T-Ball

Tee Ball players do not have any required equipment except a glove. Tee ball, as an introduction to the baseball/softball programs, offers the opportunity for players to gain experience with the equipment of those programs.

The Glove: Comfort, more than anything else, should rule the day when selecting a glove for a tee ball player. Selecting a glove that is already soft and pliable, and doesn’t require any break in, is very desirable. Resist the temptation to get a glove much larger than required. A smaller glove is easier for the young player to control and will build good fielding habits. Typically, never exceed a size 9 glove for the tee ball player.
For those new to baseball/softball, it is important to determine which hand is a player’s throwing hand. The glove is worn on the hand opposite the throwing hand. See the Glove section of the baseball section for more information about gloves.

The Ball: The type of ball used in Tee Ball is sometimes called a “safety ball” and is made to play like a real baseball, but to be softer. Officially called a “Reduced Injury Factor” RIF ball, they are engineered to roll and bounce like their harder cousins, but to not hurt as much if a player gets hit by one. Wiffle balls are a useful training aid for young players. Practicing with a wiffle ball can teach players to catch the ball with two hands and reduce the chance of a young player developing a fear of the ball.

The Bat: The bat used in Tee ball is a smaller version of the base ball bat. Tee ball bats are typically labeled as Tee ball and run in the range of 24-26 inches of length. The lightest bat possible is recommended for tee ball players. Tee ball players commonly develop an “arms out” bat swing due to using too heavy of a bat. See the Bat section of the baseball section for more information about bats.

Baseball

In addition to a glove many players choose to have their own bat, batting helmet and cleats. It is strongly recommend that every player wear cleats and a protective “cup”. Cleats improve traction allowing greater speed during baserunning and chasing down fly balls on mushy northwest fields. Cleats can also prevent injuries from slips and falls. The protective cup is highly recommended for each player and required for anyone wishing to play the catcher position. Starting this habit at a young age can provide confidence in later years. Also a protective cup is good insurance against a bad hop from a ground ball.

The Baseball Glove
Catcher's Glove	A player’s glove is probably the most personal piece of equipment he will own. Like the hand that the glove fits, they come in many different sizes. There are also many different styles, colors and features. A glove’s size is measured in inches from the base of the hand to the end of the middle finger. The glove size is typically printed on the glove. Here are some glove descriptions given by position.	First Base Glove
Catcher: A catcher’s glove is fingerless in that it has two slots one for the thumb and one for the fingers. It contains additional padding to protect the hand. It is reinforced to hold up to stress of catching a pitched ball.	When selecting a glove for younger players the most important factor is size and comfort. A smaller glove is easier for the young player to control and will build good fielding habits. Children under 8 are best served with a glove from 9 to 11 inches.	First Base: A first baseman’s glove resembles a mitten, but unlike the catcher’s glove has normal padding. It has an oversized pocket that is long to help fielding throws from the infield.
Pitcher's Glove		Infielder's Glove
Pitcher: A pitcher’s glove serves two primary functions. It must conceal the pitcher’s hand with ball from the hitter and field the position. The glove should have a fairly sized solid mesh web.		Infielder: An infielder’s glove has five fingers with a shallower web than the first baseman’s glove. Middle infielders (second base and shortstop) use a glove with a smaller and sometimes open web for mobility and to make quick throws. The third baseman’s glove is the largest. A shortstop’s glove may be slightly larger than the second baseman’s to improve the handling of grounders

The Baseball Bat

Once you decide to get your own baseball bat the choices are staggering. There is a multitude of brands, lengths, weights and materials from which to choose. Bats have come a long way from the huge piece of timber your dad used. Now you have wood, metal, composites and ceramic materials. Both bat technology and bat prices have advanced over the years. Hopefully this primer will be helpful in making the correct choice for your child.

Bat Basics
Little League rules state that a bat can be made from either wood or non-wood material. The narrow end of a bat is called the handle and wider end is called the barrel. The handle end of the bat is called the heel end and barrel end of the bat is called the head or cap end. Bats are sized by barrel width, overall weight and overall length. A bat’s length in inches is typically printed on the heel of the bat. Non-wood bats also typically have a weight in ounces printed with the length. The bat barrel for T-Ball through the Major League baseball division must be no larger than 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Junior League, Senior League and Big League divisions (youth over 12 years of age) can have a barrel no larger than 2 3/4 inches. New for the 2007 season all bats must be printed with a BPF (bat performance factor) rating of 1.15 or less. From "Changes to 2005 Official Regulations" (http://www.littleleague.org/rules/rulechanges2005.pdf) Also, the Little League internal web site, http://www.littleleague.org/common/equipment/index.asp, contains a list of approved bats.
	All little league-approved bats are labeled with the printing, “Little League Approved” which should not be confused with the Junior, Senior or Big League approved labels.

Selecting a Bat

Bat Size By Age

The most important factors in selecting a bat are length and weight. It is typically a good idea to select a bat length first. Selection of a bat length based on your child’s size is recommended.

Several rules of thumb are provided here.

After bat length, the most important factor usually is bat weight, but now personal preferences will come into play. A bat’s weight is usually proportional to a bat’s length.

Each model of bat typically has a fixed proportion often called “Drop”.

Age	Bat Length
5–7 years old	24” – 26”
8-9 years old	26” – 28”
10 year old	28” – 29”
11-12 years old	30” – 31”
13-14 years old	31” – 32”

Weight in pounds	Height in Inches
	36-40	41-44	45-48	49-52	53-56	57-60	61-64	65-68	69-72
Less than 60	26"	27"	28"	29"	29"	- -	- -	- -	- -
61-70	27"	27"	28"	29"	30"	30"	- -	- -	- -
71-80	27"	28"	28"	29"	30"	30"	31"	- -	- -
81-90	- -	28"	29"	29"	30"	30"	31"	32"	- -
91-100	- -	28"	29"	30"	30"	30"	31"	32"	- -
101-110	- -	29"	29"	30"	30"	31"	31"	32"	- -
111-120	- -	29"	29"	30"	30"	31"	31"	32"	- -
121-130	- -	29"	29"	30"	30"	31"	32"	33"	33"
131-140	- -	29"	30"	30"	31"	31"	32"	33"	33"
141-150	- -	- -	30"	30"	31"	31"	32"	33"	33"

A bat’s drop is represented as a negative number and often appears in advertisements or even on the barrel of the bat. If take the length of a bat and subtract its drop you will get its weight in ounces.

For example a 30”, -12 drop bat will weight 18 oz. (30 – 12).

At this writing, the bat drop of non-wood youth bats can vary from –13 to –3 and wood bats vary from –3 to 0. Different bat materials and technologies combine to provide varying bat drops. Currently, a large bat drop is desirable (as conventional thinking has that bat speed is king) and as a rule, a premium is paid for bats with a large drop.

Typically, lighter bats are made with thinner walls requiring harder materials. In the non-wood bat variety there are two material categories, aluminum alloys and graphite/titanium composites. Aluminum alloys are the most common and affordable. They use different combinations of Zinc, Copper, and other metals with Aluminum to create different material characteristics. The following list of aluminum alloy materials is provided to show the relative hardness of each. Expect to pay more for a bat made with harder materials.

Care must be taken when selecting a large drop bat to make sure that is made from a durable material. As rule of thumb stick to at least a CU31 for –10 drop bats, at least C405 for –11 drop bats and at least Sc500 for –12 drop bats. Large/strong kids may need at least a Sc777 for a –12 drop bat.

7046	Standard aircraft aluminum alloy
CU31/7050	Addition of zinc, copper and magnesium
C405/7055	Increased zinc, 13% stronger than CU31
Sc500/C500/C555	Addition of scandium, 3%-7% stronger than C405
Sc777	Increased scandium, 50% stronger than C405
Sc888	Increased scandium, 10% stronger than C777

When trying out bats have the player carefully swing the bat. Does the player swing the bat or does the bat swing the player? Can the player pull the bat through the strike zone under control? Watch the players feet do they roll over? These can be signs of a bat that is too big for a player.

Bat Care Typically, the most expensive piece of equipment for a ballplayer is their bat. Bats for the most part are maintenance free, but correct bat usage can prolong a bat’s life. Bat life is measured as the time from the bat’s first use until its failure. During normal youth league usage bats typically fail well before they break apart (totally fail). Total bat failure can be violent and dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. For this reason periodic bat inspections is necessary to detect bat failures before they become total failures. Coaches and umpires will inspect bats periodically, but vigilance on the part of parents and players is very important.
	The warning signs of bat failure • Visible dents, cracks or surface fractures. • Abnormal sound or vibration when the ball is stricken • Loose or dislodged end cap. • Warped handle or barrel. Visibly examine a bat for these signs of failure. A bat that has failed should no longer be used.
Most bat failure occurs through repeated usage as small microscopic fractures develop in the bat material. These very small fractures multiply and combine to eventually become significant to a bat’s performance. Generally, harder bat materials have an increased resistance to these small fractures. All bats fail eventually, luckily youth players also outgrow their bats, eventually. The key is to slow this progressive breakdown of the bat so as to prolong the bat’s life until the player outgrows the bat. To prolong bat life, always avoid batting objects that are harder than the bat material. For durability batting cage balls are made very hard. It is suggested that you do not to use your favorite game bat to practice at the batting cages. During cold weather balls become harder, which decreases bat life. Some bat manufactures suggest that their bats should only be used at temperatures above 60 F. Note the bat temperature is not important, it is the ball temperature.
Wood bats fail most often either near the middle of the bat, where the diameter of the wood is at its smallest, or at the end of the barrel, where the wood lacks structural integrity. These bats are also less forgiving with contact points off the sweet spot. Wrapping tape around these areas can reinforce them and improve bat life. Cracks almost always follow the grain of the wood. Wood bats are manufactured with a label that marks the weakest area of the bat grain. A wood bat should always be gripped so that the label is facing up at contact so it is perpendicular to the path of the ball.
Aluminum/Alloy/Composite bat failure occurs most often at the barrel in the area of contact. To prolong the life of these bats is important to evenly distribute the amount use around the circumference of the barrel. Varying the contact point on the barrel with each strike of the ball does this. Several bat manufacturers label their bats with numbered intervals around the circumference to make it easier for the batter to keep track of contact points.
A relatively new product is the bat sleeve, which slides over the barrel of a bat and acts a cushion at the contact point. Bat sleeves may offer some protection for a bat during practice sessions, but it is unknown how effective they are at protecting the bat.