Some sports require little in the form of equipment, such as basketball and soccer, in which all you need to play is a ball and a court or field. And then there are others, such as football, in which a laundry list of equipment is necessary. Somewhere in the middle sits baseball, which isn't a pick-up-and-go game, but also doesn't force that players spent diamond ring-caliber money on equipment to get onto the baseball diamond.
Baseballs
You can't spell "baseball" without the "ball," and you can't play it without one either. Baseballs consist of cork or rubber core wrapped in two swatches of white, stitched together. Major League Basebal rules, accepted at most levels of the sport, dictate that they weigh between 5 oz. and 5 1/4 oz., and don't exceed more than 9 1/4 inches in circumference.
Baseballs are relatively inexpensive. A Rawlings brand practice ball can be had for just $4, and an official Major League ball runs around $20.
Bats
Bats vary widely in price, selling for anywhere between $30 and more than $500, depending on the brand and make. They're generally between 27 and 34 inches long and can weight as little as 16 oz. for youth league players to more than twice that much for college players and professionals. Most youth, high school and college leagues allow for use of aluminum bats, which make the ball travel farther when struck than wooden bats, which are required by Major League Baseball.
Hats And Helmets
Virtually every league and playing level is baseball requires players to wear baseball caps while playing in the field, and helmets while batting and running the bases. Hats come in adjustable and fitted styles -- fitted hats are measured in inches of head circumference.
Batting helmets are made of hardened plastic and are used to protect players from being struck in the head by a batted or thrown ball. In 1983, Major League baseball passed a bylaw requiring players to wear helmets with at least one ear-flap for better face protection, and most leagues have followed suit.
Mitts/Gloves
Baseball mitts come in a virtually endless array of styles and sizes. Infielders' gloves are typically smaller than outfielders' gloves, which feature a deeper pocket because players at the position have to catch fly balls to often.
First basemen and catchers wear gloves with extra passing because they're the target of hard-thrown balls all game long. Gloves, also known as mitts, are made from leather and have separate slots for each finger along with netting to catch the ball. They're worn on the non-throwing hand.
And then there are batting gloves, which are form-fitting gloves used to get a better grip on the bat and protect the hands from wear and blistering.
Catcher's Gear
Catchers, by far, are required to use the most equipment in baseball. Their heads are protected by helmets that have come to resemble those of a hockey goalie, along with a facemask in the front primarily to protect against being struck by tipped pitches.
Catchers also wear heavy chest protectors and leg guards. In all, a catcher can expect to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment.
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