A Yankees Big League Bullpen Buddy

You’ve Got a Friend
Bullpen Buddy Making a Pitch in Licensing
May 15, 2007

When Dave Ross invented the Bullpen Buddy a few years ago, he thought he had come up with the perfect pitching training aid. He was right. At five feet tall and nearly anatomically correct, the Bullpen Buddy stands on either of the plate and gives pitchers (either baseball or softball) of any age a great visual as they work on their stuff off the rubber.

What Ross didn’t expect was that the Bullpen Buddy would also emerge as a bona fide collectible. “As I traveled around the country this past winter, I realized there were entirely new markets for the product,” he says. “Parents are buying the Bullpen Buddy for their kids’ bedrooms. Men are buying them for their offices.”

Meanwhile, Ross continues to find a receptive audience among baseball coaches and players. The Bullpen Buddy is used in Little League and by several Major League teams. For the younger crowd, it helps that Ross is an MLB licensee. Currently, the Big League Bullpen Buddy is available in the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs and Cardinals. Ross hopes to add the rest of the big-league teams by the end of the year.

David and Ilona Ross with their best buddy

“We also sell a generic Bullpen Buddy,” he says. “It retails for $49.95, as opposed to $59.95 for the Big League version.”

As Ross explores new markets for the Bullpen Buddy, he is also considering adaptations of the product. For example, similar models could work for other sports. In addition, Ross is very interested in talking to potential investors.

“We’re ready to take the next step—getting into nationwide retail distribution,” he says. “Obviously, this takes funding. I’d like to talk to anyone who sees the value of the Bullpen Buddy. Call me at 866-874-8242.”