The Next Great Players Use Rawlings' Professional Wood Bats

Rawlings reserves the top 15 percent of wood for its bats labeled “Professional.” These bats are used in the Minor Leagues.

Like Rawlings' Pro Preferred wood bats, Professional bats have a high-gloss, ultra-protective clear finish.

They are made with a flared knob and a cupped end. The Pro cupped end takes weight out of the bat, making it lighter and moving the balance point toward the hands.

Also like Pro Preferred bats, Professional bats use assorted Major League profiles.

A new bat it the Professional model series is an ash wood bat with a 2-½” barrel and a Pro cupped end. It is the same profile and shape as the bat Joe Mauer swings. Find it at RawlingsGear.com under model number JM77AP.

Other Professional wood bats in the series are: model number 271MAP (maple), 460MAP (maple), 271BAP (ash), 460AP (ash), 288RJAP (ash), 143BAP (ash), 350BKAP (ash), 155BAP (ash) and 433AP (ash).

The 155BAP ash wood bat and is great for wood bat tournaments.

For safety, all maple bats carry the Pro Ink Dot Test on the handle.

Major League Baseball requires this test because of the way maple bats shatter when they break. The ink dot bleeds in the direction of the wood grain, allowing the straightness of the grain to be measured. According to MLB, the straighter the grain, the stronger the bat. These bats should be hit on face of grain.

When you order through Rawlings Gear, you can have your name and number engraved on select wood bats.

Visit RawlingsGear.com or contact a Rawlings Gear Customer Care representative at (866) 678-GEAR(4327) to purchase your Professional wood bat.

Give the Gift (Card) of Rawlings Gear

Check the athletes off your holiday list by giving them Rawlings Gear gift cards.

Rawlings Gear makes it easy to send a gift card to your loved ones.

Traditional gift cards can be sent through U.S. mail and usually arrive in 3-5 business days, and e-gift cards can be delivered to the recipient as soon as credit card funds are verified.

Gift cards are available in any amount you choose.

One great feature of giving a Rawlings Gear gift card is that the balance can be checked online.

To check a balance, you'll need your gift card number and PIN. Both numbers are on the card.

Upon redemption, any unused balance will be carried over for future purchases.

If the purchase exceeds the gift card amount, the difference must be paid using a credit card. Gift card codes should be treated like cash and will not be replaced if lost or stolen.

Gift cards are valid only at RawlingsGear.com.

Visit RawlingsGear.com or contact a Rawlings Gear Customer Care representative at (866) 678-GEAR(4327) to learn how to purchase or check your balance on Rawlings Gear gift cards.

How to Choose a Second Baseman's Glove

Second basemen are known for their quick hands and even quicker turn on a double play.

Here are some tips for selecting your Rawlings second baseman's glove:

• Choose a smaller glove with a shallow pocket. A shallow pocket equals maximum control at second base.
• An open web will help you get to the ball more quickly when turning two.

One of RawlingsGear.com's most popular second baseman's gloves is the Pro Preferred 11.25 inch 2-Tone baseball glove (model number PROS12IC2T).

Ryan of Kennesaw, Ga., recently wrote at online review of his PROS12IC2T: "For a second baseman, this is the perfect glove. The leather is extremely soft for an awesome feel, yet at the same time it is very durable. I would recommend this to any middle infielder, hands down."

Another popular choice is the Chase Utley Signature Series 11.25 inch Pro Taper baseball glove (model number CU26).

The glove is a game day replica of the glove used by Utley, the Philadelphia Phillies' second baseman and a four-time All-Star.

Visit RawlingsGear.com or contact a Rawlings Gear Customer Care representative at (866) 678-GEAR(4327) for more information on gloves for second basemen.

Get the Performance Edge with Power Balance Products for Rawlings

Top athletes from around the country wear Power Balance to give them the performance edge, and Rawlings makes it easy for you to try it too.

Rawlings' products with Power Balance have a hologram embedded in them that interacts with your body’s natural energy field to improve your balance, strength and flexibility.

Try Rawlings' batting gloves (model number BGPPWRB), 950X chest protector (model number CP950X), performance shirt (model number PBPS) or performance wristband (model number PBWRIST) with Power Balance technology.

Power Balance believers use three tests that just might make a believer out of you:

Test your balance:
• Start with heels and toes together, then put your arms out into a "T."
• Lift one leg and balance while another person pushes down on one of your arms while you resist. Do not push out, but straight down.
• Then repeat this same test with the Power Balance product on.

Test your strength:
• Start with your heels and toes together, with your arms relaxed at your side, and cup your hands.
• Let another person make a fist and push down to try to put you off balance.
• Then repeat this same test with the Power Balance product on.

Test your flexibility:
• As with the other tests, start with your heels and toes together.
• Stretch one hand in front of your body and rotate as far as back as you can, tracing your finger with your eyes.
• Then repeat this same test with the Power Balance product on.


Go to PowerBalance.com to watch videos of these tests for balance, strength, and flexibility.

Visit RawlingsGear.com or contact a Rawlings Gear Customer Care representative at (866) 678-GEAR(4327) to order your Power Balance products.

Serve One Up From Your Kitchen with Rawlings' 'Snack Pack' Helmets

Eating dessert from a helmet never tasted so good!

Show your dedication to your team while entertaining with Rawlings' 8-ounce mini replica batting helmets. The set comes with six helmets, perfect for dishing out ice cream, snow cones or your favorite snack.

The flat top keeps the contents from spilling.

Teams available are the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.

If serving a small dinner party isn't enough, take a note from one satisfied customer's playbook.

In a review at RawlingsGear.com, Beemer wrote: “I ordered 250 of these helmets for my wedding. I received them all within a week! This is a great product to show love for your hometown!"

From snack-size to full-size helmets, Rawlings is the official helmet provider of Major League Baseball.

Visit RawlingsGear.com or contact a Rawlings Gear Customer Care representative at (866) 678-GEAR(4327) to buy your Rawlings “snack pack” MLB helmets.

Rawlings Pro Preferred Bats Are the Bats the Pros Use

Only the best 5 percent of ash and maple is perfect enough to be considered for bats labeled “Pro Preferred.”

These wood bats prove effective at the professional level year after year.

They have a high-gloss, ultra-protective clear finish and a U-shaped cupped end. The cupped end takes weight out of the bat, making it lighter and moving the balance point toward the hands.

Pro Preferred wood bats are individually inspected, with the length, weight and balance point (-2 average) written in the cupped end.

In addition, the maple bats carry the Pro Ink Dot Test on the handle.

Major League Baseball requires this test because of the way maple bats shatter when they break. The ink dot bleeds in the direction of the wood grain, allowing the straightness of the grain to be measured. According to MLB, the straighter the grain, the stronger the bat. These bats should be hit on face of grain.

Pro Preferred wood bats are based off assorted Major League profiles. Model numbers are P460M (maple), P302M (maple), P288RJ (ash) and P302 (ash).

The maple bat P302M and ash bat P302 are Major League overruns, either too heavy or light to make the MLB cut.

In addition, when you order through Rawlings Gear, you can have your name and number engraved on any Pro Preferred wood bat.

Visit RawlingsGear.com or contact a Rawlings Gear Customer Care representative at (866) 678-GEAR(4327) to purchase your Pro Preferred wood bat.

Give Me an 'H'! A Pro H Web, That Is

Looking for a deep pocket and open web? Rawlings' gloves with a Pro H web are perfect!

This web has two vertical bars connected by a horizontal strip, providing increased stability and glove control.

The Pro H web also has an added bonus—It allows players to look through the webbing to shield their eyes from the sun and lights on high pop flies.

SchdyVars10 recently wrote an online review at RawlingsGear.com.

He said of his Gold Glove 11.75 inch baseball glove with a Pro H web (model number GG1175BW): "This glove is one of the best Rawlings gloves I've owned. This glove is a very great quality for a very low price. It broke in within two weeks and has not stretched out in the lacing or the web. I have used this glove for a whole season and I have not needed to use leather conditioner or any special product to keep it from wearing. I love this glove!

Frankkor1 feels the same way about his Pro Preferred 11.75 inch 2-Tone baseball glove with a Pro H web (model number PROS17HC2T).

"This is my third Rawlings baseball glove (I refuse to buy any other brand) and, in my opinion, there isn't a better glove out there. You can really tell that this glove is made of the finest leather and is handcrafted to perfection. I can see myself using this glove for many years to come. I would definitely recommend this glove to anyone who is looking for a high-end glove. It's not cheap, but it is well worth it!" he wrote.

Visit RawlingsGear.com or contact a Rawlings Gear Customer Care representative at (866) 678-GEAR(4327) for more information on gloves with a Pro H web.