BBCOR... review?

Yep... lots of triples, with OF's playing more shallow than in years' past... if it splits the gap and was squared up, its a triple.

I've also seen more infield hits than in recent history. Routine grounders are not getting to the middle infielders as quickly, and I think many are still playing the same depth as before, so even properly charging the ball means less time to get the runner. So if you have speed, and you hit a bouncer on the infield grass where the fielder has to range almost any distance on a lateral plane... you have a good chance at beating it out. And I've watched more than my home town team, too.

Also watched some small college games last year and this year ... and I think the bats are great. They are still better than what was being used 20+ years ago, and if you really square it up, it is still going a long way.

I do think it is making some average pitchers more competitive, but maybe it could be argued they should have always been competitive with a "fair" bat in play. As long as you throw strikes and have a defense behind you, you won't get beat up nearly as much as before with extra-base hits being down, along with overall batting averages. Pop flies and flares are easier to navigate b/c they are not hit as high or going as far...which helps the fielders by default. Errors seem to be down with the exit speeds off the bat being lessened. The dominant pitchers from a year ago, are still just that... dominant. And I think the kids who can really hit, are still doing just that.

I like the BBCCOR bat rule for high school and college. The game is now being played the way it should be played.

In the long run, I enjoy seeing kids getting triples more than I do home runs. It make the game more exciting, plus the outfielder has to chase it down and actually hit the cut-off man, and in many cases, keep the batter to a double or throw them out trying to get a triple.

Plus, I think the game seems to be shorter than they used to be, but that is just my guess, haven't really done a study on them. Wonder if someone is keeping up with length of games now, compared to what they used to be with the long ball.

Games are definitely shorter from what I've seen... good point that I failed to mention. As an example, at one game I attended this spring, 5 full innings were completed in an hour. Pitchers were pounding the strike zone, batters were putting it in play (BBCOR hasn't increased strikeouts), and fielders were making all the plays. There were a handful of hits, but with batting averages going down for the most part, innings/games seem to be shorter. Granted this was just one game, but I have definitely noticed a difference in time of play overall.

There aren't nearly as many homeruns as last year but there has been 6 HR's in our past 2 games...HR's still happen...

The BBCOR has definitely changed the game and for the better. Teams that have quality pitching, are fundamentally sound in the basics such as bunts, hit and runs and team defense will rule the day. Teams that make errors, walk batters, don't make the routine plays and does not have team speed to get to ball in the gaps, and steal bases will suffer. Teams that are built for the long ball that do none of the above will struggle because home runs have dropped.

Pitching is the key as it has always been but even more now because it will be crucial that pitchers not WALK batters. Bases runners are at a premium so hitters that are patient and take walks will really benefit their team. Pitchers who walk runners will absolutely destroy thier teams' chance to compete.

From my observation thus far pitchers look better than they actually are and hitters look worse than they actually are but the very good hitters stand out because they draw walks, and hit doubles which in my mind is the new home run. The kid that is still consistently mashing home runs is really special because the steroids are out of the bats and the home today is the real thing. Games are shorter because there are less hits in each of the games and the scoring is way down. Pitchers by and large are having season best era's this year. The dominant pitcher that can throw strikes is the ultimate stud. The kid that can consistently hit home runs and maintain a high BA is also the ultimate stud. My sense is that list of players that can do the above is pretty small this year.

I think a middle ground would have been better. I see a little less excitement out of kids especially in bp etc. Seems that a bat somewhere in the middle could have been found for High School. Why does it have to be the same as the college bat? Gives average teams a lot better chance of beating good teams and think it will really show up with teams trying the 1 game approach more than ever if they have 1 pitcher. I see the outfields creeping in to a ridiculous depth and runners even being thrown out from right field on a half dozen occasions. Seems like football coaches came up with the new bats.

Last Tuesday, our 3 hole hitter hit a ball back at the pitcher and it hit him in the thigh. The pitcher had no time to react. My 1B coach said he never saw it. If it would have hit him in the chest or head, I'm afraid to think what could have happened.

I know that is an inherent danger associated with playing the game and that position, but that is what is behind the bat change. Frankly, I'm surprised that the coaches are not being made to wear the helmets when coaching on the field (like they are in college and professional baseball).

I don't have a strong feeling either way on the bats, but I know I never want to witness a death on the field. I'll coach baseball regardless of what type of bats are mandated.

Keep the BBCOR, but in HS maybe go back to a bigger barrel.

Kids are going to have to start learning how to use their lower half and not just there arms to hit. Work on their core and swing wood, and hit about 200 baseball's a day. Parents with per-teenagers need to start learning this now. It will take 2 to 3 years, but the kids that are 13 or 14 will start hitting the ball farther when they are juniors and seniors. Just my .02.

What is wrong with a kid learning how to square up balls so as to hit the sweet spot, developing a compact swing, developing plate discipline such as swinging at a ball they can handle and drive and not swinging at balls out of the strike zone, taking a walk and laying down a bunt. In addition, getting a realistic assesment of thier hitting abilities because their BA, SLG, RBI, OBP and extra base hits are not inflated by a bat injected with steroids. In the end the player will be forced to adapt and work on correcting the holes in thier swing or have less success. So much of the past success of many hitters was greatly influenced by the steroid bats. Now a hitter can really take a certain amount of pride in their results because these bats operate more like wood. To be honest, I really wish that there was a way that we could switch to wood. That is another argument for another day.

It is just nice to see some of the more traditonal aspects of the game coming back such as the bunt, hit and run and pitching inside to hitters which has become a lost art due to the affect of the blooper to the gap off the handle of the bat.

Pitchers will get better because they won't be able to rely on their team's artifically potent offense to make up for their mistake such as walking alot of hitters. They will learn to pound the strike zone on occasion and pitch inside to hitters. Hitters with long swings that were very seldom getting pitch inside will have to learn to either shorten their swing or back off the plate to make the inside pitch an up the middle pitch. Either way they will need to become a better hitter. Just my two cents.

Teach the players proper swing mechanics and if they have descent eye-hand coordination, the consistent hard contact will come....

Most players have "pre-BBCOR" aluminum bat mechanics.. which is the cast the hands/squish the bug junk - they don't use the whole body in swing, etc...

as soon as instruction changes to match the mechanics of the best hitters in the world, then more high school players will be successful.

quote:

Originally posted by TX-Ump74:
OK now most teams have gotten at least 10 games in this spring... what is the general thought on the BBCOR bats?

I have talked with a few coaches and they don't like them and don't feel that they will be around in 2 years...?

Personally I like them... it makes the teams play the game as it was intended... In games I have worked about 20 only 2 HR's, but lots of triples

Im a college pitcher and I like the bats. We used them last year and as a pitcher you don't have to worry about cheap homeruns being hit unless you play at a field where the wind blows out all the time. The bats really show who has pop and who doesn't and who is ready for college and future levels.