Slightly OT: Little League question / assistance needed

My son will be playing little league (pony b) baseball this year (tball last year) and last year wooden bats were provided... this year, we need to get an aluminum bat for him. My question is not regarding brand, but more what length do I get for him? He is 6 years old (just turned 6 just over 2 weeks ago) and is on the shorter size for a 6 year old and is skinny... I am just unsure what length to get.... I have seen charts which base it on size and weight...

I seem to recall two guides, but unsure which is right.... one was butt of the bat to the groin, the other was the butt of the bat to the waist.

Can anyone give guidance?

Thanks

 

Will you be juicing him? J/k, I know, totally poor taste. You might want to consult the charts and then pick a range and have him swing a few. I recall a chain sporting goods store that set up tee ball tees in the golf driving area and let kits swing away.

 

lol.. thanks

 

It was either sports chalet or sportmart, can't recall. But those kids were having blast.

 

gotcha... neither of those are out here... we have Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Schuylkill Valley Sports... Schuylkill Valley Sports doesn't have them, not sure about the other two...

 

That's the best recommendation anyone can give. Let him try out a couple, if you can find a batting cage or more. I always went by the inseam, although their are exceptions to even that rule. A big kid, with stubby legs, will of course require a longer and heavier bat.

Your son, at 6, probably, if you can find a short enough bat, around a 24 max, would be his ideal size. 22 inch length bats are usually hard to find. (He may have to "choke up" with a bat, if you can't find the ideal one in length and weight). As much, check out the weight of each bat, as they will vary if you are in a store, which has a good selection. There you should be able to find different length/weights of bats, of which he will know, with your help and eye watching his swing; whether the swing is awkward due to its heavier weight, or to long a length. In Major LL, Minors too, a 26-28 was usually the longest bat used. 30-32 reserved for unusually big kids.

Watching my own LL kids and Teams, length was not always an issue, well it was when we were given a bunch of 32 inch bats. Choking up by each kid, the weight of each bat was more the problem, in my own experiences, watching kids.

Recall T. Gwynn often used a 32" bat, 32 ounces. Ruth and Clemente, well, they both used Sequoia Tree's. LOL....

Good Luck Hammer. I know your going to have a blast watching Little League this year. Are you coaching as well? Will work give you the time to do such? I hope so.....LL, is an experience (as you know to well), one both son and Father will never forget. The best years of our lives.....

 

I will not be coaching this year (head nor assistant)... Between the coming baby and long hours at work, I can't guarantee that I'd be there.... And I'm definitely looking forward to watching him play this year...

The charts are saying 27" is the right length for him...

 

This is the chart I saw.... http://howtobuyabaseballbat.com/choosing-the-right-length-baseball-bat/

 

Do those charts mention weight at all? With today's aluminum bats, they can fabricate a longer length bat, at lighter weights.

To often I get lost in the past, when all we had were wooden bats. Back then weight was as key as length, as some weight/length of bats, flew out of sporting goods stores. I'll never forget a 10 yr old coming to practice with his 32 inch bat, a wooden one. So heavy he couldn't come around on the pitch. Tho' that boy could hammer a ball with an aluminum bat.

Now today, I see they make "ultra light bats". Not always a good buy as those bats are so thin. A young player came to practice one day, so proud of his new Ultra Light aluminum bat, which he knocked the piss out of the balls with it. However, by the end of the week, the bat had dings all over it. Honestly the boy cried, when he noticed it wasn't holding up, and had a ding for every hit he got.

 

The charts list the players height & weight dictating the length of the bat recommended but not the weight of the bat.... They did mention lighter is better when learning the game though... so if there is a choice between differently weighted bats of a given length, we'll probably get the lighter bat...

 

Looks like you came to the right place. When you deal with this office you deal with the best. And to think......................no charge. Great advice Totus.

 

Thanks for the link hammer.....and I thank you on behalf of all those who will use it in the future, of course.

 

Amen Brother....this office is the epitome of great minds, and men....can't beat it. I am grateful to bask in your presence, and those of others, even if its in the shadows. As you said, best advice, best of friends, history is being made even here, and like you said its no admission, can't beat it...!!!

(wait I don't like that moniker, reminds me to much of Bonds-Book or Game of Shadows)

 

Even though I was a fan of Bonds & his father before him I never read the book. Was it interesting? By that I mean was mostly based on fact or fiction?

 

OK, we ended up getting two bats... a 27" seemed way too long for him... so we ended up getting two bats that were 25"... one was 15oz and the other was 13oz... we'll see how he does... I also got a cheap bat for myself so I can hit to him rather than just throw fielding practice...

 

Steve, aside from the batting cages, do the sporting good stores still carry those screens that you throw a ball against & it can be adjusted to work for pop ups, ground balls etc?

 

I believe so

 

Just an idea, I know it taught my son other aspects of the game when he was in little league.

 

I'll have to look into it

 

Honestly, I read the first chapter, and gave the book away. I thought I would enjoy it, as I like you too, enjoyed watching Bobby play alongside Willie Mays. I'll never forget Bonds crashing into Mays in the OF pursuit. I felt Barry was a bit naive, (speaking lightly), I thought he wasn't being vain, naive, or not honest enough, rather not taking personal responsibility for his own actions, rather more like: "well everyone was doing it, why not me"? Not a direct quote, but the overall feeling I got from the Intro, and first pitiful chapter. Remember when it came out, every sports anchor, journalist couldn't wait to get their hands on it? I couldn't wait to get it out of the house.

Hey Rick, I'm going to post up tomorrow a post on great baseball books.......take your notes, and I hope to see them in the post tomorrow. (I got to go cook dinner for Kim and Kenneth, will see you soon buddy). I got to send you a quick PM.