤 mean that the bat if long but is not heavy while the lower numbers like ס would mean a heavier bat for the length. The minus number is the number of inches the bat is longer than the weight. OK. That may be hard to follow, so let’s look at a 㪢.
The -10 means for a 32 inch bat that the weight is 22 oz or that it is a pretty long bat that is not very heavy.
Here are approved bats by Little League. If you are having trouble with all the numbers, then you can click to the page and see specific models that are OK. But do keep in mind the minus factors which mean light or heavy as that is really important.
http://www.littleleague.org/equipment/bats_nonwood.htm
As you look at the bats, you will probably gasp at the prices. When I was a kid we used a stick and a walnut. Well—kidding on that. But I think bats were around $10. Many now are over $100. But, don’t jump at the first price.
Caleb wanted an Omaha Gold. That was the right size and all. But it was listed at $198 and then shipping and all. I could not see (or afford that). But I searched MySimon.com and compared. Got the bat down to $104 with shipping. Caleb had birthday money and allowance he had saved and he could swing that (no pun intended).
That Omaha Gold is the new bat by Louisville Slugger which is a well known bat company. It is bright yellow. Now this would not be a selling point for me. But that seemed to mean a lot to Caleb. Then the other kids on the team thought it was way cool. So I guess the color (if all other things like weight and requirements are OK) is a pretty big deciding factor.
In fact, Caleb is batting better this year. I guess the right bat for his size was a good idea. He is a little small and this is a fairly long bat at a pretty light weight. Bigger boys on the team use a heavier bat. Most of the small kids are using Caleb’s now.
The big deal for me is that Caleb have fun and feel good about ball. He is a hero whether he hits the ball or not as far as I’m concerned. And I talk to him about that. He used to stress over every error or missed ball. I told him that life is too short to skip the free team drinks just because he struck out. He always gets his drink now, and he is a really good ball player especially after relaxing and having fun doing it.
This is a great poem I wanted to share about batting . . .
Alone At The Plate
He pulls on a helmet,
picks up the bat,
and walks to the plate,
"gotta hit and that's that.
"The crowd starts to yell,
the game's on the line,
last inning, two outs,
the score's nine to nine.
Dad yells, "Go get it,"
Mom wrings her hands,
coach hollers, "hit it,"
but alone there he stands.
Heros are made
in seconds such as this,
but he's just a little boy,
what if he should miss?
Years after this game's ended
and he's little no more,
will he remember the outcome
or even the score?
No he'll have forgotten
if he was out, hit, or a run,
he'll only look back on
his friends and the fun.
So cheer this boy on,
alone with his fate;
help him remember with fondness
this stand at the plate.
Spend your time wisely
and help in his quest
to be a hitter
with confidence
and always his best.
And when the game's over,
this boy can stand tall,
for you've helped him prepare
to give it his all!
By Dusty Baker—Author of “You Can Teach Hitting”
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