Composite bats

From Little League

November 29, 2010

Dear Little League Parents and Volunteers,

With the holiday shopping season upon us, we want to remind all that we are in the midst of a research effort with the University of Massachusetts (Lowell) to determine whether or not a moratorium will be placed on the use of composite 2¼-inch barreled baseball bats in the Little League Majors Division and below. We have already placed a moratorium on composite bats in the Junior League Baseball, Senior League Baseball, and Big League Baseball Divisions.

We anticipate making a decision on the use of composite 2¼-inch barreled baseball bats by Jan. 1, 2011, as promised in earlier communications on this subject.

Information on the moratorium on composite bats in the Junior League Baseball, Senior League Baseball, and Big League Baseball Divisions, as well as information on specific models of composite bats that have received a waiver of that moratorium, can be found here: http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/2010/Sep-Dec/StatementFromLLCompositeBats.htm

We encourage local league officials to provide this message to parents and volunteers in the local league.

Sincerely,
Little League International

Don't forget to visit our Amazon store for Christmas!!  

Updated Amazon Store!

Just for the holidays I have updated the Youth Baseball Store on Amazon.  Instead of just baseball items, I've added the Electronics and All Sports categories.

http://astore.amazon.com/renobaseballblog-20

Please pay us a visit and scoop up some great deals (like 20% off a Kindle!)

How to drive through the ball.

This is one of the better explanations I've seen on how to drive through the ball. I've always taken baby steps with my teaching. Kid who arm swings, teach how to swivel the hips. Long swing, hands inside the ball as your hips rotate.  Knowing full well that they really need long term training with proper technique. 

Here is a video that explains how to rotate, when to, and why.

Winter Skills Program

Over at the Muckdogs website they are having a Winter Skills Camp  December 30, 31 & Jan 2nd.  Click the link and check out the flier.

While on the Muckdogs site, I saw this..

Congratulations to the 2010 19U Muckdogs baseball team for going undefeated in the 2010 Joe DiMaggio League World Series. A great team effort headed by Manager Ken Camel and assistant coaches Bret Pagni and Matt Rutledge.
Tip your hats to the tournaments Most Valuable Pitcher Tyler Osborne and Most Valuable Player Chris Stocker of the Muckdogs Baseball Club.
The Muckdogs organization would like to send a Thank You to family and fans for all of their support this year. With hard work and dedication we have met this year’s team goals.

That is really impressive!  Looks like Bret and Ken have some awesome things going on over there.

For all things Muckdog related, head on over to www.muckdogsbaseballclub.com.   For all training and other services, check out Bret's Baseball Academy and their indoor facility off Glendale.

Thanks everyone!

Safety First

From Little League corporate today I received this email...  Talk about a huge blow to the manufacturers.  Willing to bet there are some huge blowout sales coming up!!

"September 1, 2010

TO: Local Little League Presidents, District Administrators, and Regional Field Staff

FROM: Patrick W. Wilson, Vice President of Operations, Little League International

RE: Moratorium on Composite Bats in the Junior League, Senior League, and Big League Divisions of Baseball

A moratorium on the use of composite bats in the Junior, Senior, and Big League Baseball Divisions of Little League was enacted on Aug. 27, 2010, by the Little League International Board of Directors, effective immediately. The moratorium shall be in effect until further notice by Little League International.

The moratorium covers all games and practices only in the three divisions referenced above. It closely follows a similar moratorium approved in July 2010 by the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS), based on a recommendation from its Baseball Rules Committee. The NFHS Board enacted a rule to prohibit the use of composite bats until they can produce consistent compliance with the standards through the life of the bat

Waivers of the moratorium may be considered by Little League International in certain circumstances. For 2011, a manufacturer may apply for a waiver of the moratorium for a particular model of composite bat if all of the requirements for a waiver, as established by Little League International, are satisfied. Composite bats that are certified by an approved independent testing laboratory as meeting the current Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR), and the Accelerated Break-In (ABI) procedure, will be eligible for the waiver in 2011. Little League International will provide a list of bat models, if any, that receive waivers of the moratorium.

Not covered under the Little League moratorium are wood bats, metal bats, or bats that have composite materials in the handle only. A composite bat is one that has a metal shell, but a woven composite of fibers on the inside of the barrel portion of the bat.

Currently, the moratorium on composite bats does not apply to the Little League Baseball (Majors) Division and below, nor does it apply to any division of softball. Little League International, in consultation with independent experts, anticipates being able to provide local league constituents clear direction regarding composite bats in the Little League Baseball (Majors) 12-and-under divisions, prior to the start of the 2011 season.

Sincerely,

Patrick W. Wilson

Vice President of Operations"

Fall Ball signups

Fall baseball signups are in full swing.. Get it, swing...

Visit  www.washoelittleleague.org for Washoe.


http://www.sparkscentenniallittleleague.com/ has contact information but I didn't see any forms.


http://www.renoamerican.com/ 


http://www.eteamz.com/renonational/  Reno National


http://www.eteamz.com/sparksbaseball/ Sparks National


http://www.littlenorthvalleysleague.com/ North Valleys

Speed isn't everything.

At the Major Little League level, through the MLB.  Keeping the batter off guard is as important as blowing it past them.  Case in point, I direct you to the RGJ blog today.

"Former Nevada standout Joe Inglett has been playing professional baseball for a decade but likely accomplished a first on Tuesday: the utility man tossed a scoreless inning in the Brewers' 12-4 loss to the Reds.

With Milwuakee's bullpen taxed and starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo getting knocked around early, Brewers coach Ken Macha turned to Inglett to pitch the ninth inning, and he delivered.

Inglett maxed out at 56 mph and his average pitch was 54 mph, but he still recorded a 1-2-3 inning, retiring Brandon Phillips, Orlando Cabrera and Joey Votto (two of whom have been All-Stars). The pitches registered as knuckeballs on the scoreboard because of the speed but Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy said they were just slow fastballs.

"I put down 'fastball' but they weren't fast," Lucroy told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "He was just flipping them in there. That's tough (for the hitter), coming in so slow. It's different seeing 50 (mph) and 90 (mph)."

"One, two, three. That's all I can say," Gallardo told MLB.com of Inglett's effort. "I was pretty impressed. For him to go in there and get three outs, he made it seem easy."

In 64 games, Inglett is hitting .267 with 10 runs scores and 10 extra-base hits in 90 at-bats. "

http://www.rgj.com/section/blogs16?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&U=cf54a7c3-6850-4148-9710-effa04ad5005&plckPostId=Blog:cf54a7c3-6850-4148-9710-effa04ad5005Post:c05fb68d-8a83-4877-9665-ee2514eea60f&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

Summer Baseball Camps Updated

JULY SUMMER CAMPS, 2010

SPARKS SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP
Dates: July 12-16, 2010 | Times: 9:00am-2:00pm
Location: Shadow Mountain Park Baseball Fields | (MAP)
Cost: $135.00-$200.00 per player | Ages: 8-12

REGISTER NOW | DETAILS | WAIVER FORM

SUMMER BASEBALL SKILLS CLINIC SERIES
Dates: July 19-22, 2010 | Times: 9:00am-12:00pm
Location: INDOOR CLINIC! WB Baseball Training Center | (MAP)
Cost: $125.00 per player | Ages: 8-12

REGISTER NOW |  DETAILS | WAIVER FORM

SOUTH RENO SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP
Dates: July 26-30, 2010 | Times: 9:00am-2:00pm
NEW LOCATION: Damonte Ranch High School Facilities
Cost: $135.00-$200.00 per player | Ages: 8-13 | (MAP)

REGISTER NOW | DETAILS | WAIVER FORM

AUGUST SUMMER CAMPS, 2010

CARSON CITY SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP
Dates: August 2-6, 2010 | Times: 9:00am-2:00pm
Location: Governors Fields Baseball Complex | (MAP)
Cost: $135.00-$200.00 per player | Ages: 8-13

REGISTER NOW | DETAILS | WAIVER FORM

The game or the experience?

What do 9-10 year olds remember? The game, the experience or both?

Last night was my son's championship game for the District 1 Renegades. Washoe LL vs. Sparks Centennial. A hard fought game between the teams with good pitching and hitting. Close game until the 5th inning when one team pulled away.

Then the mayhem.

Top of 6th, one out, runner on 1st from a nice base hit and the sprinklers come on. That's fine. Funny things like that happen in little league. So after about 10 minutes, granted it is 11:05PM and these are 9-10 yr olds, with both teams in the dugouts, and a packed stands, the lights turn off!

Still a funny event, just chaotic with zero visibility and siblings at a large park and no communication from the officials or umpires.

After 10 minutes of darkness, instead of getting everyone's attention and letting us know what was happening, the umpires walked over to the dugout and said something to the coaches letting them know they had won. The kids are going crazy, the parents/fans are scrambling to figure out what to do, the other team wasn't notified, no hand shaking or congratulations.

So instead of a ceremony of any sort, everyone is scrambling to find their equipment and meet under the street light next to the snack bar. Not exactly the winning experience.

So my question is, what will the kids take away from the experience? The game, the winning, or the chaos?

Rod Carew's hitting tips.

Rod Carew has a new product and website called the GAPHitter.

IMO, kind of a weak product but anything that gets kids swinging the bat with a moving target and I'm all for it.

But, Rod Carew is posting hitting tips on the site.

Here is the 10 important keys to hitting:

The Art & Science of Hitting by Rod Carew

Editor's Note:

Rod Carew was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. He won seven American League batting titles and retired with 3,053 career hits. One of baseball's most sought-after hitting instructors, Carew has seen players such as Jim Edmonds, Garrett Anderson, Troy Glaus, Darin Erstad and Torii Hunter blossom under his watchful eye.

Rod’s useful hitting tips on becoming a great hitter will appear regularly atwww.rodcarewbaseball.com. 
In the 43 years since I debuted in Major League Baseball, I've watched thousands of great and not-so-great hitters. I've seen what works and what doesn't, and I've sought to understand the fundamentals of success and failure. I've spent thousands of hours experimenting, watching video tape and refining my own hitting techniques. In the end, I've developed a few basic beliefs, and 10 important keys to good hitting.

Do not fear the baseball. The greatest asset any hitter can have is to be fearless at the plate. You can't be afraid of being hit by the ball if you want to be a good hitter.

Stay within yourself. Know who you are as a hitter, your strengths and weaknesses, and play within your ability.

Use your hands. Become an “aggressive hands” hitter. This allows you to wait longer on the pitch and react to changes in pitch direction, both horizontally and vertically in the strike zone.

Be confident at the plate. Know what you want to do when you get up to home plate. Combine purpose and discipline. Control the confrontation, do what you want to do, not what the pitcher wants you to do.

Stay flexible. You can't be static in the batter's box. You must be able to keep your stance and outlook flexible enough to react to different pitches and situations.

Practice makes perfect. Work hard to hone your skills, to fine-tune fundamentals. Be willing to pay the price of success, to put in the time necessary to complete against those athletes who pride themselves on having a strong work ethic. Because Coach John Wooden says, “perfect practice makes perfect,” I like to teach on a training aid called The Game and Practice (GAP) Hitter.

Hit the ball where it's pitched. Learn to utilize the entire field, foul line to foul line. Learn to hit the ball pitched down the middle through the middle, to pull the inside pitch, to slap the outside pitch the other way.

Be aggressive. Swing to make solid contact, to hit through the baseball, remembering not to become so aggressive you begin swinging at bad pitches and start pulling the ball.

Develop a one-component swing. Strive to swing in one fluid motion, with all of your body parts functioning together. Avoid the step-turn-swing approach to hitting.

Stay in shape. Work year-round to get – and keep - your body in shape, to draw the most out of your physical abilities."

Long Toss programs

There are many long toss programs available.

I'm a big proponent of long toss for arm development and this video from Yaeger Sports emphasizes the important part of being loose and flexible.  Note:  It is a rapid progression in the video and should never be attempted by someone just starting out.

Put the ball in play.

This is an update from CBS Sportsline.


"Braves 2B Martin Prado is now 11 for 19 (.579) over his last four games. Prado went 3 for 5 on Wednesday against the Rays and has three three-hit games in his last four contests. He had two hits in the other one. Prado has four three-hit games in his last six. He's batting .338 on the year. Prado increased his NL hits lead to 95. "First of all, you've got to be patient," Prado said. "Just hit it somewhere. No secret."


I spent the whole year telling my team "When you put the ball in play, good things happen."  I don't care what level you are playing at, that saying applies.  "Just hit it somewhere. No secret."

Bat deals

End of the season and I'm looking for some bat reviews.  Price point under $100.

Great give back to the community.

From the area in Northern California from which I came..

www.winecountrybaseball.com

"In 2000 Leonhardt founded Leonhardt Vineyards a grower and producer of red wines in Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California (www.leonhardtvineyards.com). In 2009 in their first try their wine won a Gold Medal at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Leonhardt Vineyards provides a minimum of 25% of it's profits to charitable causes. They founded in 2009 Wine Country Old Fashioned Baseball League with 8 teams in Sonoma County and 4 team teams in Napa County (www.winecountrybaseball.com). 50% of the gate and concession profits from each game goes towards supporting local charitable causes. The league is working to secure 10% celebrity owners for each team to help bring attention to the charitable causes. Leonhardt Vineyards announced spring of 2010 a sponsorship relationship with the San Francisco Giants Baseball Club which includes two large panel advertisement boards behind home plate at the team's AT&T Park. Both the vineyard and the baseball league has booked a full page advertisement in the June issue of Wine Spectator."

50%!!!! of the gate goes towards a local charitable cause!! Wow. Play baseball, or watch as a fan, and help the local communities.. Incredible concept.

More summer camps.

Baseball Camps this Summer!

**Please use the  Code: PCSCR10  during registration**

    

  BEST IN THE WEST CATCHERS CAMP

WHEN:  June 28-30, 2010 (8:00am-12:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Wooster High School Facilities

AGES:  Baseball & Softball Catchers 8-15

COST:  $200.00 per player

     SPARKS SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  July 12-16, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Shadow Mountain Baseball Complex

AGES:  8-12

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

  SOUTH RENO SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  July 26 –30, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

(NEW!)  WHERE:  Damonte Ranch High School Facilities

AGES:  8-13

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

  CARSON CITY SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  August 2-6, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Governor’s Fields Baseball Complex

AGES:  8-13

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

www.gamerbaseball.com
775.997.9541

Activity Emporium has awesome frames!

www.activityemporium.com

Great frames to honor your coach, your team, or your all-star! Many sports to choose from.

http://www.activityemporium.com/Baseball-Framed-Sports-Display-p-100001.html

Endless summer?

Your season is either winding down or over already.  When it's over, does your bat and ball go into the garage only to be picked up next year?

What happened to endless summers and pickup games at the park?  Whiffle ball tournaments until it got hot then the river or pool followed by a home run derby into the darkness?  Over the line with your best bud and little brother?  Lefties having to go opposite field because the other guys were tired of switching for you?  Stirkeout with a tennis ball on the LL field when you were in Babe Ruth?

In this age of kid safety, endless training, one sport dedication and tournament teams, are our kids missing the most important things?  Like being a kid for the summer?

If this doesn't bring a tear to your eye.. You have no emotions..

More summer camps

Brought to you by Bret Pagni of Bret's Baseball and the Muckdogs.  Link to his page is on the left.


 * Professional Instruction *

Ken Camel- Central Arizona Community College/ Upper Iowa University
Beau Walker- Wooster High/ Cera Cosa College
Brent Johnson- Dayton High/ Feather River College
Justin Norvick- Galena High/ Cabrillo College
* A Fun Summer Environment *
* Excellent Camper to Coach Interaction *

When: Session One – Monday, June 14 thru Thursday, June 17, 2010
      Session Two – Monday, June 28 thru Thursday, July 1, 2010
Where: South Valley Sports Complex, off of Wedge Parkway in Reno (by the big yellow library)
Time: 8:30 A.M. to Noon (8:00 A.M. check-in on first day of camp)
 Ages of Campers: 5 thru 12 years

Cost: $140.00 per camper if registration is completed before May 25 for Session One and June 15 for Session Two, $150.00 for registration on or after those dates. (This includes a camp “T”-Shirt)

Campers Per Session: Maximum of 50 (first come, first serve until both camps are filled)
Contact Info: Bret Pagni     Office: 856.2434   Cell: 843.5172   E-Mail: bpagni@email.com
* Players will be asked to supply their own pants, belt, socks, glove, hat and cleats.
* All other equipment will be provided although it is suggested that your child bring his or her own bat.
* Cancellations after June 8 for Session One and June 22 for Session Two will be refunded $75.

Summer Camps

Baseball Camps this Summer!

**Please use the  Code: PCSCR10  during registration**

    

  BEST IN THE WEST CATCHERS CAMP

WHEN:  June 28-30, 2010 (8:00am-12:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Wooster High School Facilities

AGES:  Baseball & Softball Catchers 8-15

COST:  $200.00 per player

     SPARKS SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  July 12-16, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Shadow Mountain Baseball Complex

AGES:  8-12

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

  SOUTH RENO SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  July 26 –30, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

(NEW!)  WHERE:  Damonte Ranch High School Facilities

AGES:  8-13

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

  CARSON CITY SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  August 2-6, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Governor’s Fields Baseball Complex

AGES:  8-13

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

www.gamerbaseball.com
775.997.9541

Where is the Passion..

This is a guest post from a grade school buddy of mine Ron Lingron.    Ron was all passion and spitfire from age 5-..  still is at 40.  Especially on the field.  Still the only kid who knew I was going to pull a liner to Right Center every time I got up because that was my only swing...  Here's a copy of his post from Facebook..

Thanks Ron.. I've got a feeling that this is universal for our age of ex players..

"I grew up on the river. There it is. Forestville, CA. 30+ years before I got married and moved far far away to......Windsor. I played Little League there from the ages of 7 years until I was 15. I went to Forestville again last night, and the El Molino Little League fields where I cut my teeth playing the game. I drove out there and the first thing I noticed was there was no game and plenty of parking on the bottom portion of the park. This was unusual and kind of shook me up a little because I remember when there used to be five days worth of games during the week and more on Saturdays. Also, there were people out there who didn't live there when I did. Fair enough, as this was 25 years ago. I get it. Things change. What I didn't expect was I also saw people who were all too comfortable playing the PC game at the Little League field. NO COACHING ZONES. Pitch counts. Warnings? What happened to the Forestville Little League I knew? You know, the one with a full 6 teams per league that actually played baseball on weeknights with passionate parents, who were passionate enough to bring their kids from freaking TIMBER COVE to play on a Tuesday night. The Little League that actually played baseball opening day instead of doing a fundraiser? The one with teams like the Reds, A's, Indians, Dodgers and Tigers? I saw the River Cats play the Storm yesterday and had to shake my head as all of this started to add up. I actually told my wife I'd rather my 4 year old never play Little League and let's just get him a racecar and we'll race instead. This coming from a lifelong baseball fan who also was pretty damn good at the game to the point of having his picture on the wall at El Molino High School. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? 

I gotta admit, playing Little League to me was a rite of passage. One year, I was in orange, the next, when I turned 13, I was in blue. The teammates changed and you realized nothing was forever. You grew as a kid and made some new arch enemies on the team that was your rival, even if you slept over at their house later that evening. Every year, you'd have practices leading up to the greatest day of the season, OPENING DAY. When it got close to opening day, your coach would bring THE BOX to practice, and everyone would see THE BOX throughout practice. You were distracted by THE BOX and it may have caused you to lose concentration on the fielding drill because your eyes were transfixed on THE BOX. For those transgressions, you might have had to do pushups or running drills. I know "everyone on the line" were words you'd never be able to enjoy when said consecutively. Why was THE BOX so important? It held the Holy Grail of baseball, your crisp new uniform. You'd work out during class in school (sorry teachers, the digestive system of a salamander just wasn't as important) the returning players would probably get their old numbers from the year before, and the numbers rarely went over 16, so you'd have it narrowed down to a few precious numbers that you'd like to get, kind of like a pseudo NFL draft but with baseball jerseys. Upon the end of practice, THE BOX would make it's appearance and the 12 year old version of trading at the Stock Market would commence. There were elbows thrown, barters made, might even have been a bribe or two to other players to get that precious number 7, which was vacated by the kid who wore it last year who moved out of town. Once in your hands, you were now ready to attack the world. Upon the arrival of opening day, you'd also break out the new cleats, the new hat (which was also the only official place to keep track of your team's record throughout the year), check it in the mirror a few times before you left for the opening ceremonies and then prayed you'd make it through the day to your game with it still clean, which inevitably it never was. The entire schedule was known to everyone and you'd stop to watch games to see the ace pitchers face each other, and when it got out of hand, head over as a group to get a soda from the snackbar or head to the playground for a game of hot box. This was Utopia.

Nowadays, that opening day adrenalin kick has transformed into a money grab with no games being played. The Opening Day Carnival is now a yearly occurence. The first game of the season is played on a weekday? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?? Does Major League Baseball stop to say "It's Opening Day! There will be no games played!" Hell no. They play ball. This particular trip to Forestville saddened me to see no games being played on the bottom field and the Storm playing the River Cats on the top field, with signs that said NO COACHING ZONE on the fences. What happened to the guy yelling over the fence in Left Field? He's been replaced with that sign. The parent giving signs from the stands? Nope, now he's holding a pitch counter. What happened to the US vs. THEM? Last night a coach from the other team was giving the other coach advice on how to help a kid mid-at bat. WHAT HAPPENED TO LITTLE LEAGUE? I used to have a baseball card of Rickey Henderson in my back pocket. Nowadays, it's an addition to the "uniform" and most likely would be considered a health hazard. I don't get it. Our coach recommended beer and marshmallows before, during and after games. An obvious joke, but in yesterday vs. today's Little League dichotomy (thank you El Mo High), chances are a kid would tell their parents and instead of laughing, a parent would tell the League Board of Directors and that coach would be removed for telling a joke. What would today's Little League say about our batting tee which was a car rim with a pipe welded to it with a radiator hose holding the ball? Is this safe? Will someone sue us? Forget the fact we all were near passing out and throwing up at a practice as we experienced our first taste of Copenhagen at 12 years old. I'd like to think that's why I DON'T chew now. Hell, it's a wonder I graduated with the negative influence Little League had on me. Looking back, it was the greatest time of childhood, those summers in Forestville followed by swimming in the Glover's pool afterwards/going to Lemos's house after a game and seeing all the guys at J's Amusements afterwards.

Last night, I watched for four innings and couldn't do it anymore. It was baseball, yes. But a controlled, vacuum sealed, skeleton of baseball. I saw one "coach" who I'd recommend continue. The rest were there in uniform only. It's basically a two hour daycare, except with more restrictions. What about little brother in and around the stands running around throwing apples and climbing on trees? Nope. This tree was braced to prevent climbing, presumably to save the tree or prevent the tree from running away.

I just don't understand where my El Molino Little League went. Maybe the ones who are still there didn't see it coming and rolled with the punches so to speak. Maybe they just don't know any different. Even scarier, but maybe they don't care.

To the ones who were there and then left and came back, it's downright depressing."

Local Signups..

From the RGJ.com  http://www.rgj.com/article/20100512/NEIGHBORHOODS/5120396

NEVADA DUSTDEVILS 12U seeks tournament-level players for its fall season, scheduled from August through October. Tryouts are scheduled at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sky Main Field, 9732 Pyramid Highway. Players must be age 11 or younger as of May 1 to qualify. Details: 775-720-5072.

TEAM VELOCITY holds tryouts at 2 p.m. May 23 for its fall season, which is scheduled from August through November. This is a competitive pay-as-you-play nonprofit corporation. Details: 9U Andy Parisotto 775-229-5288, 10U Damon O'Connell 775-690-3475, 11U Mike Bosco or Don Kittilsen 775-425-6332, 12U Travis Lee 775-745-5811, 13U Black & 13U Orange Don Kittilsen 775-425-6332, 14U Mark Prizina 775-745-5952.

SIERRA NEVADA SENIOR BABE RUTH holds sign ups from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Governor's Bowl Park, 1498 E. Seventh St. The Saturday practices are also open workouts so players can bring their gear. The league is open to those born between Jan. 1, 1991 and April 30, 1994. Those born before April 30, 1995 may petition to play. Registration for parallel league (early April-early May) is $80 and summer season (mid May-mid July) is $225. Those signing up for both sessions pay $280. Details: Danny Rogers at 775-240-6374.

SOUTH RENO BABE RUTH holds sign-ups for baseball players will be between ages 13 and 15 prior to May 1. Games are played at Jack Tighe stadium, 325 Burris Lane. Cost: $155.00 per player, new players must bring an original birth certificate. Details: 775-843-0695.

TOMMY'S GRAND STAND, 830 Meredith Way in Sparks, is collecting new or gently used baseball equipment, such as cleats, bats, socks, belts, mitts and equipment bags, for children ages 4 to 14 whose families can't afford to buy it. The business/restaurant also has baseball/softball instruction, batting cages and tunnel rentals by appointment. Birthday, business, team parties no facility charge. Also, there's a $6.95 special for students ages 5 to 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, which consists of a meal selection, beverage, batting cage tokens, project tables and arcades. Children must be supervised by an adult. Details: 775-355-7323 (facility information) or 775-830-8252 (donation information).

Baseball Camps this Summer!

**Please use the  Code: PCSCR10  during registration**

    

  BEST IN THE WEST CATCHERS CAMP

WHEN:  June 28-30, 2010 (8:00am-12:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Wooster High School Facilities

AGES:  Baseball & Softball Catchers 8-15

COST:  $200.00 per player

     SPARKS SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  July 12-16, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Shadow Mountain Baseball Complex

AGES:  8-12

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

  SOUTH RENO SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  July 26 –30, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

(NEW!)  WHERE:  Damonte Ranch High School Facilities

AGES:  8-13

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

  CARSON CITY SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP

WHEN:  August 2-6, 2010 (9:00am—2:00pm Daily)

WHERE:  Governor’s Fields Baseball Complex

AGES:  8-13

COST:  $135.00-$200.00 per player

www.gamerbaseball.com
775.997.9541