Just another BBCOR thread

Good question. My son used a Marucci Black last year, and it still seems fine after a HS and summer ball season (though through the showcase season and offseason he's used wood entirely), but of course with that bat there is some question whether it will be legal in HS this year, and we may be in the market again anyway. The Black no longer is legal for NCAA, but I have not seen NFHS follow on the Black as yet.

We have used the 2011-Rawlings 5150 (Original) for a little over a year. Wood in the summer and fall. My son picked up his 5150 for a game not too long ago and the ball just didnt seem to jump like it should have. So I was thinking, maybe the bat has reached its life span. Then the next batter went to the plate and picked up the same 5150 my son just used. Long deep shot, almost one hopped the fence in left center (380ft). So there i was... nope, not the bat, its just fine. haha.

But it does make me wonder how long the BBCOR bats are lasting.

My son's 5150 Velo became the adopted bat for his 15u travel team last fall. At any given game at least 4-5 kids would use it, including my son. He's taking weekly batting instruction for the past 6 weeks and it is absolutely fine. No dents or signs of "wearing out." Of course, plenty of scrapes and signs of hard use.

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad2016:
the ball just didnt seem to jump like it should have. So I was thinking, maybe the bat has reached its life span. ...it does make me wonder how long the BBCOR bats are lasting.

bballdad,
BBCOR walls don't flex. They don't have any trampoline effect. They can't lose their 'pop', because they never had any.

quote:

Originally posted by freddy77:

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad2016:
[the ball just didnt seem to jump like it should have. So I was thinking, maybe the bat has reached its life span.] [...it does make me wonder how long the BBCOR bats are lasting.]

bballdad,
BBCOR walls don't flex. They don't have any trampoline effect. They can't lose their 'pop', because they never had any.

Thanks for the insight, i didnt think about it that way.

Freddy's statement is accurate and probably somewhat tongue in cheek. But there is still metal fatigue, integrity loss at joints and other factors that can make a BBCOR bat perform to a lesser degree over time.
That said, I think the most common breakdown is the one that occurs in the player's head when he goes thru a period when he is missing the screws (sweetspot) and first reaction is that it's the bat that is failing.

Ok, I'll rephrase my original question.

How often have you replaced your BBCOR bat and why (excluding banned bats)? Kids get new bats evey year...

lack of performance?

Didnt like the color?

Let us use some common sense. These bats will show signs of fatigue eventually.If you take a thin piece of alloy ad continually blast a hard object( baseball) with it, the bat has to weaken after a while. There would be no way to make a blanket statement like 1 year 14 months etc. That would depend on each bat, bat speed of the hitter, and how hard it is used.The hitter should be able to tell when this is happening but not from game experience because that might be an excuse for a poor performance. Practice hits should tell a lot.

OK, to answer more directly (than my previous post), we are also in California, bought a new BBCOR two years ago and replaced the first BBCOR bat the next year. Cabbage is now a freshman in college and has access to team bats and uses wood quite a bit, so we did not purchase again this, the third year.
I think this is the norm. I think BBCOR by design, should last longer. Maybe two or three years of heavy use instead of one or so. That said, I think most players are programmed to replace their high end bats each year due to history of reduced performance over time, new models coming out that are perceived to be better, peer pressure, need for a different size, tried a friend's bat and liked it better, leverage with parents, etc. When a new bat comes out that gets good press, everyone wants to try it. Common thought process is that no one wants to be at a disadvantage and play with an inferior bat.

Thanks cabbagedad - that was what I was thinking, they should last longer than previous deigns. But you never know.

jaggerz - yes, BP should be telling, rather than game time.

My sons Plasma only lasted 4 or 5 months before it deformed. For the price($89) it was a cheap bat with pretty good pop. Replace free without any problems. New one going on 6 months, son claims it lost some of it's pop(me-thinks he just wants a new bat!)

The BBCOR protocol measures trampoline affect. A max of 0.50 is allowed, so these bats still have some trampoline effect, just not as much as BESR. A typical wood bat measures about 0.45. The BBCOR protocol also includes accelerated break-in testing (rolling). The bat cannot exceed 0.50 at an time during the testing.

I agree with others that BBCOR bats lose their pop at a slower rate than BESR (i.e. they last longer). Also like BESR, I think the all-composite bats deteriorate faster than all-aluminum bats (in general). I haven't seen any BBCOR bat lose its pop after one year, even with heavy, shared use. However, I fully expect to see a lot of new “lumber” when high school tryouts start, for all the reasons cabbagedad mentioned above.

quote:

Originally posted by bballdad2016:

"Ok, I'll rephrase my original question. How often have you replaced your BBCOR bat and why (excluding banned bats)?

I think cabbagedad nailed the most important reason(s). Kid just wants a new bat...and has fallen prey to marketing campaigns (and word of mouth among peers who have similarly fallen prety) suggesting the newer models are hotter.

I do think we can expect the bat companies to improve their BBCOR designs and performance somewhat as they gain experience under the BBCOR standard, but for the most part if a kid is replacing his bat after only a year, it is for the reasons cabbagedad suggests...or because the one they used last year is now illegal.

EdgarFan - I agree with you and cabbagedad. I have to assume that most bats are replaced each year due to "chasing the carrot". But i did want to reach out and ask the question. With BBCOR entering its third year on the field, maybe there is some failure rate that is starting to emerge after extended use. And if bats are being replaced on an annual basis, we may never know.

How many licks does it take to get to the middle of a tootsie pop? One, two,...

I still contend that anyone should try the new Rip It Air. You get 30 days to try it and if you do not like it you return it for a full refund. I am NOT involved with the company in any way. I just think that it is a product worth trying. I ordered my relative one and I will report back pro or con after the trial period.

quote:

Originally posted by jaggerz:
I still contend that anyone should try the new Rip It Air. You get 30 days to try it and if you do not like it you return it for a full refund. I am NOT involved with the company in any way. I just think that it is a product worth trying. I ordered my relative one and I will report back pro or con after the trial period.

Has your relative preferred a more heavily end weighted bat in past seasons?

quote:

Originally posted by journey2:

quote:

Originally posted by jaggerz:
I still contend that anyone should try the new Rip It Air. You get 30 days to try it and if you do not like it you return it for a full refund. I am NOT involved with the company in any way. I just think that it is a product worth trying. I ordered my relative one and I will report back pro or con after the trial period.

Has your relative preferred a more heavily end weighted bat in past seasons?

He likes a balanced bat that promotes bat speed. Since power is the last tool that a hitter
develops, then the over all balanced bat makes more sense now. He is 17 and does have power but not to the point that he wants an end loaded bat.

I would say yes that they do fatigue over time.  My son has a 5150 that we bought for him back in 2011.  Loves the bat, but he felt like it had lost some of it's pop.  I was able to recently find a brand new (unused) 2011 5150 at a great price so I bought it for him.  We took both bats and hit the knob against the carpeted floor in our living room to hear the sound each one made.  We were amazed to find out that the original 5150 tone was a complete 1/2 step lower (in terms of tone frequency) than the brand new unused bat we just bought.  That tells me the metal has fatigued and/or something in the bat has changed to allow for that difference. He'll really know as soon as he hits with it.

My sons swings the Marucci Team bat and has used it a lot over the last year.  Pop is as good as the day we bought it. I hope it will last another year, but if he has growth spurt I will be forced to buy a new bat.

 

A better question is why in the world is Eastons new bat cost 450 bucks, seriously!!!!

Bat Model  2014 Easton MAKO BBCOR: BB14MK Adult

 

Because people will spend that kind of ridiculous money........not sure why though