How much does it suck to strike out?
It’s the worst feeling, especially when we’re young and worried about what everyone else thinks about us.
Your coaches were watching, your parents were watching, and maybe even your crush was watching that swing and miss.
It’s not actually as embarrassing as it feels when we put it into perspective though. Even MLB players strike out. Actually, they are striking out a ton more than they used to, check out our discussion on that here, we’ll link once it’s posted.
The point is, you aren’t going to hit every time you get up to bat. That’s a reality for every baseball player who has ever lived.
But what’s actually embarrassing is wearing $1000 at the plate looking like your Himothy (aka. that guy) and going 0 for.
The number of products that are marketed to players that aren’t even facing 90 mph fastballs is wild these days. These companies have convinced just about every player that they need a million things, when they really just need themselves and a bat and a mitt.
Here’s a shortlist of what you don’t actually need to be an elite baseball player:
- Batting gloves (especially not ones that cost $100 – I know they look tough)
- A sliding mitt (if you have never even slid, let alone head-first, I’m talking to you)
- An elbow guard (learn to wear the pitch better)
- An ankle guard (dude it’s coach pitch)
- The latest and greatest bat that just came out and costs $600 (it has no more pop than last year’s model)
- 3 different colored gloves to match your mood
- That arm sleeve that’s doing none of the work (just wear long sleeves man)
Every company making this gear has studied your heroes and is now selling things to you so you can cosplay greatness before you’ve got the paycheck to support the costs or the stats to validate the 3 minutes it takes you to swap gear when you’re lucky enough to make it to 1st.
This is one of the many areas where travel baseball has bled into little league and school teams. I’m sure you’ve seen a year-over-year increase in the brightly colored expensive accessories just as much as I have.
The most important thing for our players to know is that the drip does not make the player. You show your teammates and opponents how great you are with what you can do on the field, not by what or “who” you are wearing.
What other new accessories have you been asked to purchase by your budding baseball player that I missed? If you bought it, did it actually make a difference? I would love to be wrong, sound off in the comments if you think I am and have evidence to support your take.
Disclaimer: The style, swagger, chains, and culture seen at the pro level is real and it belongs to the game of baseball. This isn’t about any of that. This is about the companies profiting off of convincing little leaguers that they should already be wearing all the same high-end accoutrement that their big-league counterparts are.
Until next time, lose the drip and focus on getting the job done,
