How do you design a baseball man cave? The first decision you need to make is to figure out if the man cave will be based on the league or your favorite team. From there, it is all about finding decorations and memorabilia that showcase your favorite moments and players of all time.
Baseball is America’s greatest pastime. Hanging out in a man cave is somewhere on that list as well. I love the idea of creating a baseball themed man cave. Baseball has always been my favorite sport despite footballs growing popularity. If you are like me, you would love to design a baseball man cave around it’s rich history. There is also an element of history in the making, Mike Trout definitely deserves a spot on the wall.
Every team has legends that helped build the culture of the fan base. Some are still on the team, take Max Scherzer as an example. While the Expos did have plenty of star power, the Nationals are fairly new. Scherzer is a true ace that has helped bring baseball to life in D.C. Regardless of whether you want current stars or legends to be represented, a man cave is all about displaying the players that mean the most to you. What makes man caves so unique is that there are a ton of ways to represent your favorite team or players (or both!).
Furniture
Furniture is extremely important because it is essentially the foundation of any man cave. While memorabilia and decorations really make a man cave special, the man cave is primarily built to watch games. People will appreciate memorabilia at a World Series watch party, but nobody is going to have fun on a uncomfortable couch and a 19″ television. I wrote an extensive article with everything you need to know about finding the perfect man cave furniture based on your current budget. If you are starting from scratch or plan on a big renovation, check out this article.
Just in case that 4,000+ word article was not extensive enough, I have even more help. If you are really looking to push the baseball angle, there is a highly rated sofa designed like a baseball glove. Adults might find the couch a little immature, but your kids will love it. A man cave does not have to be a place just for the dad in the family. It could very well become the place that your son or daughter falls in love with baseball just like you did at some point as a child.
Acme 2-Piece All Star Set Chair and Ottoman, Baseball (4.7 Stars)
I would not recommend this Acme sofa as the main seating option for a man cave, but it does have a role. Placing one of these on each side of the couch would look great in a baseball man cave. I personally would just dump the ottomans and use the leather seating as a functional decoration. To be clear, this is a totally non-essential product, but it would hammer home the baseball man cave theme you are going for.
If you want traditional seating arrangements, I urge you to check out that article on the best man cave furniture, linked above. The article will at the very least give you enough seating options to decide what type of seating you are looking for.
Baseball Memorabilia
As a pitcher and Red Sox fan, I would love to pay homage to Pedro Martinez, who had one of the best peaks in sports history. There are a lot of ways to do so, from jerseys to signed balls and a lot more. Memorabilia is the most important part of establishing a baseball man cave. Here are some of my favorite types of memorabilia for a baseball themed man cave.
Framed Jerseys
Jerseys are my favorite option for sports memorabilia. Big decorations are much easier to set up if you lack interior design skills. The more intricate you get, the harder it becomes to make an aesthetically pleasing set up. Four jerseys lined up in a row will fill a good amount of space and all you will need is a level or a good eye. I wrote about jerseys recently when I wrote an article titled, “7 Awesome Types Of Man Cave Decor.”
The mistake most people make when designing man caves or even bedrooms is that they hang up jerseys without a frame. A jersey looks okay on the wall plain, but having a frame creates symmetry and makes the jersey look even better. Unframed jerseys look especially bad as the collection grows. Framed jerseys look even better as the quantity increases. Lets look at a comparison.
Maybe you like the second look better, there is nothing wrong with that. Personally I strongly prefer the framed jersey and I would bet the house that I would land in the majority. Framing your jerseys seem like a small detail, but can really improve the overall look of any sports themed man cave.
Signed Balls
Autographed baseballs are the pinnacle of memorabilia in my eyes. Baseball has had a long standing tradition of stars making kids dreams come true by giving them autographs. Kids patiently wait for their one chance to catch the attention of their favorite players. Baseball is a humbling sport and a lot of these stars are kind enough to prioritize the fans for a few minutes each game. Some of those kids grow up to become the next group of stars and eventually do the same for more kids. No other sport has the same traditions as you can’t typically get within 50 feet of someone like Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes.
Since baseballs are signed so frequently and players are fairly accessible, there is a good chance a lot of your collection will be from in-person signings, where you get to actually have a conversation with the player. That makes a signed baseball collection really special. Of course, you can fill in the rest of the collection with your favorite players that you did not meet as well.
Baseballs look the best in cases/stands on a shelf or in a frame. If you have enough to frame rows of baseballs, a wall mounted frame is a great design that you can show off to all of your friends. I have about ten signed balls so mine sit on a shelf with some bobbleheads and I am very happy with the simplistic design. That said, my collection stopped growing once I hit middle school. If I racked up 30 signed baseballs, this DisplayGifts product would certainly be in my man cave.
30 Baseball Display Case Cabinet Holder Rack Home Plate Shaped (4.9 Stars)
DisplayGifts landed on the Amazon’s Choice list with a whopping 4.9 Stars! With a 30 ball capacity this display case is an incredible addition to your man cave. The case has a lock for safety and can be mounted easily with metal brackets on the back. If you have a legit signed baseball collection, this case would be a great, compact way to display your pride and joy. This company also has cases with 12 baseball capacities and other great frames for memorabilia of many sports. I had not heard of them before this article but after doing some research I really like their memorabilia displays.
Signed Bats
Autographed bats are another item that would look great in a man cave. A lot of people will have signed balls, but autographed bats are much more unique. Bats are also great because they take up more room. That means you do not need to spend a ton of money building up a respectable collection. Even one signed bat would look great on the wall. Adding a framed picture of the same player right below would be a really cool look.
Top Stage Clear Acrylic Baseball Bat Rack Display Shelf Holder Wall Mount (4.7 Stars)
I am a fan of large displays for baseballs. With bats though, I think the bat should be the only attention grabber. DisplayGifts had some quality baseball bat display cases, but this is a much cheaper option that looks better in my opinion.
This Top Stage wall mount is extremely simple. The product is simply two clear stands to display your bar horizontally, which is the way I like to mount bats. They also have a vertical option with that link provided. How you mount the bat is purely preference. This product is also on the Amazon’s Choice list as the ultimate less is more option. You will not find a more affordable and highly rated bat rack than this Top Stage product.
Wrap Up + Bonus Tips
Once you have your furniture set up and memorabilia on the walls, you can say your man cave build was successful. All you really need is a way to comfortably watch the game and some baseball decorations to ensure that you did not just make another living room. If you are looking to expand further, a baseball bar would be the best way to really increase the value of your man cave. A bar is the next step to really blow away your friend group. If you want to look into how feasible a baseball man cave bar is, check out my article on the topic (baseball has it’s own section).
My absolute last tip has to do with the viewing experience. MLB At-Bat is a great way to experience an MLB season. Being able to watch whatever match up available is a luxury. If your team has an off day or played a day game, you can go watch DeGrom and Scherzer give pitching clinics at the highest level. If you are just a die-hard fan for one team and do not care much about the MLB as whole, this one may not apply.
Summary
- Determine what you want with your man cave. Are you going display one team proudly, or your favorite players around the league?
- Spend majority of your budget and decision making on the furniture selection. The game viewing experience is the main reason for a man cave, remember what really matters.
- Once the furniture and television are decided on, focus on memorabilia. Showcase your favorite players and moments of all time, which in turn shows guests your personality.
- The man cave is established! If you want to expand further, look into adding a bar.
- If you are a fan of the sport and league as whole, consider MLB At-Bat to improve your viewing experience and access.
I hope I helped get your mind working as you plan out your man cave design. If you liked this article, check out our man cave page!