Mizuno Donates Bats & Gloves To Local Kids For Upcoming Baseball Season

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - With sunshine and temperatures pushing into the 60s today, it almost feels like baseball season.

Over the weekend, a bunch of baseball players thought it felt a lot like Christmas too.

"The seasons are about to start here. All the kids are super excited and so are we because that's what we are about. We are about transforming lives through sport," Harper Cornell with Mizuno said.

The 11 and 12-year-old ballplayers from Bellevue and Avalon were invited to Dick's Sporting Goods over the weekend, where they were given a new bat from Mizuno.

"How do kids figure out what is the right bat for them? There is a progression as you start at a young age and get older. You need to make sure you have the right bat for you to make sure you are delivering the best results that are on the field," Cornell said.

Representatives from Mizuno were there to help with the fitting, but the kids also got a new glove that was ready to play in a matter of minutes after a short trip to the glove steamer.

"Basically, enables your glove to get game ready as soon as you leave the door. It takes a few minutes to get it steamed and then you can literally go out and play on the field versus having to go home and spend hours, months really breaking in the glove," Cornell said.

The kids say they now have more confidence knowing the gear is right for them and is the right size.

"Maybe knowing that I can actually fit it and that it will help," Chris Neal said.

The equipment manufacturer says sports are a way to encourage kids to learn more about themselves while playing on a team.

"If we can find ways as companies to really encourage that passion and that spirit and inspiration into kids, then we need to find ways to do it," Cornell said.

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