My New Baseball Gear For The 2019 Season After A Mini Shopping Spree - Plus My First Scrimmage Report

I decided to buy a bunch of new equipment for my season to be well-prepared. While I played every inning last year through the playoffs and all-star game without this stuff, I had a lot of family things going on that made it tough in other ways. This year, I wanted to start fully prepared so I'll have less things to worry about as the season goes on.

I usually never spend money on myself, but this was a special occasion. I'm a minimalist with equipment because talent and effort are all you need, but some of my older gear was just too run down, and then I started shopping...

My weapons:

TWO Marucci Jose Bautista JB19 33" Pro Maple Wood Bats ($230 after negotiating $30 off)

Two of these bats should get me through the season. They're very high quality and durable. I've used them for years with great success, but took about 2 years off from them. I love their smooth balance, the control I feel, and the powerful pop I get with I connect. They're cupped at the end, which means that the wood is carved out to reduce weight and an end-loaded feel. They feel second-natured to me, versus trying new less-expensive blem bats in recent years that weren't quite right.

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Tools of the trade:

Easton Z10 Batting Gloves - Royal Blue/White ($35 after 10% off)

I need grip like you see on these palms because other basic leather wears out quickly or gets hard with pine tar. I won't need pine tar with these.

Palmgard Protective Glove ($20)

I wear this under my catcher or infielder's glove for padding, comfort, and a better fit. I've been using these since high school. I'm not allowed to wear this when I pitch.

Protection:

Easton Pro X Batter's Helmet With Face Guard - Matte Royal Blue ($63 after 10% discount)

I've always used team helmets, but this year I'm going rogue. I opted for the face guard for extra confidence on inside pitches, and because it looks badass.

Evoshield Gel-to-Mold Batter's Elbow Guard - Royal Blue ($41)

I've never worn one before, but they're smart to have for faster pitchers. This will give great protection, but it'll also give me more confidence to hang in longer for inside curveballs that'll break over the inner half of the plate for a strike (very hittable if you don't bail). The guard comes with gel that activates when you open and bend it, which sets to a hard mold around your arm in 30 minutes. Pretty cool.

Under Armor Sliding Shorts/Cup Holder ($10 on sale from $30)

These are essential. I replaced my old pair and immediately got a blocked ball solid in the cup when catching at my first scrimmage on Sunday. Thank you, God.

Other:

Easton Walk-Off IV BatPack - Navy ($70)

This is my first time with one of these, but it holds two bats and a helmet easily. It helps me be hands-free for my commute.

Under Armor Compression T-Shirt ($13 - couldn't skip the deal)

I bought a large, but I barely fit in it. I guess the off-season workouts have paid off a bit, but I might need to order another in XL.

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I have plenty of life left in my cleats and pants, but may get a new infielder's glove and catcher's mask soon. The glove is tricky to get during the season since it takes months to break in. Essentially, I'd be getting it to use next season, but I'm very emotionally attached to my infielder's glove which has been with me for every baseball and softball game since the middle of high school.

My catcher's glove from the same era had to be retired 2 seasons ago because the leather pocket got wrecked catching a fireballer in heavy rain, which got the leather wet and frayed major holes in it. I found a great broken in Easton replacement at a thrift store for $10 and am set there.

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First Scrimmage Report: (Won 9-2 in 7 innings)

I pitched 3 innings last Sunday in our scrimmage as the starting pitcher. I had a scoreless first inning, gave up 2 unearned runs in the second after some untimely fielder errors, and finished with a dominant scoreless/hitless third where I struck out two batters. I was really feeling it in the third inning. Another outing or two to get my bearings and I'll be strictly looking to reap the rewards of my off-season exercising.

My fastball felt good for a first outing on the hill, but it was cold and I didn't want to risk straining anything by trying too hard. My knuckleball was exceptional and had batters mind-boggled at times, swinging and missing aimlessly. Only one guy clocked a double on an 0-2 count when I threw a third consecutive knuckler that he adjusted to by moving up in the box and hit before its sharp break. Touché to him. I should've thrown a slider there to mix speeds, but that's why we practice in preseason.

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At the plate, I walked twice in the cleanup spot, struck out looking because I was pissed off about a bad strike call, and hit a towering pop out to left field. If I straightened that last one out, it'd have been a bomb.

In the field, I played shortstop and third base. I turned a picture perfect double play and caught a pop out at third. There wasn't much action my way otherwise. I then caught two innings behind the plate without anything notable.

Opening day is this weekend. I'll be ready...

Thanks for following,
@steemmatt

^{Bringing back any memories, @broncnutz?}