Youth baseball bats?

[I Saw OJ]

Got into a bit of a discussion with the wife this evening over a baseball bat.

My stepson is 11 and in the 5th grade. He plays baseball for his school and for the local city league. Each league has one game a week and they practice a couple times a week so he stays pretty busy. This evening he expressed interest in getting a new bat which is all fine and dandy however the bat he wants is a top of the line model costing upwards of $300+ dollars. For a youth baseball bat.

I'm of the mindset that there is no reason an 11 year old needs a bat for that price. My wife on the other hand wants to get it for him. Is my way of thinking outdated? Can you justify spending that much on a youth baseball bat?

 

[The Boston Dangler]

$300 for a single piece of equipment that he'll quickly outgrow?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HUGeA2lur4

 

[Captante]

Spent $250 on my daughters last softball bat however she's 17 and looking at a scholarship. The first time I saw bat prices a few years back I nearly fell out of my chair.

The short answer is no he doesn't need the top of the line bat for $300 at 11 years old. The good news is with a bit of shopping you can get him last years top of the line for around $150. Just be sure to get the right size/weight.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Well that's the whole thing is he already has the 2014 version of this same bat that his father bought him. Guess I'm just venting here having to deal with this absurd situation.

 

[Captante]

Well that's the whole thing is he already has the 2014 version of this same bat that his father bought him. Guess I'm just venting here having to deal with this absurd situation.

Well if he likes it you should be all set ... it would have been easier if you started looking awhile ago before the rush started but you still have a shot finding the 2014 version new.

 

[SearchMaster]

City league and elementary school? No, it won't make a whit of difference. Hell, with the new BPF standards and such, they're all supposed to be very limited in velocity anyway. Don't set the standard that he needs a new bat every year to keep up with his friends.

Especially if he continues to play...the new "top of the line" models are $550.

 

[z1ggy]

Do not spend that kind of money on an 11yo's bat. I played baseball from age 5 all the way into D3 college ball. 10-12yo's grow so fast, and their minds change so quickly. One bat he likes today, he won't tomorrow.

Also, If he keeps playing, by age 13 he will hit what our baseball league called "Babe Ruth", which transitions kids from little league, to the "real" sized field (mound to home plate, base paths, etc).

So you will spend $300 for him to use this bat for 2 seasons at most, then... End up buying him another $300+ bat for his next league.

The age 13+ league may be fine for you to spend big on the bat. I got a pretty decent bat as a present one year, and I used it all the way through high school. Don't invest that much money into a little leaguer unless they are very good, and very serious about baseball.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Socialize with the kids and families in the division ahead of your kids. Pick up their gear after kid grows out of it.
Local gear exchange. Most decent youth leagues keep stock and have a swap meet once a season
Play it again sports
ebay

 

[cbrunny]

When I was in grade 5 we used a mush ball. It wasn't hard. Don't need a "great" bat to hit a mush ball.

WWOJD?

 

[monkeydelmagico]

When I was in grade 5 we used a mush ball. It wasn't hard. Don't need a "great" bat to hit a mush ball.

WWOJD?

Maybe on the playground. When my son was playing ball in 5th grade he needed to be able to hit a 60mph fastball.

 

[Majes]

If you're going to buy him a bat please wait until his first year of high school baseball. If you purchase one then you should get four years out of it and these will be the most important baseball years for him as far as game value and career determination.

My parents never purchased me an expensive bat. I had a few that were bought at yard sales and could have played baseball at the college level had I wanted to. (To be fair I was a pitcher though...)

 

[slag]

Look around. We found a highly rated bat for our 6 yr old last year for $69. It was normally $189 but was discounted. He still uses it this year and its a great bat for him.

 

[theknight571]

I am not surprised. I've been paying $150 and up for hockey sticks since my son outgrew "junior" sticks.

I agree with those saying to check with other parents for their "outgrown" bats, or look on-line for last years models. I was usually able to find last-years top models for 40-50% of the price of this years top models.

 

[IronWing]

He has a bat. It's a waste of money to get another one. Take the time you'd spend shopping and do something else with him.

 

[tynopik]

11 years old?

should be able to pay for it himself if he wants it that bad

 

[GasX]

spend the $300 on a used lathe and have him make his own bat...

 

[tynopik]

spend the $300 on a used lathe and have him make his own bat...

not legal in most leagues . . . .

 

[IronWing]

spend the $300 on a used lathe and have him make his own bat...

You are now like a god to me. That is pure genius.

 

[Slew Foot]

i got a $30 bat in 6th grade and used through freshman year in hs.

nowadays you have a bunch of idiot parents that think their stupid kid is the next Mantle and if they dont have the newest shit their kid wont get into college. the manufacturers know this and are happy to fleece their pockets. think of it like college textbooks

 

[slag]

i got a $30 bat in 6th grade and used through freshman year in hs.

nowadays you have a bunch of idiot parents that think their stupid kid is the next Mantle and if they dont have the newest shit their kid wont get into college. the manufacturers know this and are happy to fleece their pockets. think of it like college textbooks

Times have changed. Last year when my son was in 7th grade, they made everyone have to use a specific type of bat and most of their older bats did not have that certification.

We had to get a new bat for him. It has nothing to do with how good they are, but what the requirements are for the league.

 

[blackdogdeek]

While I feel it is unnecessary to get him a new bat one year later (unless he experienced a crazy growth spurt) you can make it a teachable exercise and agree to pay for half of the bat if he can raise the other half of the cost.

 

[Homerboy]

My son has been playing, and I have been coaching, competitive baseball for 5+ years now.

Bats unquestionably increase hitting power. It's obviously not going to matter if you can't put the bat on the ball. The saying sticks "A $500 bat doesn't fix a $5 swing."

However, a broken in, full composite bat will add 50ft to the flight of a ball over a cheap aluminum bat. Not to mention simply increase exit velocity, resulting in more balls being hit past infielders. So a good bat does, unquestionably, increase the effectiveness of a hit ball.

There is NO reason to buy the latest and the greatest bat though. Simply buy LAST YEARS model (ebay) for up to 75% off. This is what I do every single year. (Composite bats have a lifespan). I got a $400 Combat Wanted bat for $76 this year. Last year was an Easton XL1 ($450) for $150.

Buying USED bats is sketchy as you never know how they have been cared for and how much they have been used. Again, composite bats will break down over time.

 

[Homerboy]

If you're going to buy him a bat please wait until his first year of high school baseball. If you purchase one then you should get four years out of it and these will be the most important baseball years for him as far as game value and career determination.

My parents never purchased me an expensive bat. I had a few that were bought at yard sales and could have played baseball at the college level had I wanted to. (To be fair I was a pitcher though...)

Wrong on many levels. You're never going to get 4 years out of a bat if you're playing and practicing regularly with it.

 

[Homerboy]

Well that's the whole thing is he already has the 2014 version of this same bat that his father bought him. Guess I'm just venting here having to deal with this absurd situation.

Sorry missed that post.

Most times the only difference between years is a paint job. What bat in particular are we talking about?

Assuming we're talking composites here, ironically, brand new bats are NOT ideal. Composite bats take 700-1000 (depending on who you talk to) hits before they are broken in and in prime hitting power. So his 1 year old bat may be in it's prime right now depending on how much it was used. If he bought a brand new bat, the exit velocity on it may be significantly decreased over his "old" bat from last year.

 

[JDawg1536]

At that age there will hardly be a difference. Short answer - hell no.