Grand Slam
For 2024: Players born in 2015, 2016, 2017 (Ages 9 and Under)
- All players born in 2016 should play in Grand Slam.
- Players born in 2017 who HAVE PLAYED AT LEAST 1 YEAR OF RALLY CAPS BASEBALL can play in either Rally Caps or Grand Slam, whichever the parents and player prefer.
- Most players born in 2017 who HAVE NEVER PLAYED ORGANIZED BASEBALL should play in Rally Caps. However, if you and your child born in 2017 have practiced throwing, catching, and batting and they are comfortable playing with children 2 years older, then your player can play in the Grand Slam age group if you prefer.
- All Players born in 2015 who HAVE NEVER PLAYED ORGANIZED BASEBALL should play in Grand Slam.
- Players born in 2015 who have played at least one year of Grand Slam Baseball, and who WANT TO PLAY IN GRAND SLAM this year, should play in Grand Slam.
- Players born in 2015 who HAVE PLAYED AT LEAST 1 YEAR OF GRAND SLAM BASEBALL and HAVE GOOD BASEBALL SKILLS FOR THEIR AGE and ARE OK PLAYING WITH PLAYERS ONE and TWO YEARS OLDER, can either age-advance one year early to play in 11U-A, or can play in Grand Slam, whichever the parents and player prefer.
- Registration fee for Grand Slam is $163
** PLEASE NOTE: Regardless of skill level, all players born in 2015 who want to age-advance and play in 11U this year will be assigned to an 11U-A team. All spots on the 11U-AA team(s) are reserved for players born in 2013 and 2014 only.
Overview
- In Grand Slam, 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.
- Coaches stand in the field during play to instruct defensive players during game play. Parent volunteers with their own baseball gloves stand in the outfield to field any 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 relatively soft baseballs is used to pitch to the batters.
- All players keep their ball cap and shirt at the end of the season.
Schedule & Playing Season
- The baseball season begins in late April, weather permitting. The season ends in late June.
- Teams play 2 games per week, on Monday, Wednesday, or Sunday evenings. Most teams practice an additional 1 time 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.
- Evening games begin at 6:30 p.m., and typically end around 8:00 p.m. Coaches usually require their players to arrive earlier for pre-game warm-ups.
Equipment You Need to Provide
- baseball glove
- batting helmet with working chin strap
- athletic supporter
- water bottle labelled with the player’s name
- GRAY baseball pants are preferred but not required; gray sweatpants work just fine.
- CMBA provides team bats, and players can also bring their own bats.
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.
Registration
Please see home page for registration information.
CMBA Policies
* CMBA Registration Fees include the per-player fees charged by WSMBA, Baseball Manitoba, Baseball Canada, and the City of Winnipeg. With the remainder, CMBA pays for team equipment, jerseys, caps, and field maintenance. Grand Slam players pay higher fees than Rally Caps because they have more expensive team equipment, their playing fields require more frequent maintenance.