Baseball gloves and bats get a lot of attention when it comes to outfitting a ballplayer, but good spikes should never be an afterthought. Sure bat speed is big and a well-maintained glove is huge, but if the player can’t run fast out of the box or while chasing a line drive in the outfield, then their game is in trouble. Luckily, buying a great pair of baseball cleats is as simple as heading to the New Balance selection at the local sporting goods store. The Low-Cut 4040v3 Metal Cleat ($99.99) gives batters great grip at the plate, but as soon as they take off running the cleats Drive Zone helps the player push off with the front of their feet and toes. Thanks to a gusset tongue, small clumps of dirt and rocks are kept out. The cleats come in 12 different color combinations, making it likely that one will be a good fit with the player’s uniform. New Balance also makes mid-cut cleats, baseball training shoes and baseball apparel. One of the newest shirts is the 4040 … [Read more...] about New Balance digs in with a superb baseball cleat
Baseball
Dierker’s Champs program in need of baseball equipment
By Vagney Bradley, [email protected] Published 3:44 pm, Wednesday, February 7, 2018 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-3', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 3', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); Photo: Tony Gaines / HCN Image 1of/3 CaptionClose Image 1 of 3 Three of the Dierker's Champs participants (front row, left to right: Brianna Magallanes, Holbrook; Jayce Wilson, Francone; Daniel Artola, Matzke) posed last year with legendary Astros manager, pitcher and broadcaster Larry Dierker and Program Director Sheri Lee at an Astros game. less Three of the Dierker's Champs participants (front row, left to right: Brianna Magallanes, Holbrook; Jayce Wilson, Francone; Daniel Artola, Matzke) posed last year with legendary Astros manager, pitcher and ... more … [Read more...] about Dierker’s Champs program in need of baseball equipment
2,400 baseballs, 1,200 bats and one Phanatic hot dog launcher ready for Phillies spring training
While the start of spring training is always an exciting time, Philadelphia sports fans have a little something else to keep them preoccupied with for the time being. But once Thursday’s Eagles Super Bowl parade is over, the Phillies are sending their 53-foot equipment truck to their spring home in Clearwater, Fla. The Phillies, along with the Phanatic, will load the truck Friday morning at 8 a.m. and they hope to be on the road by 10:45 a.m. The truck will travel 1,058 miles to its sunny destination, passing through eight states before reaching Spectrum Field on Feb. 11. That will give the Phillies three days to unpack with the first official workout for pitchers and catchers scheduled for Feb. 14. On the truck will be obvious things, like 10,000 12oz Powerade cups, 2,400 baseballs and 1,200 bats but one Phanatic hot dog launcher will also be making the trip. Here’s a sampling of some other things the Phillies are taking south: 2,000 short and long sleeve shirts 600 pairs … [Read more...] about 2,400 baseballs, 1,200 bats and one Phanatic hot dog launcher ready for Phillies spring training
2 teenagers sentenced in baseball bat beating of Wichita man
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two teenagers were each sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for beating a man with a baseball bat and stealing about $20, two guns and some food. The man, Horace Johnson, was beaten in May in his Wichita home and remains in a coma. Police say a relative found him unconscious on the floor, likely two days after he was attacked. The family went to the home after police found Johnson's car abandoned and couldn't reach him. District Attorney Marc Bennett says 16-year-old Jalen Oliver and 17-year-old Matthew Florez-Duran broke into Johnson's home, robbed him and beat him in the head with the bat several times. The teenagers were prosecuted as adults for attempted first-degree murder. Florez-Duran was sentenced Wednesday. Oliver was sentenced two weeks ago. … [Read more...] about 2 teenagers sentenced in baseball bat beating of Wichita man
Former Baseball Coach Pleads No Contest To Molesting Player
Bay City News Service Published 10:50 am, Wednesday, February 7, 2018 A former baseball coach pleaded no contest Tuesday to child molestation and sexual assault charges stemming from an investigation that began after he was found fellating a 14-year-old boy, San Mateo County prosecutors said. Julio Edgardo Ortiz, 37, was arrested in September 2016 after a California Highway Patrol officer found him at Vista Point No. 3 on Interstate Highway 280. Ortiz and the victim were in a parked car with the engine running and prosecutors say he was orally copulating a teenage boy when the officer checked inside. Investigators say the Menlo Park man met the victim two years earlier when he was coaching baseball at a Redwood City elementary school. LATEST SFGATE VIDEOS Now Playing: Now Playing Contra Costa sheriff's deputies rescue calf with head stuck in tree Contra Costa Sheriff's Department Rescued coyote had a jar stuck on its head for two weeks San … [Read more...] about Former Baseball Coach Pleads No Contest To Molesting Player