On-Deck Originals owner Dan surrounded by baseball gear. Jaw Bat, Homewood Bat, Split Grip, VukGripz, Akadema, Grace Glove, Valle Training Glove

The On-Deck Originals Story

Hi, my name is Dan, and I founded On-Deck Originals in December of 2023 after more than 10 years of coaching at the amateur levels of the game of baseball.

For me, this journey all began in 2012, while after unsuccessfully trying to find the field at the collegiate level, a few friends of mine and I decided to start a club baseball team. What seemed like a step backwards actually became the first step into seeing the game from a whole new perspective.

From this experience I learned two things:

  1. If you give them access to it, ballplayers who love the game will never stop playing the game, and
  2. Baseball gear can be extremely expensive, but if you're willing to look outside of the major brands - there is actually an extremely large selection of smaller brands that are high quality and affordable. However, they may be hard to find.

Myself and my friends who started that program grew it to over 80 members within the first year and created a place where a group of college kids could continue to play the game at a high level. Over the next decade, through playing and coaching on many more (mostly) men's league teams - I would always keep an eye out for ways to get my players the best possible gear at the best possible price.

Finally, back to 2023, I realized that what I had been offering to my own players for so long might be able to benefit players across the nation as well. So, take a look around, new gear will continue to be added as new relationships with brands are made. I hope you can find something unique and original for yourself or your favorite ballplayer.

Stay tuned for additional product reviews, interviews, and videos - and remember to always #beoriginal on the field!

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