OVERVIEW
- In Grand Slam ball, players are divided into teams of 6-8 players. There are no outfielders. The focus is on teaching throwing, hitting, infield play, and base running.
- An inning is 3 fielding outs (strikeouts do not count), or one time through the batting order - whichever comes first.
- Parent volunteers with their own baseball gloves stand in the outfield to field balls hit into the outfield.
- Games incorporate most of the rules of baseball, but the purpose is instructional and non-competitive. Game scores are not kept or recorded, and there are no umpires.
- A Louisville spring-loaded pitching machine that throws soft “Incrediballs” is used to pitch to the batters.
- Coaches stand in the field during play to coach defensive players during game play.
SCHEDULE & PLAYING SEASON
The baseball season begins in very late April, weather permitting. Teams play two games per week, on Monday, Wednesday, or Sunday evenings, as well as some Saturdays in May only, and usually practice an additional one day per week. Games do get rained out, and coaches try to schedule make-up games. So, some weeks you may play three games, or on unusual nights. Games begin at 6:30 p.m., but coaches usually want players to arrive early for a pre-game warm-up. Typically, Grand Slam games are finished by around 8:00 p.m. Macdonald plays in the Winnipeg South Minor Baseball Association League. The Grand Slam league will finish play before the end of June.
Equipment You Need to Provide
- baseball glove
- batting helmet with working chin strap
- baseball bat*
- athletic supporter
- water bottle labelled with the player’s name
- GRAY baseball pants are preferred but not required; gray sweatpants work just fine.
*If you are purchasing a bat, the length should reach from the middle of the chest to the end of fingertips. Maximum legal barrel diameter is 2 ¾ inches. The weight should be able to be supported by the player’s fully extended arm to the side of the body (perpendicular to the body) for at least 10 seconds without dropping it. At this age, a lighter bat is much preferred to a bat that feels heavy to the player.
