$300 glove

[fasterpitch92701]

Two aligned focus points... parents wanting to "buy talent" and players who want trendy items to show off. Players who have worked hard to develop skill sets will do well with an $89 glove or $300 glove. If you can't make good contact with a $100 bat you will not make good contact with a $350 bat. Sure, there may be a slight edge with a higher priced product IF the higher price is based on functionality, not logo's, graphics or Suzi's most recent fashion trend. And even if the higher priced item is "slightly better" it is irrelevent if Super Suzi is playing short, can't get in front of the ball, can't move, has no arm, can't play aggressively, doesn't have the passion for the game, can't run and can't get a bat within 18" of a rise ball. But she looks good!!!! And players who look good probably don't have to spend money on lessons instead of the newest, trendy equipment.

[AlwaysImprove]

Nobody bats an eye at a $300 bat.

A good glove, well taken care of, will definitely outlast a bat.

You are right, but I think (personal opinion) anyone who pays that much for a bat is an idiot.

Same with a glove. If you need to pay that much for a glove to make a catch, you need to find another game.

MTR what kind of bats do your dd's or players use that aren't around $300? I think 300 is crazy too but where do u get a new bat for a lot less than 300?

Local store or K-mart. If I had my way, they would all be wood, worst case, aluminum. And who said they had to be new? A hitter hits and can do so with any bat.

This whole market reminds me of my sister. She would only buy clothes for the kids at the high-dollar stores like Macys, Bambergers, Nordstroms, Lord & Taylor, etc. She was convinced that these companies had superior product made for them even under the same brand name which necessitated the higher prices. It took years for her to realize that the rest of our family did just fine with the products purchased at JC Penney's, Sears and other more localized department stores and often at half the cost.

A big price tag doesn't reflect quality or worth, it reflects the market.

What about the cost of going to Nationals? Do you feel parents should take the same approach, choose more value oriented options over more over priced options?

[NuNu's Dad]

Nobody bats an eye at a $300 bat.

A good glove, well taken care of, will definitely outlast a bat.

If the glove is a Rawlings Pro Preferred, the glove won't last a season. I made the mistake of buying one for my DD for about $280 a couple of years ago. It lasted 10 months... and she only pitches!

The glove broke in really easy, but broke down just as easily. If someone else is buying, and it will only need to last a season, it is a great glove. If you are going to replace the glove after every season anyway, do yourself a favor and buy something cheap and relatively good like some of the Louisville Slugger models. They break in easily, last a season or two, and cost under $80.

Unless you're rich and need to spend your money quickly...

[ontheblack]

It's not to make you catch, its to get some life out of the product Everything is disposable these days unless you really step up and part with some cash. Many gloves in the sub 150 range these days are crappy and the leather is so thin it won't last a season. Sad but a current reality.

Rubbish! I've had four gloves in my 50 years of playing, three still have life. Something is disposable only if you want it to be.

Proper care of a glove can make the difference between getting a new glove every 1-2 years and using one glove for 20 years.

Oh, BTW, it is prossible one of the reasons that you will be given for the cost of the glove is the pre-conditioned leather which is relatively a load of crap.

I had a wilson a2000 for 20 years before someone walked away with it. I have purchased Eastons, Rawlings and Mizunos for my kids, nevr paying more than $80. With the exception of one Easton, the gloves had a lifespan of maybe 18 months.

Proper care has nothing to do with it these days. The cheap-ass gloves being sold today are designed to break in fast and break down almost as quickly. Proper care isnt going to extend their designed short term life span beyond a year or two.

At 12u I bought Thing 1 a Wilson A2000 that retailed for $199, but I paid less. 2 1/2 years later the glove is in great shape even though the kid doesnt give it the care it deserves. It is the last glove she will need. IMO that is money well spent. When Thing 2 is at the point where she wont outgrow it, I will buy her one as well, even if I have to pay full retail.

As for the bat, when Thing 1 was younger and a slapper, she used a used Triple 7 and an equally inexpensive DeMarini for 2 years and had the best OBP on her team. Unfortunately she hit her peak as a speedster at the age of 11. Now she is purely a line drive hitter. Her grandfathered Synergy cost me $300. She loves it, not because of whether its hot or not, but because of the balance and the size of the sweet spot.

[sofbal1234]

Hey ontheblack, a little off the subject but, what happened to your cool avatar?

[AlwaysImprove]

I think a little of what you are seeing is the inflation.

I like the straight leather wilson A2k or the Nokona regular leather gloves.

The $85 mizunos are not bad. I know people that claim they get +1 year on that glove, but for me it looks very floppy after 6 months. We had a girl who loved her floppy mit. All was good until she dropped two and lost an important game.

A $230 wilson A2k will last 10 years of extensive, daily use. In that same time you will go through at least 10 $85 gloves, plus all the break in's and using a floppy glove half the time.

[ontheblack]

I think a little of what you are seeing is the inflation.

I like the straight leather wilson A2k or the Nokona regular leather gloves.

The $85 mizunos are not bad. I know people that claim they get +1 year on that glove, but for me it looks very floppy after 6 months. We had a girl who loved her floppy mit. All was good until she dropped two and lost an important game.

A $230 wilson A2k will last 10 years of extensive, daily use. In that same time you will go through at least 10 $85 gloves, plus all the break in's and using a floppy glove half the time.

My experience has been the same with that Mizuno. It was a good glove for rec and got her thru one season of All Stars. Too floppy now for Thing 2.

1234, operator error with uploading different avatar.

[bulldog21]

I had 2 gloves growing up playing baseball. They were both Rawlings, In my early 20's I started playing slow pitch and I bought a heart of the hide. I have had it for almost 20 years. My daughter had a Rawlings when she was younger and when it was time for her to get another glove as she got bigger, I got her a heart of the hide. Instead of buying one in a store, she was able to order one and customize it to exactly what she wanted. She has had it for 5 years and it will last as long as she needs it.

Money well spent.

[jonriv]

I had a rawlings from PONY league until my 20's(ruined in trunk of car with laundry detergent- bought a mizuno in 1988 that i still have

DD has had either rawlings or mizuno- all have lasted- only got new ones for increased size- never paid more than $75. Good web exploration can usually yield the previous years model at a HUGE discount

[GENERIC17]

Simple answer quality vs quantity, yes there is products that cost more because of better materials and better construction. My dd plays 12u and has had 2 Mizuno mvp $89.00 bucks each the last 2 seasons each have lasted about 12 months and are totally broke DOWN. I bought her a Wilson A2000 and the difference is amazing leather texture, construction and feel are non-comparable. I spent $180.00 for 2 gloves that are toasted instead of $200.00 for the Wilson a2000 to start. Poor money mgmt on my part...Quality way over quantity in this case. Also I believe if you look good you feel good you play better...