Report on the "New" bats

Coach May we are hearing the same thing out here on the West Coast. At my son's travel team game we heard that Cal State Fullerton took BP a few weeks ago and no one hit one out. Kind of stupid fix the problem and go to wood... Won't happen because of the $$ from the bat companies.

Just curious...if, in fact, the new bats do have less pop than wood...COULD college teams choose to use wood if they wanted to? Or do they have to use aluminum?

Most programs have contracts with the bat companies and players are required to use their bats, gloves, etc.

Will we put asterisks in all the record columns for the Juiced Decade?

I can just hear the MLB scouts talking now after a season of BBCOR:

"Just wait until we get a wood bat in his hands, he is really going to be knocking the cover off the ball."


In truth, it probably won't take long for the scouts to adjust to these new bats in peforming their evaluations of the college season hitters. Bat speed shouldn't change.

Sounds like a good time to be a pitcher doesn't it?

Backstop: that's funny.

I have seen them hit with by multiple college teams, and they feel worse than wood (ball feels soft off the barrel) but they are "hotter" than even the best wood.

It'll take some time for the players to adjust but the ball goes farther off these bats than wood....however, the coaches I spoke with said it's easily a 10% reduction in power.....A ball that went 400 will not go closer to 360.

I only was able to take one round of bp with it...

its defintely better than wood if you square it up...there were a couple home runs hit in bp and a couple in our intersquad scrimmage with it as well...

it is very different from past metal bats in sound and size of the "sweet spot"...you really do have to square it up for it to go...if you get jammed a little its literally about 70% of the old metal bats I'd say..

a lot of kids on my team were complaining about the weight distribution...but thats more of a personal preferece thing...

Overall I'd say it was actually "hotter" than I expected it to be...if you hit it well.

I don't really follow the metal bat industry. Is this across the board with all metal bats? As in college and high school teams have to use them?

quote:

Sounds like a good time to be a pitcher doesn't it?

trojan-skipper,

.....and an even better time to be the mom/dad of a college pitcher. We will worry less. Also, the plate just expanded another 5 inches because you can pitch inside again. It is going to be an interesting year with some small ball being played.

Two weeks ago, my 16 year middle son was pitching at a showcase. Very hard line shot back went right at his glove. It knocked the glove out of his hand it was hit so hard. He had zero time to react, and I'm not sure he did react or if he was just lucky. I swallowed very hard.

Son's Team starts their official Fall Team practices today. They have not yet used them but their Coach has said "subtract 30' in distance."

The good hitters will still hit. Would expect Offense to be down this year for sure.. Pitchers are beginning to "lick their chops."

I can think of a whole bunch of changes as a result of the bats.

Pitch calling - more inside pitching!

Outfield positioning - move 'em in, more line drives could now find the gaps for extra bases.

Coaches more involved in the offensive game, lot more hit and runs, sac bunts, steals, taking the extra base. Speed becomes more important. No more sitting back waiting for your home run hitters to clear the bases.

Containing the running game will have a higher priority for defenses.

More close plays at the plate with the outfield playing in.

Any more?

I'd have to assume that professional scouts are happy to see the new BBCOR bats implemented, as it should be easier to assess prospects. I'm wondering if the college recruiting landscape will change a little? Are colleges going to put even more emphasis on speed and defense? As Backstop17 said, coaches may not be willing to sit back and wait for the 3 run dingers. It's going to be interesting...

Not to keep punching this bag, but batting averages at the college level too are in for a fall. I just looked at some college team totals, subtracted half the doubles, half the triples, and half the home runs and team batting average dropped anywhere from 50 - 70 points, relative to the power of the team.

And this assumes all singles were maintained. But for sure some of those hard strokes in the hole now become an out at first.

quote:

Originally posted by Backstop-17:
Not to keep punching this bag, but batting averages at the college level too are in for a fall. I just looked at some college team totals, subtracted half the doubles, half the triples, and half the home runs and team batting average dropped anywhere from 50 - 70 points, relative to the power of the team.

And this assumes all singles were maintained. But for sure some of those hard strokes in the hole now become an out at first.

I'm not so sure that that's an accurate portrayal of how batting avg.s will be affected. Taking away half of all extra base hits assumes that those would no longer be hits. i.e. most doubles I see are not hit over the of's head, they are in the gap or down the line. While the balls not traveling as far can be expected, balls hit in the gap or down the line are still hits.

I think we're getting our head out over our ski's by predicting exactly how much power and avg numbers will be impacted. The game will be changed, but we are looking at it myopically.

Take for instance, field turf fields. You don't see many Texas leaguers hit on field turf. Why? Because the ball goes through the infield so fast the infielders play way behind the infield, decreasing the gap between the OF and IF. Now if balls don't travel as fast off the bat or through the IF, then the IF's are going to have to play closer, otherwise slow rollers will be base hits. This opens up the IF-OF gap for Texas Leaguers. So before, when moderate hitters would tear loose hoping to jack one out, now they're going to be coached to do the Juan Pierre slap hit over the IF.

The game will change, but much more than just numbers. Necessity is the Mother of invention. The whole approach will be changed, at the plate, offensively, defensively. The ones that adapt quickest and recognize an opponents weakness in their ability to adapt, will be king of the heap for a couple of years.

Last year my son's team was eliminated in the conference playoffs in a 20 to 18 game. His team scored 16 or more runs ten times, 9 or more 23 times. In truth was this really the way baseball was meant to be played? I agree with those who feel speed and defense will take their rightful places in the game. So I'm okay with it so far.

Son's team is an Easton team. He said the first models they got were awful, that he would just as soon use wood. He said they got some newer prototypes a week or so ago and that they are better than the first ones but way deader than last year's. He said it was kind of strange in that the bats they have now aren't painted or anything. He said they're just shiny metal with no brandings or markings or anything other than the grips.

I am not aware of a manufacturer anywhere that brands their prototypes of anything.

Silly question. How about the sound. Metal has had the ping or click. Wood has that unmistakeable crack! Any word on the sound of these new bats? The sound is also a part of solid contact a hitter notices.

The sound will take some getting used to. It doesn't have a memorable sound like we're used to. Watched son's team scrimmage this week-end. Well hit balls that would have been homers or at least warning track
just don't carry. No one seems to like them but I bet the pitchers will. It will be an interesting season of adjustments.

"Memorable sound?" Boy how times have changed. I can remember when that memorable sound was considered blasphemy. It's all what you get used to.

quote:

Originally posted by CaBB:
The sound will take some getting used to. It doesn't have a memorable sound like we're used to. Watched son's team scrimmage this week-end. Well hit balls that would have been homers or at least warning track
just don't carry. No one seems to like them but I bet the pitchers will. It will be an interesting season of adjustments.

quote:

Silly question. How about the sound.

Talked to my Son last night. Said "they had two Nike" bats to use and stated that I would hate watching the games with the sound the bats make."
He couldn't or wouldn't describe it but just said you have to hear it, "it's awful." Bombs that usually carry out just "seem to die."

We always hated the "ping" of the early metal but the composites had gotten to the point where they sounded less aluminum like. Of course, the sound off Wood is what is preferable.

Are they going to trickle down to the high school level?

It will be interesting how this will affect recruiting. Looks like the emphasis will be more on gap hitters now.

So Nike has their new bats? Nike was horrible already.I just know they will still be worse than the others.I wish they would just go to wood.And change the ball to a major league ball with a different seam.If they dont at least change the ball the college game in my opinion is going to be very different.

quote:

Originally posted by RAB90:
Are they going to trickle down to the high school level?

2012

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:

quote:

Originally posted by RAB90:
Are they going to trickle down to the high school level?

2012

California high schools are going this year.

Tougher metal bat rules in California

I read (hear) a lot of talk about how the new bat rules will help the "gap hitters" and not the power guys....remember that the "power guys" will adjust and still be better hitters.

Balls hit harder by stronger guys will always be better than guys who can't generate the bat speed.

I think that is the #1 thing you will see.....guys without bat speed have 0 chance to hit now.....better hope there is a guy on who you can bunt over.

Many college lineups have had .300 hitters one through nine with a couple of .400 guys in there. This will probably change some but I think the run scoring will be most affected by a decline in HRs and the ability of pitchers to come inside more often.

During the summer and fall travel seasons where wood is used more than metal you get used to watching wood real fast. IMO the power guys are still hitting balls out. They may not get the cheapies, but if they square one up it still goes out, and balls are still driven into the gaps.

I think the power hitters are less affected by the bat change than the singles hitters.

I posted this as another topic/discussion, but perhaps more appropriate here:

"My understanding of the NFHS rule is a metal BESR bat is approved for Spring 2011 as is a composite which complies with the 2012 standard, i.e. BBCOR. My question is, since my son needs a new bat for high school, should I get him a new BESR metal bat(which he could only use for spring '11) or get (when they come out) a BBCOR composite. Am I correct to assume that a metal BESR will perform better than the BBCOR composite?"

You are perhaps mixing your terminology regarding metal and composites. Nevertheless, a BESR rated bat for his 2011 H.S. Season would be the way to go. Metal, hybrids and composites all carry BESR ratings.
They will give him more "bang for the buck" and he will either wear it out or perhaps outgrow it by the time the Season is over. He will still have Summer ball as well and can use that bat except for the Wood bat tournaments.

If you get him a BBCOR bat for the Spring he will likely be the only kid using a "DUD" (except in California). It too won't be much good after a full year of use. At least I've never had much luck with my kid every using a bat more than one season as its either trashed or he needed a bigger one!! Might as well let him have the extra 30' or so that the livelier bats generate.

As the parent of a pitcher all I have to to say is I am glad to see this happen!!
Yeeee-Haw!!

quote:

Originally posted by 2013 Dad:
I posted this as another topic/discussion, but perhaps more appropriate here:

"My understanding of the NFHS rule is a metal BESR bat is approved for Spring 2011 as is a composite which complies with the 2012 standard, i.e. BBCOR. My question is, since my son needs a new bat for high school, should I get him a new BESR metal bat(which he could only use for spring '11) or get (when they come out) a BBCOR composite. Am I correct to assume that a metal BESR will perform better than the BBCOR composite?"

2013 Dad - You are correct on all accounts.

Prime 9 - The only BESR bats allowed in HS 2011 are aluminum barrels, same as NCAA 2010. BESR Composite barrels are banned. All BBCOR bats are legal. HS 2012 all bats BBCOR, same as NCAA 2011.

I heard someone mention that they should go to ML balls (because of the stitching). If you are going to use a bat that is closer to wood, why not use a ball that is used with wood.
Does that make sense?

TPM,

Interesting enough, I'm certain that we are resonsible for by far the most wood bats being used in amateur baseball. That said, we had Rawlings develop a special ball that compares closely to the MLB and Minor League ball.

This was all done so that we could see what pitchers can do without the high seam ball (especially concerning the breaking ball) and see what hitters can do with wood bats.

What rules relative to bats apply to JUCOs this season? Anybody know?

quote:

Originally posted by CADad:
What rules relative to bats apply to JUCOs this season? Anybody know?

I was talking to someone at a Calif JC on Saturday and they have not heard if they are going all wood or with the new BBCOR bat rules.

And the pitchers cheered!

quote:

Originally posted by CADad:
What rules relative to bats apply to JUCOs this season? Anybody know?

My son said his JC is going to be using the same bats as NCAA. They haven't seen them yet.

Idk about these reports about "bombs" just dying in the outfield....a couple kids on my team got a hold of it and it carried like it should have...maybe not as far as the juiced bats of the past...but still plenty far enough to clear the fences without any doubt.

I also wanted to comment on the strike zone...if you think that pitchers will start coming inside more often, do you think college umps will finally stop giving the pitchers the good 2-3+ inches off the outside corner that I've seen in past years?