Your Little League Bat and Glove

[Gil Dobie]

I was a Tiger fan, so I had a Denny McLain 31 win, Wilson glove and an Al Kaline 31" HB model bat. Learned young about role models with McLain.

[93henfan]

My first glove had a Fred Lynn signature on it. That's about all I can remember about it. IIRC, I used a 28 inch aluminum bat of the Easton variety when I started at age 8.

[AZGrizFan]

Never owned a bat.

My first glove (which I still have) was a $10 K-Mart 1st baseman's glove that I bought with a $10 bill I found in the gutter on the way to school one morning. Played 3rd base using that glove for two years, and in the league championship game (between Mt. Sentinel and Westside), the coach of the other team challenged the umps and pointed out in the rule book about how it was illegal. The umps agreed and I had to finish the game with someone else's glove.

Fuckin' douchebag. We won the game anyway.

[Willie]

I had a Kirby Puckett signature glove and TPX bat. Both are framed after we won state and won the MVP award when I was 11.

[Gil Dobie]

I had a Kirby Puckett signature glove and TPX bat. Both are framed after we won state and won the MVP award when I was 11.

Still have my glove, although you can't make out anything on Denny McLain, just got wornout over the years. We belonged to the ManDak league (4 Canadian and 4 US teams), an all-star team was sent to Winnipeg for post-season play, the winner of that would go to Vancouver to play for the Canadian championship. No state championship available to play for.

[andy7171]

Jim Rice baseball glove. I fucking sucked at baseball. I couldn't hit for shit. Thank god for lacrosse in high school.

[AshevilleApp]

Glove was a hand down from my brothers, I can't remember what make. Bat was and Ernie Banks model I still have.

[andy7171]

I had a Pete Rose Lousiville Slugger, in fact I still have it next to my bed.

[93henfan]

I had a Pete Rose Lousiville Slugger, in fact I still have it next to my bed.

You mentioned you couldn't hit earlier. You better learn how to hit fast if that's your home defense weapon!

[Ivytalk]

My first glove was a Rawlings that I bequeathed to my sister. My first bat was a 31" wooden Louisville slugger. Loved that thing!

[SunCoastBlueHen]

When I was 12, I remember having a Mizuno glove and a 31" Easton bat, only because that was the biggest bat they would let you use in Little League. I don't believe I had a "signature" glove, just a plain old Mizuno. I do remember signing a few other kid's gloves for them, though. I was kind of a big deal in Little League. Other kid's moms came out to games to cheer for me.

[GannonFan]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

[93henfan]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

Or maybe your parents didn't like you as much as ours did.

[89Hen]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

Except mine was the Sears special. In 1976 aluminium bats were still kind of a novelty. I think mine was steel. Heavier than a wood bat. WTF?

[TwinTownBisonFan]

I still have mine - a Brooks Robinson model for Rawlings - left handed with a solid web - played third base with it for the 4 years I was in little league (even though I was a lefty I was the only one who could make the throw anywhere near first - at least in the early years)

I also had a bat that in first grade another coach got banned for being 1 inch too long (after I had gone something like 4 for 4 to start the game...) during a playoff game... I remember after the game the coaches and parents were really pissed about the coach pulling a stunt like that

[Ivytalk]

I still have mine - a Brooks Robinson model for Rawlings - left handed with a solid web - played third base with it for the 4 years I was in little league (even though I was a lefty I was the only one who could make the throw anywhere near first - at least in the early years)

I also had a bat that in first grade another coach got banned for being 1 inch too long (after I had gone something like 4 for 4 to start the game...) during a playoff game... I remember after the game the coaches and parents were really pissed about the coach pulling a stunt like that

A lefty! It figures!!

[AZGrizFan]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

Or maybe your parents didn't like you as much as ours did.

No, I think GF had it right.

I use my lack of a bat during little league as living PROOF that I came from a hard-scrabble life and had to lift myself up by my bootstraps.

[AshevilleApp]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

You ever hear of "Free Bat Day" at MLB games?

[Gil Dobie]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

My bat cost $3.00 with money from my job mowing the neighbors yard. My second bat came from selling subscriptions to the Minneapolis Tribune.

[bluehenbillk]

Was a Pete Rose Wilson glove I believe. Everyone used a Easton Black Magic bat didn't they??

[GannonFan]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

You ever hear of "Free Bat Day" at MLB games?

See, my parents were so cheap that the only time I got that bat was when my older brother went to a Phillies game with his LL team and it was bat day and he got a wooden bat with Gary "The Sarge" Matthews imprint on it. So I got to occassionally borrow his bat, and of course, being wooden, meant that we didn't even use it in games.

Of course, I'm continuing the trend with my kids - no sense buying your own bat when you can use one of the 3-4 bats that come in the team equipment bag or simply use one of the 11 bats that the other 11 kids on the team bring for each and every game. Heck, some of the kids just flat out suck so it's not like those bats are even really being used anyway.

[AZGrizFan]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

You ever hear of "Free Bat Day" at MLB games?

Not everyone grew up in the shadow of an MLB stadium.

[SuperHornet]

I use my lack of a bat during little league as living PROOF that I came from a hard-scrabble life and had to lift myself up by my bootstraps.

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[SunCoastBlueHen]

I think I had a Manny Trillo glove, I think it was a Rawlings mitt.

Never had my own bat - frankly, I think the rest of you that did were just spoiled rotten - little bat-owning punks.

Some of us played pick-up games and practiced baseball outside of scheduled team practices. Hard to do without a bat. Some kids got lot of video games and such for birthdays and holidays, I got sports equipment.

[AshevilleApp]

You ever hear of "Free Bat Day" at MLB games?

Not everyone grew up in the shadow of an MLB stadium.

Yeah, I consider myself privileged having spent my formative years in Detroit.