Youth Baseball: Pitchers Should Wear Helmets

Oakland A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy was hit in the head by a line drive. The blow to the head instantly dropped him to the ground. He was able to get up and walk off the field, but he suffered a epidural hemorrhage, a brain contusion and a fracture skull that required a two hour surgery.

Brandon McCarthy was lucky, he was released from the hospital today.

There have been kids that were not so lucky. Seemingly, every year kids die.  I have written about this subject several times in the past.

Here is the deal. It is quite simple. The powers that control little league baseball have already mandated BBCOR bats to protect pitchers. Now they need to mandate helmets for pitchers.

All pitchers should wear helmets. I wish MLB would mandate it. The MLB makes first base coaches wear helmets, so it can be done. MLB should decree it to protect big league players. More importantly, the MLB should decree it to set an example for little league, HS, College and minor league players.

At the very least, I would love to see a prominent MLB pitcher wear a helmet to show kids that it is not uncool.

 

The Main Point

Parents do not need to wait until the MLB mandates the use of helmets. They should talk to their kid's coach and make it a requirement for pitching. My son didn't pitch much, but when he did, he wore a helmet. When my son was younger, his coach made everyone wear them. His coach did this because one of his players almost died from a line drive to the head. Almost 5 years later, that player still struggles with the debilitating affects of the injury. My son knows the kid very well, so it does not take any effort to get my son to wear a helmet when he is pitching.

Buy a helmet from the link below.

Youth Golf Club Fitting: Sales Job or Con Job?

I went to get my son new golf clubs and I was talked into spending significantly more money than I had planned. Was this a great sales job or a con job? Perhaps the sales pro read about me in the first chapter of the book, "The Most Expensive Game in Town" What do you think?

My son is going to tryout for his high school team in August, so for his combined 8th grade graduation, Catholic Confirmation and 15th birthday, I took him out to get fitted for new golf clubs.

We went to the Golf Exchange because their TV commercial featured the latest computer technology for fitting golf clubs. After I saw the TV ad, I went to the website and noticed that Golf Exchange was a Golf Digest Top 100 Fitter, The Ping Fitter of the Year, a Mizuno Top 100 Fitter and the Callaway 2012 Fitter of the Year.

I was sufficiently convinced, so on my son's birthday, we went to the Golf Exchange to get my son fitted for new clubs. The pro immediately asked me a bunch of questions about my son's objectives, golfing history and swing. The pro then asked my son to hit his own 6 iron in the cage to get warmed up, while he fired up the computer to analyze my son's swing.

My son started hitting the ball and numbers jumped up onto a computer screen.

He than gave my son a club with some special impact indicating tape affixed to the club head. After each shot, the pro would read the tape and then remove the head of the club and replace it with another that connected at a slightly different angle. The pro would then again put indicating tape on the club head and hand the club to my son. This continued until the optimal club head angle was determined.

The pro then asked my son to hit his driver. After a few swings were recorded, the pro called over another sales associate and they started whispering back and forth. I edged closer to try to hear the conversation, but I could not hear it clearly.

I was curious, so I asked the pro if there was a problem. He told me that there was no problem with my son's swing, in fact your son's numbers are truly amazing. The problem is that your son's driver cannot keep up with his incredible swing and it might be difficult to analyze your son's "pro-like" swing inside.

He asked me how far my son hits his driver. I hesitated thinking that he would not believe me, then I told him that he hits between 250 and 310 and on occasion farther than that. My son is 5 ft 8 and weighs 120 pounds, so I was waiting for that look from the pro that says, "I think that you are exaggerating a bit about your son." Instead, he said, "I am not surprised with these numbers. In fact, he is losing distance because of the incredibly high backwards rotation he is generating with his current club." He then told me that the right shaft on the driver will control that spin better and your son will be hitting 310+ consistently instead of occasionally.

The pro then showed the numbers to another pro in the shop. This sales pro happened to be the JV coach of a local high school. The JV coach was also amazed by the numbers and told me that my son can be a special player - we don't see numbers like that from 15 year olds very often.

The Main Point

If the pros at Golf Exchange were feeding me BS to get me to spend more than I intended, then they are the greatest bunch of actors in the world.

I bought my son Ping I 20s and scheduled an outside fitting for a new set of woods too. When I got home, I looked up the swing statistics for pros and they did match my son's numbers. I also read some Ping research that shows proper golf club fitting does make a difference.

Why would I not want to give my son every advantage as he tries out for the golf team. I sucker is born every minute, but a natural golf swing is not. I guess I will find out over the next couple of years which is more accurate.

Youth Baseball: BBCOR Bats for Christmas?

My son wants a new BBCOR bat for this fall ball season and for next spring. I told him we are going to wait until our league officially announces the BBCOR bat mandate. 

My other reason is that it saves me money to give it to him as a Christmas present instead of a random purchase. (Dad secret.)


Before you buy - read this post and check out the BBCOR comparison app by baseball express.

Here is a well written email from my son's baseball coach to the team regarding BBCOR bats and the lower expectations in terms of batting statistics associated with them. 

2012 BATS:

At the league meeting on Saturday, we’ll be discussing the BBCOR bat issue.  I am not 100% certain at this point what the league is going to do, but wanted to give you a heads up on the issue.

The new BBCOR standard measures bat performance and replaces the previous BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) standard.  The NCAA required BBCOR baseball bats for the 2011 season.  For NFHS (National Federation of High Schools), all bats must be BBCOR certified for the 2012 season. I expect the league to follow the NFHS for 13U and up at a minimum. 

BBCOR stands for Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (What?).  Simply put, it’s a measurement of the LOSS of energy for both the ball and the bat at impact.  Instead of measuring the speed of the ball after it is batted (BESR and the current standard), BBCOR measures the “trampoline” effect on BOTH the ball and the bat.  A PITCHED ball holds a lot of energy, with wood bats much of that energy is lost as the ball compresses on impact with a dense surface.    With hollow-core aluminum or composite bats (most of our current bats) the thin walls flex which distorts the ball less therefore the ball retains more of its original PITCHED energy plus gains the power of the bat’s speed and the bat’s flexibility.  The less energy lost from the pitched ball, the faster the BATTED will be launched off the bat - therefore non-wood bats hit balls FASTER than wood bats.

For more details see http://www.stevetheump.com/BBCOR.htm 
and/or http://baseballexpress.wordpress.com/ncaa-bat-ban/

Why not just go to wood?  Money.  The expense would increase annual operating costs significantly – especially for a 24+ man high school or 35 man NCAA rosters.

The bottom line – new bats under the Christmas tree will have to carry the BBCOR stamp on the bat and may be inspected by umps this year.

LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

The bat you put under the tree will have less hits in it

From the NCAA: 

Division I batting average, scoring and home runs per game in 2011 resemble the wood-bat 1970 era.

Division I teams in 2011 averaged 5.58 runs per game, well off the record 7.12 in 1998.

Home runs left parks at an average of .52 per team per game in 2011 compared with .94 last year and 1.06 in 1998 (also the peak year for that category). That resembles wood-bat days, too (.42) 

Batting average in 2011 was .282, the lowest since 1976.

Note - earned-run average, on the other hand, was its best (4.70) since 1980 (4.59).

The Main Point

The new bats will be much safer. And I believe that the games will be more enjoyable (See post about a great wood bat tournament). The 20-19 three hour games will be replaced with 3-2 nail biters. Pitching, bunting and fielding will become much more important. Baseball will be baseball again and I welcome the change.

Youth Sports: How a Mom Prepares for a Game

Many weekends, my wife and I divide and conquer. For example, last weekend, my wife was in Columbus, Ohio at a baseball tournament and I remained at home with my daughter who was playing in the GBA Nations Basketball Tournament. 


I have to admit, my wife is much better at getting my daughter up and ready. She understands that it take time for my daughter to get her hair just right. She knows where every uniform piece can be found. She never forgets the camera, the sunscreen or the water bottle. She manages the details. I always seem to get my daughter to the games on time (being late is never acceptable for team sports), but I usually forget something important. That usually leads to shopping for Gatorade or a pair of cleats.


In this blog, I give tips and tricks to youth parents from dad's sports perspective and add in tips I learn from my wife. I stumbled across a Youth Sports Blog, called TrophyMom that gives tips and tricks from a mom's perspective. Trophy Mom brings managing the details of Youth Sports to a whole new level with some witty writing.

She has a post called They All Laughed Until the Port-a-Potty Ran Out of Toilet Paper that gives a 25 tip list on what to every parent should bring to a youth sports game to be totally prepared. Here are the six suggestions.

• sunblock, the spray-on and rub-on variety, as well as a some formulated for faces
• bug spray and some bug repellent wipes
• hand sanitizer
• dental floss in case you need to go MacGyver
• a couple dollars in coins
• and of course, a roll of toilet paper

The Main Point

Youth Sports Moms are probably more detailed oriented than Youth Sports Dads.

Youth Baseball: Buying a Glove for a Select Player

My son, Nic, needed a new baseball fielding glove for the 2011 season. Over the past few of weeks, I did the research on how to buy a glove for a serious teenage player. I hope you can learn from my work.

Background

Before you buy a glove you need to assess the situation. Here is our situation.

My son, Nic, signed with a new select baseball team. Like his old team, this new team plays at the highest division of youth baseball in the area.

My son had been the primary catcher for his old team for the last 3 seasons. His new baseball team has 3 other catchers, so he will not be need to catch 70-80% of the innings anymore. We are thrilled because catching can take a toll on a player. We also happy because we think that young players (6-14) should play / learn multiple positions.

At this point, we're not sure which position will be his secondary position to catching. This uncertainty makes buying a fielder's glove more difficult because there are different glove designs for different positions.

Nic is hoping to play infield but outfield is a possibility too. As such, he needs a versatile glove that will be his gamer through high school regardless of position. Nic is in 7th grade.

The sites researched

There's a lot of information on the internet regarding this topic. I visited many sites, some were good and some were bad.

ehow - How to buy a baseball glove This site was light on information and expertise. A waste of time.
Dick's Sporting Goods - Buyer's guide - How to buy a glove This guide was comprehensive but did not offer a strong recommendation for or against specific brands.
BaseballGloves.com - This is a comprehensive site with information and links to every major and niche brand.
Wilson.com baseball glove selector tool. Wilson makes great gloves but their baseball website is terrible. I am sure that they are losing business because their site is so poorly architected and the content is so poorly written.
High School Baseball Web. This is the best site I found for very specific information and expert advice.

This is the info that we took with us to the sporting goods store after I did the reseach:

Position - Not sure - infield (not first base) or outfield.
Size: 11.75 is the most versatile size for multiple positions.
Material: Leather - the better the leather the better the glove. I wanted a glove with top quality leather that would last.
Color: Personal preference - my son likes black.
Web: We decided on the trapeze web or H web.  Both versatile web choices.
Brand: Wilson. Nic has a great Wilson A2000 Showcase catcher's mitt. He received a free Wilson A2000 Showcase catcher's mitt for participating in consumer research for Wilson. He is loyal to Wilson.
Price Range: $150 - $200

The stores we shopped

We did not consider online stores. A player needs to try gloves on to get the best fit. Even two of the same model gloves do not feel exactly the same.

We went to Dick's Sporting Goods, our typical go to place for sports equipment. The particular store we went to was sold out of the top quality gloves. They had 100's of gloves for younger little league players, but only had 1 top quality glove. That one glove was not the size nor the brand we wanted. The clerk told us that they were expecting a large delivery the next day. We returned the following week. The Wilson A2000 and A2K glove bins were still empty. Dick's lost a sale.

Subsequently, we went to specialty sporting goods store in Cincinnati called Koch's Sporting Goods. They have a nice selection of top end gloves for the same price at Dick's Sporting Goods. They also provided expert advice that confirmed all of our research and gave us peace of mind.

The Glove we bought


We bought the Wilson A2000 Limited Edition Black Out (A2000LE 1796). It is a 11.75in glove with a trapeze web for $249. 


Note: Wilson makes the same glove for $199 called the A2000 1796 - The difference a yellow W and yellow A2000 markings. Unfortunately they were sold out of the $199 model. I was tired of driving around looking for gloves, so I spent the extra $49 for the Black Out. Wilson made 500 of these gloves. My son has glove number 132 of 500. Nic loves being unique so he his thrilled. He calls his new gamer the black stealth mamba.  

Preparing the Glove for Play

Baseball Glove Steamer

Have you ever heard of steaming a glove?

The specialty sporting goods store clerk steamed the glove in a Mizuno steamer. They sprayed the glove with what looked like a water and soap solution and placed the glove in the steamer for 2 minutes.

After they steamed the glove, they beat the glove with a wooden mallet to soften the leather and form the pocket. The glove was nearly game ready after this treatment.

The clerk / baseball equipment expert told me to put a very light coating of Vaseline on it inside and out in about a week to treat the leather and help break it in.

The Main Point

1) Assess the situation - your son's age, skill level, commitment level, position, etc.
2) Assess your budget.
3) Do your homework.
4) Go to the store and try the gloves on for fit and comfort.

Youth Baseball: Read This Before You Buy a Composite Bat

Babe Ruth Baseball ages 13-15 and 16-18 and Cal Ripken Division ball ages 4-12 have approved a moratorium on the use of composite bats effective immediately for the 2011 season. The decision is based on a study conducted by UMass-Lowell that determined some composite bats, after a break-in process, can exceed an acceptable bat performance factor (BPF) after a break-in process. What does this mean? It means that some bats test within the acceptable limits when new, but over time the bat exceeds the BPF. This of course translates to harder hit balls and a reduction in reaction time for defensive players. 


Some composite bats do qualify so you need to know which ones to buy. I would recommend that you talk to your coach before you make the investment in a new bat.


Read about the Babe Ruth rule changes here. 


Here is a list of approved bats for ages 13-18. 


Here is a list of approved bats for ages 4-12


NOTE: The moratorium on composite bats only applies to composite barreled bats. Bats with a composite handle and metal/alloy barrels only are not subject to the moratorium. 


The Main Point


I have seen, first hand, the devastation that a batted ball can do to a pitcher. I fully endorse restrictions on bats and a mandate for all pitchers to wear protective helmets.

Youth Golf: Buying Clubs for a Teen Boy

Do you have a young teen son who plays golf? If you do, you know how hard it is to buy them the right size golf clubs. 

Most junior clubs are too short and the men's clubs are too long. Many boys in this age range, the ones who have not had their growth spurt yet, opt for women's clubs. 

Last week, by son broke his 7 iron on his Walter Hagen Junior Set. We were already contemplating buying him new clubs because his junior set was limited in the number of clubs and because he was getting too tall for them. With golf team tryouts in 2 weeks, my wife and I decided to buy him new clubs.

We went to Golf Galaxy tonight to buy some clubs. During the drive over to the store, I tried to prepare my son for the possibility of buying lady's clubs. I promised him that there would be some clubs without any overtly feminine markings. 

When we got to Golf Galaxy we were greeted by a very knowledgeable salesman. I told him that we were looking for left handed clubs for my son. The clerk sized my son up by eye and he told us that we had three options. 

• We could buy what he called a varsity set - clubs made for boys older than 12.
• We could buy lady's clubs.
• We could buy a really light set of men's clubs. 

We shopped last year and neither Golf Galaxy nor Dick's Sporting Goods had any clubs between the junior sets and men's sets. So we were thrilled to try the varisty set. 

We tried the Maxfli Vasity set described below. The clerk took the clubs out of the box and my son went to the indoor driving range to try them out. He immediately loved the feel of the clubs. They were a heavier than his junior set and the steel shaft irons did not flex. He felt more in control.  

The salesman said that my son swings too hard to consider a women's set and was a few inches too short for a men's set.  He strongly recommended the varsity set. My son did not need convincing he was sold. The 15 piece set was on sale for $199 (from $299), so I did not need any convincing either. 

The Main Point

Kids grow, golf clubs do not. When your young golfer is growing you almost need to buy them new clubs every year. Fortunately Junior Club sets are affordable. I am not sure how Maxfli and Golf Galaxy sell a 15 piece golf set for $199, but I am not going to ask.

The following description is from the Golf Galaxy website.

Golf Galaxy

Maxfli Varsity Set for Ages 12 Years and Over. Height Range: 58" and over. 15 Piece Set includes:

• Oversized Titanium Face Driver -Oversized Titanium Face Driver provides forgiveness and Titanium distance. Strategically placed weight screw is low and back to provide high launch and longer carry.
• Stainless Steel Fairway Wood -Stainless Steel 3 wood features a fixed screw to lower the center of gravity to help hit shots higher and longer.
• Hybrid Utility Irons -Easy to hit 3i and 4i utility hybrid clubs with combine the distance of fairway woods and the accuracy of irons. Hybrids also feature a fixed screw to lower the center of gravity to help hit shots with a higher ball flight.
• Wide Sole Undercut Irons (5,7,9,SW) -Wide sole undercut irons move the center of gravity low for more distance and accuracy on all shots.
• Alignment Putter -Soft, milled face alignment putter has a high moment of inertia to reduce twisting on miss-hits.
• Lightweight, Durable Stand Bag - Lightweight stand bag features a durable nylon construction, dual carry strap to evenly distribute weight and five pockets to store all of your golfing needs.
• Graphite Shafts - Ultralight graphite shafts increase clubhead speed for maximum distance.
• Premium Headcovers -Multi material construction is durable and protects clubheads and shafts
• 600D Polyester Rainhood -Protects clubs from rain and moisture during play or while in storage.

Youth Baseball: Bats, Wood or Aluminum?

In 1924, a patent was issued for the first metal baseball bat, but metal bats were not used until Worth introduced the first aluminum baseball bat in 1970. I was a little league player in the early 70's and I vividly remember when kids around the league started to use them. By the mid 70's every team had at least one aluminum bat for players to share.

Metal bats became very popular when Easton introduced a better and stronger aluminum bat in the late 70's. That is when I got my first aluminum bat. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was gold with black letters. When the bat met the ball it sounded different, but I don't really remember it changing the game significantly for me.

Innovations continued as bat manufacturers realized there was a market for $300+ bats. In the early 1990's lighter and stronger bats made of titanium were introduced. Then bats with double wall construction and high tech composite materials were introduced. All of the innovations were designed to propel the ball faster and further. Of course parents anxious to see their kids succeed or at a minimum keep up with the Jones' keep buying the best and most expensive bats on the market. And the crack of the bat was forever replaced by the ping of a bat.

I didn't realize it until this past weekend, but baseball lost something in the process.

Arguments for high tech metal or composite bats

• Better weight distribution with a center of gravity closer to the handle to make it easier to swing. 
• Greater bat speed potential leads to more power to hit the ball harder, faster and further.
• The Trampoline effect - the bat compresses on impact and then springs back pushing the ball forward.
• Bigger sweet spot which is much more forgiving translates to more hits.
• More durable - aluminum bats do not break as easy as wood.
• Cost efficient. Metal or Composite bats can be much more expensive to buy compared to wood bats, but cost savings can be realized over time because they are more durable.

Arguments against high tech metal or composite bats

• Greater bat speed potential leads to more power to hit the ball harder and faster and this puts the pitcher and other players in jeopardy of serious injury. Kids are getting seriously injured and even killed by batted balls that rocket off of the high tech bats.
• Bigger sweet spot which is much more forgiving leads to more hits even against nasty pitches. There are lots of rules in place to limit the number of pitches a pitcher can throw in a week, a game or a tournament. These rules are in place to protect young arms. If wood bats were used, there would be less cheap hits and therefore less pitches required to get through an inning or game. Wood bats would save young arms.
• Defense becomes more important. Games with wood bats are decided more on skill and less on technology. 
• Strategy becomes important again. Manufacturing runs with bunts and "hit and run" plays become more viable options. Kids therefore learn the game more completely. 

The Main Point

After watching a wood bat tournament this past weekend, I have become a big fan of wood bats. A game played with wooden bats is pure baseball. It is baseball at its very best.

Games 52, 53, 54, 55

I just watched a great wood bat tournament this past weekend. It was baseball at its best. The eight best teams from the tri-state area converged to match skills not technology.

My son's team won 4-3 in extra innings, lost 1-0 in extra innings, won 7-6 in extra innings and then lost in the semi-finals. Pitchers pitched and fielders made plays. There were very few cheap hits. There were more bunts and situational hitting. It was really fun to watch.

Ironically enough, my son who has been in a prolonged slump hit a pop up 15 feet beyond second base. The second baseman got a late jump. The shortstop got a late jump and the centerfielder did not get a good read. As a result, the ball dropped in for a cheap hit. My son hustled right out of the box and slid into second base with a double. His coach didn't say a word about his hustle. The opposing coach yelled at his players, he said, "If you guys hustled half as much as that kid he would be out and not on second base. Nice hustle kid." Despite the long slump he continues to play with passion and I am proud of him.

The 1-0 loss was against our arch rival, the team that denied us a CABA World Series Championship by beating us in the finals 2 years ago. In the second inning, my son was up with a runner on third. His coach called for a suicide squeeze. My son put a perfect bunt down the first base line. The run scored and my son was safe at first with a single and an RBI, or so we thought.  The umpire called the ball foul. He claimed that he saw the ball hit my son's foot. I have video of the play and the ball was no where close to his foot. Nic's team would have won in regulation 1-0, but instead lost the game in extra innings 1-0. That is how it goes when a player is in a slump.

My son caught both games of the doubleheader on Saturday and the semi-final game on Sunday. He played flawlessly and threw out another base stealer. One of the dads from our team came up to me and said how impressed he is with Nic. Namely, that he does not take his hitting slump into the field with him.

I bought my son a Mad Dog bamboo bat prior to the tournament. My son loved it. Mad Dog Bats

Youth Baseball: Another Tragedy

On Saturday May 8th, a 13-year-old St. Regis Falls Central School baseball player died. The boy, Brady Lee Frazier died five days after he was hospitalized with a head injury suffered while playing baseball with the school's modified team. The eighth-grade pitcher was hit in the head by a line drive during a practice session.

I have been blogging since March and this is the third story that I have reported. Last year one of my friends son's was seriously injured by a line drive while pitching. So I have to ask this question.

How many more kids need to die or be mamed before helmets are required for pitchers?

The Main Point

No governing body seems to be establishing safety rules, but coaches can certainly mandate that their players must wear fielding helmets. 

Youth Sport: Preventing Foot Pain

My son's baseball coach is a freak about uniforms. Last year we had over 72 different possible combinations of uniforms. We had a cardinal jersey, a blue jersey. yellow jersey, a grey vest, a white vest, grey pants, white pants, card stirrup socks and blue stirrup socks. We also had a blue hat, a cardinal hat, a yellow hat and a white hat. Before each game we would get an email with the uniform combination. One pair of black baseball cleats was issued by the team.

Foot health is very important and proper fitting shoes is vital to foot health. This the team issued Mizuno 9-spike franchise mid G5 cleats to the team. These are an entry level type cleats. As such, they do not have great arch support or cushioning. My son was complaining of foot pain recently, so we went out an bought Powerstep Pinnacle Orthotics inserts. My son played 4 games in them and loves them.

The Main Point

If you are going to buy an entry level cleat and your kid has foot pain, buy a proper shoe insert for proper arch support and cushioning.

Buying Your Kid's First Baseball Glove. Make it Memorable.

My daughter's coach will not let my daughter play with her current glove because it is too small. So we she needed to get her a new glove.

My wife took my daughter to Dick's Sporting Goods. If you want to know the truth, I was kind of bummed about this. I consider baseball glove buying a dad thing. I was so excited when I brought my oldest son to buy his first glove and I also vividly remember the first glove buying experience with my other kids. It is not that my wife cannot pick out the right glove. It has nothing to do with gender. I fondly remember when my dad took me to buy my first Rawlings glove. When my kids remember back, I selfishly want to be a part of the memory.

My daughter tried on every glove in the store. She settled on a black and pink Mizuno glove for $35. She needs to use the glove immediately, so the new glove had to be pre-broken it. This glove fit perfectly, was very soft and pliable, was the right color and was only $35. We will buy her a good glove when she is fully grown. I will review the glove in a few weeks in the comment section.

The Main Point

The experience of buying your kid's first baseball glove may be a life long memory for you and your kid. Take your time and make it more than a transaction, make it an experience.


Here is the info on the glove from Mizuno

Perform at your best with the exceptional Mizuno® 11.5" Finch Pink Prospect glove. The superior design features multiple technologies to have the advantage in the game. Mizuno's® exclusive ParaShock™ palm pad absorbs the shock of repeated use providing outstanding protection and ideal comfort. The Power Close® makes it easier for younger players to close the glove and catch the ball.

Features

• 11.5" fastpitch pattern
• Diagonal Tartan Web
• Double hinge heel creates a larger pocket
• Power Lock™ closure provides the quickest and most secure fit available
• Surefit™ foam adds cushioning along the back of the fingers for a more customized fit
• Double Hinge Heel™ design creates an extra wide pocket for a secure catch
• V-Flex Notch™ helps initiate easy closure

New Catchers Equipment

Last year,  Wilson Sporting Goods conducted consumer research for a new line of gloves in their legendary A2000 line. The gloves they were testing were designed for younger players with smaller hands. Wilson recruited a bunch of kids to test the glove out in practice and game situations. Wilson selected my son to participate in the test.

We were sent a A2403 SC-DPCM 32 1/2" A2000 Catcher's mitt.

My son was asked to create a video showing himself breaking the glove in, practicing with it, using it in games and answering a series of questions about the glove. He had been using a Rawling's Glove that was too big for him. 

Here are the details of the glove they sent my son.

Wilson A2000 Showcase A2403 SC-DPCM 32.5 Inch Catchers Mitt

• Designed for players with smaller hands. Now players of all ages can have a professional quality glove designed to maximize their performance
• 32.5 Inch Catcher Pattern
  
• Half Moon Web
• Extra deep pocket
• Designed for an easier closure

A2000 Showcase Features:

• Narrower hand opening for more secure fit
• Elongated lace holes reduce resistance to glove closure
• Narrower pinkie and thumb for better control
• Narrower and shorter finger stalls for more control
  
• Palm Pad for hand protection
• Sloped opening above knuckle bridge for a more secure fit
• Rolled welting provides shape for the life to the glove, but allows for a quicker break in versus traditional welting styles
• Softer feel
  
• Same size pocket as A2000 patterns
• Pro Stock Leather - Made from the finest American Steerhides
  
• Dri-Lex Technology - Ultra-breathable wrist lining that transfers moisture from the skin, keeping you hand cool and dry

The Glove retails for about $199

My son's product review

My son loves the glove. It was very easy to break in. In fact, he was using it in games a week after he received the glove. The glove fits great. His glove reacts to all his movements because it fits so well. He says the fast balls does not sting him as much with this glove. He loves the sound of the pop it makes when the ball hits the pocket. That sound makes fast balls seem a faster and that intimidates hitters. He says that the ball always finds the pocket and stays secure. He loves the way the ball is always in the same spot in the glove - finding the ball quickly is important because every split second counts when you are trying to throw out a base stealer. He also feels that the ball stays more secure during tough tag plays at the plate compared to his old glove. There is nothing worse that putting your body on the line to block the plate and apply a tag only to have the ball pop out.

My son did everything that Wilson asked of him and for his efforts, Wilson sent him a CF4 Demarini Youth Baseball Bat. It is a big barrel bat 30 inches and 22 oz. I will get his review of this bat after he has 10 to 20 ABs with it. I can tell you the ball jumps off the bat in batting practice. The 30 in / 22oz bat retails for about $249

Product Review - Adidas 2-N-1 (Pitching Rebounder)

If you want good stats in sports you need to practice. It doesn't matter which season it is, my daughter loves to practice by herself in the backyard after school. 

We bought her an Adidas 2-N-1 performance Trainer Rebounding Surface so she could practice pitching. She would love to be one of the pitchers for the team.

The Adidas 2-N-1 has a rebounding surface on one side (picture 1) and a canvas side with a hole / net to capture strikes on the other side (picture 2). This device works well. We like it better than the one we were replacing. Our old one was so heavy that the kids could not maneuver it alone. The Adidas one is study enough to take the pounding of a hard thrown ball, but light enough for a 9 year old girl to move around. 

There are cheaper pitchbacks on the market and more expensive ones too. Dick's Sporting Goods website has several models ranging from $40 to $140. We bought ours in the store. I thought that the Adidas unit was a good value at $70. Not all pitchbacks have a rebounding side and a strike zone side. The canvas side with the strike zone will be great for backyard Whiffel Ball and Stickball games. Another great feature is the easy to use locking telescoping side bars. You can adjust the angle of the rebound for both grounders or pop ups. 

It took me about 1 hour to put together. The directions could be much better. Hint - The directions indicate that the side support bars should be connected to the outside of the tubes that make up the main rebounding surface. I did this first, but had a tough time stretching the bungee cords to reach the  canvas which does not stretch. I decided to put the side support bars on the inside of the tubes that make up the main rebounding surface. Those tubes are about 2 inches thick - so moving to the inside brings the bungee cords that much closer. Also when you are putting the canvass side on make sure the telescoping side bars are in a short position. 

The Main Point

I recommend this product for young kids due to its light weight. I would not recommend this product for teens.

Picture 1                                                  Picture 2

I was not paid for this review.

New Sports Gear

My daughter started softball today. She had a 1 hour session at an indoor batting cage facility and had a 2 hour session outside.

The start of the season can only mean one thing. New sports equipment. My daughter and I went to Dick's Sporting Goods. We bought a pair of Nike cleats. My daughter liked the model that she can change the color of the Nike Swoosh. There are 10 colors to chose from. This was particularly important because, she did not yet know the color of her new team. Matching is very important to her.

We bought a new bat. It is a Mattingly V-Force. Don Mattingly was on of my favorite players so I was happy about the selection. My daughter selected it because it was the right size 29 in and 17 oz and because it was purple. She noted that she could make the Nike Swoosh on her new shoes purple to match.

I also bought her two Wilson fastpitch softballs, Umbro socks, an Adidas bat bag and an Adidas 2-N-1 Performance Trainer (A baseball / softball pitchback). My daughter loves to practice basketball and soccer by herself after school. This will allow her to practice softball by herself too. The total tab for today $230 dollars.

When I was nine I remember using a wooden bat. One day it cracked. We went to the hardware store to buy a wood screw and a some black tape to fix it. That bat lasted for the rest of the season.