Gallery: Apps, Gear and Beer: The Wired.com Guide to the Baseball Season
01mlb-at-bat-2011
We're just a few days away from the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball season, and high school and youth-league baseball are already in full swing in many parts of the country. Of course, there are also an untold number of apps, websites, gadgets and gear for baseball fans of all levels. Here are the 10 that caught our eye and will get you more than ready to play ball this year. __Above:__ MLB At Bat 2011 --------------- By far, the definitive app for any baseball fan. Available on [iOS devices, Android and BlackBerry](http://mlb.mlb.com/mobile/atbat/), At Bat gives you real-time game updates, through a slick and easy-to-navigate graphical interface. You also get free home and away radio broadcasts when you buy the app, as well as access to your MLB.TV video-streaming subscription (sold separately). You can also customize your home screen with your favorite team, so you can always get those scores and updates first, in addition to free video highlights for games still in progress.
Copyright 2005 Michael Muramoto02beerbelly-stealth-beverage-system
Beerbelly Stealth Beverage System --------------------------------- Unfortunately, many stadiums and arenas will lay the smack down on you, if you're caught sneaking in contraband beverages. And if you're looking something a little more clandestine than a [CamelBak](http://www.camelbak.com/) hydration system, the [Beerbelly](http://www.thebeerbelly.com/Beerbelly_p/200-001.htm) has you covered. You pour your beer into the main bladder (up to 80 ounces), strap it to your upper body and stadium security merely thinks you've already guzzled a few too many during your tailgate. It fits beer drinkers up to 6-foot-8 in height and up to a 40-inch waist. The basic version runs you $35, but with ballpark brews running you $9 and $10 a pop, this puppy pays for itself with one game. And for women, there's also the $30 [WineRack](http://www.thebeerbelly.com/The_Winerack_p/200-007.htm), if you're looking to sneak in 25 ounces of your favorite pinot or cab. *Image: Beerbelly*
03eephus-league-retro-scorecards
Eephus League Retro Scorecards ------------------------------ For some, there's nothing better than sitting at the ballpark with your own spiral-bound score sheets, keeping track of hits, walks, runs and errors with your stubby pencil. For a more updated feel, Bethany Heck at the Eephus League created these cool score sheets for a new generation of baseball fans. Through her [Kickstarter page](http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1003031250/the-eephus-league-baseball-scorebook-revival-proje), she was able to raise more than $27,000 from nearly 900 contributors, weeks ahead of her initial goal, to bring the score books to fruition. And starting today, you can [pick one up yourself](http://eephusleague.com/2011/03/official-scorebook/) for only $15. These are a must-have purchase for those who prefer to keep score in a more civilized manner. *Image: Eephus League*
04lightning-bolt-pro-pitching-machine
Lightning Bolt Pro Pitching Machine ----------------------------------- If you've got a youngster with potential who's up for some impromptu hitting practice and doesn't have a pitcher handy, look no further than the [Lightning Bolt Pro](http://sklz.com/baseball/baseball-pitching-machine/lightning-bolt-pro) pitching machine from SKLZ. It shoots out soft "micro balls" for hitting practice, but it also features a built-in ball retriever that you detach from the main unit. Placed 25 feet away from the batter, the pitches come in at 30 mph, enough for basic hitting practice and everyday work on fundamentals. And it's only $60, so it'll cost you no more than a few trips to your local batting cages. [#iframe: http://www.youtube.com/embed/D77UEGOZC0E](660x401)|||||| *Image: SKLZ*
05bushnell-spectator-xtra-wide-4x30-binoculars
Bushnell Spectator Xtra-Wide 4x30 Binoculars --------------------------------------------- Not all of us get box seats to every game, but if you're stuck in the nose-bleed upper deck and want to get closer to the on-field action, invest in a pair of swanky new binoculars. Bushnell makes a full line of Spectator-branded models, and these [Xtra-Wide 4x30s](http://www.shopbushnell.com/detail/BSN+130521) sport a field-of-view of 900 feet from a distance of 1,000 yards, so they're sufficient for any stadium. They're not fog-proof, so you San Francisco Giants fans may find yourself stuck from time to time, but with a 14.5-ounce weight and reasonable $114 sticker price, these binoculars will go easy on your neck as well as your wallet. *Image: Bushnell*
06bloomberg-sports-front-office-2011
Bloomberg Sports Front Office 2011 ---------------------------------- Last year, the financial wizards at Bloomberg [made a splash](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/playbook/2010/04/bloomberg-sports-delivers-big-fantasy-fun/) with their first foray into the fantasy-sports realm, releasing their Front Office web interface as well as a slick iPhone companion app. This time around, Bloomberg Sports has brought some new features to the table, in addition to a new optimized version for iPad. Through the use of "scientific proprietary algorithms," Bloomberg Sports (which is compatible with all major fantasy-baseball providers) has introduced a Free Agent Finder (which will seek out available players in your league that might fit your team needs), a Trade Analyzer (which lets you know if you buddy is trying to scam into trading for some overachieving early-season fluke) and an improved Draft Kit, to help you start the season off right. The Front Office Draft Kit for [iPhone](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/draft-kit-2011-front-office/id423023354?mt=8) is $2, the [iPad](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/draft-kit-2011-front-office/id423024057?mt=8) version is $5, and the fully stocked [Front Office web version](https://www.bloombergsports.com/frontoffice) will run $20 for a full season. *Image: Bloomberg Sports*
07gamechanger-scorekeeping-app
GameChanger Scorekeeping App ---------------------------- Maybe you're not into old-school scorekeeping books, and you'd prefer to use their iPhone or iPad. [GameChanger](http://www.gamechanger.io/) is for you. This [free app](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gamechanger-baseball-scorekeeping/id318906314?mt=8) gives you everything you need to create your own custom e–score sheets, whether you're at your kid's Little League game or fidgeting in your seat at the World Series. There's even a web-based interface that works with your account to give you easier access to data entry. *Image: GameChanger*
08pennant-baseball-reference-app
Pennant Baseball Reference App ------------------------------ Along with all the other gear you lug to the ballpark, you full well can't be expected to bring along a phone-book–sized baseball encyclopedia. The next-best thing is the $5 [Pennant](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pennant/id419062917?mt=8) app, specially designed for the iPad Developed by Steve Varga, Pennant contains [almost every box score](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/playbook/2011/02/pennant-ipad-app-baseball/) for every MLB game going back to 1950. You can search any number of ways: by year, team, division and so on. You can also set a game to run through play-by-play, so you can graphically follow how a particular contest played out. For only a few bucks, it's a great way to settle any bar dispute that revolves around your friend's beer-hampered memories of a single game.
09the-extra-2
*The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Former *Baseball Prospectus* and *Investor's Business Daily* staff writer [Jonah Keri](http://jonahkeri.com/) has penned [the definitive baseball book](http://www.amazon.com/Extra-2-Street-Strategies-Baseball/dp/0345517652) for the 2011 season. Keri spent the better part of two years chronicling how the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team rose from the doldrums of baseball's bottom tier to become American League champions and two-time AL East division winners, through a use of proprietary analytics, new management, and community building. The result is [an epic tale](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/playbook/2011/03/qa-jonah-keri/) of what happens when you bring together — and then let loose — a band of sabermetrically minded geeks whose only goal is to discover baseball's long-elusive formula for winning. *Photo: Mike Carlson/AP*
10starstreet-trading-market-for-athletes
StarStreet Trading Market for Athletes -------------------------------------- Fantasy baseball is fun and all, but it's just that: *fantasy*. For a more realistic feel — and short of having to call your bookie — [StarStreet](https://www.starstreet.com/) allows you to [buy and sell shares](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/playbook/2011/03/starstreet-athletes-stocks/) in professional athletes for real money. If you think an undervalued Albert Pujols is going to go off for a couple of homers and seven RBIs, try to snatch up a few shares before the bulls rush in. It's a zero-sum market: As one player's value goes up, another inevitably falls, so make your decisions wisely and *always* know when to sell.
