Meet the Garden City Beach man who wants to make baseball bats safer

In the ninth inning of his life, Leonard Smalley needs a hit.

Frankly, he’d settle for a foul ball, even batting practice. The 86-year-old Garden City Beach inventor simply wants a league, team or player to give his baseball bat a swing.

“Just try them out,” he said. “They don’t have to use them in a game or anything. See how they hold up and how they like them.”