Baseball Equipment

Swing for the Fences with the Right Equipment

Baseball is America's National Pastime, and other, similar games are very popular too – like softball. Whether we're talking about a weekend scrimmage, a beer league, or something more sophisticated, one fact is universal: You'll need the right gear for the situation.

Bats, bases, balls, gloves, cleats, caps, masks – we have them all, for baseball and softball, and we can get them to you at a great price and backed by our excellent 5-Star service record.

Balls

This is one of the two absolute minimum requirements of either game. Baseballs and softballs are available in a range of diameters to suit regulation sizes at a variety of age and skill levels. Certain weights and sizes are required at each level of league play, and we have them all.

Nearly all softballs – at least for game play – are white. Softballs can be white, off-white, yellow, orange, or even neon – whichever ones suit your league, we have them. You can buy a single ball, but it's always a good idea to have several on hand. Not only are they useful for warming up with a few drills, but they can also get lost or even damaged if a hit goes out of bounds and lands in debris or can't be found.

To know if a bat is the right size for you, stand with one hand straight out to your side, with fingers straight. Have someone measure from the tip of your index finger to the center of your chest. If you are more than 5'9", you'll probably need a 33" bat. If you are around 5' tall, you'll want something from 30-33". Under four feet and you'll want 29" at most, ranging down to about 27". A good way to size up a bat in the field is to place it upright next to the player. The player should be able to touch the end of the handle with the palm of his/her hand.

The normal method of determining if the weight is suitable, is to have the player hold the bat out sideways, with a straight arm, at right angles to the ground. If the player can hold it there for ten seconds without drooping, it is light enough.

Gloves

The most obvious type of gloves needed for baseball and softball are fielding gloves. Gloves for second base and shortstop tend to be lighter and have smaller pockets to allow for quicker grab-and-throws once the ball has been caught. Outfielder gloves have deep webbing. Catcher's gloves (usually called "catcher's mitts") are more heavily padded (to protect from the higher frequency and speed of pitches they need to catch), and are often rounder in shape.

Gloves are specific to the handedness of players, and are available in both right- and left-handed styles. A right-hander wears the glove on the left hand, leaving the right free to throw, and vice versa for the left-hander, so a "left-handed glove" is usually for the right hand.

Have a look at our range of Baseball Accessories and Baseball Training Equipment