Lincoln Junior Baseball: My Site News

The Phileo Foundation and it's principals, Michael Crabbe and Family, have generously provided a $5,000 grant to Lincoln Junior Baseball for the 2010 Season.  These funds will be put to use for field development, equipment needs, scholarships and to assist in efforts to secure paid coaching for the 2010 Season.

LJBO League Sponsorship Levels are as Follows:

• Hall of Fame Sponsor: $3,000 and above.
• Grand Slam Sponsor: $1,000 and above.
• Diamond Sponsor: $500 and above.
• League All Star: $250-$499
• League MVP: 4 hours volunteer time & $100
• Friends of LJBO Sponsor: $100-$249

*Please visit the "Sponsors" tab to see a complete listing of LJBO League Contributors.

 We gratefully acknowledge all of our Sponsors and League supporters for their commitment and generosity to our Program!

Calling all LJBO Parent Volunteers who may work for Companies who have community volunteer hour matching programs...

LJBO has been the benefactor of Nike and Intel employees who have contributed volunteer hours that have netted substantial matching dividends to our program.

 If you have a Corporate Match Program with your company, please consider giving LJBO some volunteer time -- it's truly a WIN/WIN!!

 Thanks to Fred Cohen, Intel Employee, who with his volunteer hours alone, has helped LJBO tremendously!

To all current and in-coming JBO families : In the 2010 Season, LJBO will be requiring all participants to provide their own, personal BATTING HELMET. We are among the last of the youth baseball organizations to adopt this policy. The trend has gone away from “team helmets” due to safety concerns and sanitary issues. The following information will give you the basic information you will need to select the proper helmet for your son:

- ALL HELMETS MUST BE RED

- TWO options are available for acquiring a RED helmet

1.) Purchase from LJBO

2.) Purchase yourself from a retail source

- LJBO will be offering the top-of-the-line / professional – collegiate level helmet from Schutt .

- LJBO has used this helmet exclusively for the past two seasons years and the kids love it . It’s arguably the safest and most comfortable helmet on the market and we have yet to come across a helmet that exceeds it in these two all important categories for the price point.

- We will provide fitting opportunities for this helmet at the up-coming evaluation sessions .

- The actual ordering of the helmet ( once proper fit / size is determined ) will take place via an online order form that you can access on our website within the next week .

- Helmets ordered from LJBO will also come with a Lincoln logo ( “L” with Cardinal head ) heavy-duty decal for the front of the helmet as well as a jersey # decal for the back of the helmet for easy player identification.

BAT RECOMMENDATIONS : For the past few years we have essentially “shot-from-the-hip“ with respect to addressing the barrage of parent inquiries concerning proper bat selection for their child. We feel that it’s important to arm our parents and kids with sound, universally accepted information with respect to proper bat selection. The bat being one of the two ( the second would be the glove .. ) “tools-of-the-trade” for baseball players .

- Little League Players: for players transitioning from Little-League this information is critical as you are going from small-diameter barrel bats to “Big-Barrel “ bats ( 2 5/8 “ diameter barrel ) .. this is a tricky transition with a definite adaptation process / learning-curve involved .

- LJBO Players: for returning / experienced JBO players the thought-process needs to be squarely on bat length , bat weight and “bat-progression” ( .. the annual progression of bat weight and sometimes length in such a manner as to fully prepare the young ballplayer to competently handle / swing a “MINUS- 3 bat as a Freshman in High-School .)

THE FOLLOWING ARE ACCEPTED GUIDELINES FOR PROPER BAT SELECTION IN THE RESPECTIVE AGE-BASED CATEGORIES OF JUNIOR BASEBALL :

MIDGETS : 9-10 yrs. old

- FIRST YEAR PLAYERS - 28-inch / Minus 10 ( i.e., 28-inch bat / 18 oz’s …. )

– the best selling bats in this range are :

1.) DeMarini- Vexxum Price = $179.99

2.)Easton V12 O-Zone Power Price = $179.99

3.)Easton SV12 O-Zone Power Price = $249.99

- SECOND YEAR PLAYERS ( 10 year olds .. ) – 29-inch / Minus 9.5 to 9 ( i.e., 29-inch bat / 19.5 oz’s or a 29-inch bat / 19 oz’s .. )

– the best selling bats in this range are:

1.) DeMarini -Voodoo Price = $249.99

2.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $229.99 Omaha XT Stiff

3.) Louisville Slugger - TPX Price = $149.99 Omaha

JUNIORS : 11-12 yrs. old

- 11 YEAR OLDS ( 1st Year Juniors )

– 30-inch / Minus 9 to 8.5 ( i.e., 30-inch bat / 21 oz’s or a 30-inch bat / 21.5 oz’s .. )

– the best selling bats in this range are :

1.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $269.99 EXOGRID

2.) DeMarini - Voodoo Price = $249.99

3.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $229.99 Omaha XT Stiff

- 12 YEAR OLDS ( 2nd Year Juniors )

– 30-inch / Minus 8.5 to 8 ( i.e., 30-inch bat / 21.5 oz’s or a 30-inch bat / 22 oz’s )

– the best selling bats in this range are :

1.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $269.99 EXOGRID

2.) DeMarini – CF4 BLACK Price = $299.99

3.) Nike – Aero Fuse CX2 Price = $299.99

SENIORS : 13-14 yrs. old

- 13 YEAR OLDS ( 1st Year Seniors )

– 30/31-inch / Minus 5 ( i.e., 30 or 31-inch bat / 25 or 26 oz’s )

– the best selling bats in this range are :

1.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $249.99 H2 HYBRID

2.) DeMarini - Vexxum Price = $199.99

3.) Easton - Stealth Speed Price = $299.99

4.) Easton - V12 Ozone Power Price = $179.99

- 14 YEAR OLDS ( 2nd Year Seniors )

– 31/32-inch / Minus 5 to 3 …. The best selling Minus 3 ( -3 ) bats ( for Minus 5 bats see above .. ) in this range are :

1.) DeMarini -Voodoo Price = $299.99

2.) DeMarini – CF4 BLACK Price = $399.99

3.) DeMarini – Vexxum Price = $199.99

4.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $369.99 EXOGRID

5.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $299.99 H2 Hybrid

6.) Louisville Slugger – TPX Price = $269.99 Omaha XT Stiff

7.) Easton – Synergy Speed Price = $399.99

8.) Nike – Aero Fuse CX2 Price = $399.99

• An excellent source for information on any of the bats mentioned above and for purchasing is www.justbats.com . 1(866) 321-2287. They are outstanding to deal with and have great customer service .

• Dick’s Sporting Goods is also offering a 15% discount for Lincoln Jr Baseball players on February 21st: 3-7pm.

If you have any questions regarding helmets, bats or gloves for your son, please contact League President, Steve Hoge : stevehoge@comcast.net.