The D2 proposal indicated that composite bats would not be permitted in game play.
It must be because of the inability of a pitcher to come inside and saw off a bat.
quote:Originally posted by il2008:
The D2 proposal indicated that composite bats would not be permitted in game play.
Thank you for pointing that out. Seems unlikely that one will stick since it is purely anticompetitive in nature. Manufacturers of solid core bats like Baum would likely take issue with the legality of that one.
Direct from the Baum website which I provided a link to in the prior post:
"Major League Baseball instructed Baum Research & Development to walk a fine line by creating a durable bat while allowing it to break at the upper limits of thick handled Major League wood. Our company is the pioneer in research to evaluate the performance of all bats including metal, wood, and composite bats, both for baseball and softball."
"The Patented AAA PRO model Baum®Bat is the only true high-tech wood composite bat, approved for minor league game use by Major League Baseball. It is also approved for NCAA and NFHS use."
"Major League Baseball instructed Baum Research & Development to walk a fine line by creating a durable bat while allowing it to break at the upper limits of thick handled Major League wood. Our company is the pioneer in research to evaluate the performance of all bats including metal, wood, and composite bats, both for baseball and softball."
"The Patented AAA PRO model Baum®Bat is the only true high-tech wood composite bat, approved for minor league game use by Major League Baseball. It is also approved for NCAA and NFHS use."
quote:Originally posted by cabbagedad:
good pitch,
I was responding to the more recent comments in this thread discussing use of WOOD bats at college level. Baum Bat is a composite bat with a wood shell - has some favorable traits but different animal.
I have coached and/or observed many 16u, 18u club events the last few years and JC practice this fall where wood is used - outfielders set positions are generally 5 to 7 steps in to start compared to where they previously played.
I was at a club friendly DH this past weekend where there was lack of cummunication regarding bat use - one team used wood, the other didn't. Significant difference in player positioning, balls to the fence (and over) and many fan comments like "that's OK, that ball would have been caught if they were using wood."
I understand that much of this does not apply to the best players - most players are not the best players.
I agree that the players that stay in the game will become better hitters by using wood. However...
I've got some purist in me too and love wood so I hate to say it, but let there be no doubt, the further the wood bat use trickles down, the more negative impact there will be on player and fan participation.
quote:"I was responding to the more recent comments in this thread discussing use of WOOD bats at college level. Baum Bat is a composite bat with a wood shell - has some favorable traits but different animal."
I'm hoping you can explain why you are dismissive of the Baum Bat...at least in the context goodpitch mentioned it. It is legal for use in all leagues where wood is required up to short season A ball in the pros. It has swing characteristics nearly identical to common pro wood models, and is more consistent bat to bat than wood. It also doesn't break. It won't deplete scarce wood supplies either.
It's fairly ridiculous to infer that DII will be reduced to swinging warped and knotty scrub wood. In fact, Baum Bats will be very popular there like they are elsewhere.
As with a wood bat, if a player learns to swing a Baum, he is miles ahead when using a BBCOR.
All things considered, the best thing for the game is to teach kids to swing correctly, not hand them a crutch.
Brute,
Yes, I can explain why I dismissed Baum Bats - because the discussion was regarding WOOD bats (all wood, not composite/wood).
Also, I did not infer "warped and knotty scrub wood"... credit to you for creative interpretation, though. I did state that...
quote:"In general, wood for bats is readily available, good wood for good bats is not. Bat manufacturers are somewhat limited now in supplying MLB and MILB. If you start using wood for all college baseball and more and more club ball and adult leagues, the demand becomes multiplied several times over. Combine a lesser grade wood with lesser abilities and you will see yet a steeper drop in bat performance and bigger impact on the decline of offense.
Having been in the sporting goods business dealing with bat mfctrs for over 25 yrs and involved in organized baseball for over 40 years, I can tell you for a fact that an increase in demand as described above will result in somewhat inferior wood bats purchased at the premium price level (excluding select wood provided to MLB and MiLB).
I already acknowledged that use of wood (or Baum Bat, for that matter) will make for better hitters.
Afer watching several episodes of "Swamp Loggers" and "Heli loggers" and "Ax Men" - and seeing the soft demand in the housing market, it would seem that there is plenty of wood, low to high grade, that should be available.
Can someone please explain what type of exotic wood that is in such short supply that only MLB gets it?
Never mind, did a little search and found this:
"The difference in the grain structure between hard maple and ash contributes to maple lasting longer. The grain structure in hard maple is very tight, with only a small visible line separating the grains of the wood. The grain structure in ash is very porus, which makes the bat very susceptible to flaking after extended use. The biggest difference between ash and maple to a ballplayer is the characteristics of the wood itself. With ash, there are several different grades of bats, all based on grain count. The higher the number of grains per inch the lower quality the bat. Since the grain separations in ash are so porus, they are weak, therefore the higher the number of grains in a bat, the higher the chance the bat will break. Due to the nature of how ash grows, the lower the grain count per inch, the stronger the grain is. The problem is that only a very small percentage of ash bats have the very low grain counts (top quality ash bats). The percentage is so small, that bat manufacturers will only sell those top quality ash bats to their pro customers. Even the minor leagues can not usually get the top quality ash. By the time you get down to the ash bats you can buy at a store, the only thing you can get is the lower quality ash. They may still be advertised as the same bats the pro’s use, and they very well could be the same model, but not the same wood quality. This is the main reason that maple is becoming so popular. Ash will always be in pro ball, because the top quality ash bats are very good bats. With maple, the only thing that separates high quality bats from low quality bats is the straightness of the grain and physical defects in the wood. No matter what species of wood you are using, straightness of the grain and defects is the first thing that the wood is sorted for, and it’s not considered to be good for a bat unless the grain is straight, and there are no defects. What this means is with maple you can actually get the same quality wood as the pro’s use! Even our youth bats are made out of the same quality wood that we make our pro bats out of. That’s not a just a pitch for our youth bats, it’s just that all other variables being equal, so long as the grain is straight and there are no defects, there are no wood quality differences with maple."
Never mind, did a little search and found this:
"The difference in the grain structure between hard maple and ash contributes to maple lasting longer. The grain structure in hard maple is very tight, with only a small visible line separating the grains of the wood. The grain structure in ash is very porus, which makes the bat very susceptible to flaking after extended use. The biggest difference between ash and maple to a ballplayer is the characteristics of the wood itself. With ash, there are several different grades of bats, all based on grain count. The higher the number of grains per inch the lower quality the bat. Since the grain separations in ash are so porus, they are weak, therefore the higher the number of grains in a bat, the higher the chance the bat will break. Due to the nature of how ash grows, the lower the grain count per inch, the stronger the grain is. The problem is that only a very small percentage of ash bats have the very low grain counts (top quality ash bats). The percentage is so small, that bat manufacturers will only sell those top quality ash bats to their pro customers. Even the minor leagues can not usually get the top quality ash. By the time you get down to the ash bats you can buy at a store, the only thing you can get is the lower quality ash. They may still be advertised as the same bats the pro’s use, and they very well could be the same model, but not the same wood quality. This is the main reason that maple is becoming so popular. Ash will always be in pro ball, because the top quality ash bats are very good bats. With maple, the only thing that separates high quality bats from low quality bats is the straightness of the grain and physical defects in the wood. No matter what species of wood you are using, straightness of the grain and defects is the first thing that the wood is sorted for, and it’s not considered to be good for a bat unless the grain is straight, and there are no defects. What this means is with maple you can actually get the same quality wood as the pro’s use! Even our youth bats are made out of the same quality wood that we make our pro bats out of. That’s not a just a pitch for our youth bats, it’s just that all other variables being equal, so long as the grain is straight and there are no defects, there are no wood quality differences with maple."
I believe one problem is that you need high grade ash wood and didn't some kind of desease or beetle knock out a large proportion of the American ash trees?
quote:Originally posted by Three Bagger:
I believe one problem is that you need high grade ash wood and didn't some kind of desease or beetle knock out a large proportion of the American ash trees?
Not yet. The emerald borer hasn't penetrated dense forests of ash.
Just to be clear: If two different ash bats are the exact same size, wght, and wght. distribution, the $30 "low quality" ash bat made of "gnarly wood" will hit the ball exactly the same as the $80 pro quality ash bat made of the best wood.
In other words, in the example given above, the quality of the wood only affects durability. Not performance.
backstop -
nice job on explaining some of the issues as to why "good wood" is limited. One of many additional measuring points that affect both Ash and Maple is "slope of the grain". Short version - precisely correct slope found in very small percentage of bats results in significantly stronger bats which affects both durability and performance. Note that this applies to Maple as well, which dispells some of the posts that suggest cheaper maple will perform as well as more expensive versions.
If interested in more in-depth detail, check out..
woodbat.org
nice job on explaining some of the issues as to why "good wood" is limited. One of many additional measuring points that affect both Ash and Maple is "slope of the grain". Short version - precisely correct slope found in very small percentage of bats results in significantly stronger bats which affects both durability and performance. Note that this applies to Maple as well, which dispells some of the posts that suggest cheaper maple will perform as well as more expensive versions.
If interested in more in-depth detail, check out..
woodbat.org
quote:Brute,
Yes, I can explain why I dismissed Baum Bats - because the discussion was regarding WOOD bats (all wood, not composite/wood).
The discussion was not about all-wood bats at all. It was about the possible economic consequence of reduced offense at the college level from BBCOR and the even more demanding wood and wood-like bats used at some colleges and being considered at others. You claimed such a move is a slippery slope toward lousy bats and even worse offense. Someone else suggested Baum bats are a solution which you dismissed.
The fact is, such bats ARE a solution to quality issues associated with all-wood bats.
quote:Originally posted by brute66:quote:Brute,
Yes, I can explain why I dismissed Baum Bats - because the discussion was regarding WOOD bats (all wood, not composite/wood).
The discussion was not about all-wood bats at all. It was about the possible economic consequence of reduced offense at the college level from BBCOR and the even more demanding wood and wood-like bats used at some colleges and being considered at others. You claimed such a move is a slippery slope toward lousy bats and even worse offense. Someone else suggested Baum bats are a solution which you dismissed.
The fact is, such bats ARE a solution to quality issues associated with all-wood bats.
I totally agree that Baum bats, and bats similar to them, are the answer. However, the undying myth that one type of wood bat can hit the ball batter than another will make it difficult for Baum bats etc. to be accepted by governing associations. There will be suspicion that Baum bats, etc. can somehow propel the ball faster than a solid wood bat.
quote:I totally agree that Baum bats, and bats similar to them, are the answer. However, the undying myth that one type of wood bat can hit the ball batter than another will make it difficult for Baum bats etc. to be accepted by governing associations. There will be suspicion that Baum bats, etc. can somehow propel the ball faster than a solid wood bat.
Thankfully, those kind of myths are pretty easily dispelled these days with all of the testing and regulations.
I think the real issue for the bat industry isn't that a Baum bat would propel a ball faster, but would be so dramatically superior in durability. And that is no myth.
[QUOTE]
"The Patented AAA PRO model Baum®Bat is the only true high-tech wood composite bat, approved for minor league game use by Major League Baseball. It is also approved for NCAA and NFHS use."
[QUOTE]
Did the coposite wood bats and the bamboo or any non 1 piece bat have to have the BESR stamp on them and wil they have to have the BBCOR stamp on them.
http://m-5.eng.uml.edu/umlbrc/...ied_bats.asp#results
Baum and some others are on there for 2010 but not for 2011
"The Patented AAA PRO model Baum®Bat is the only true high-tech wood composite bat, approved for minor league game use by Major League Baseball. It is also approved for NCAA and NFHS use."
[QUOTE]
Did the coposite wood bats and the bamboo or any non 1 piece bat have to have the BESR stamp on them and wil they have to have the BBCOR stamp on them.
http://m-5.eng.uml.edu/umlbrc/...ied_bats.asp#results
Baum and some others are on there for 2010 but not for 2011
brute,
can't figure out why you insist on arguing something I wasn't even talking about... are you associated in any way with Baum Bats?
can't figure out why you insist on arguing something I wasn't even talking about... are you associated in any way with Baum Bats?
My apologies for appearing to pick on your posts. I do not have an affiliation with Baum, although I'm somewhat familiar with their history as a company and how their bats are viewed by the athletes that use them.
It is interesting how eager many in the industry seem to be to try and segregate Baum bats as being functionally different from wood when many high level players see them as being for all purposes exactly the same, only much more durable. Many of those players would continue to use them right through the minors if they could. Not because they hit harder or better but because they last longer.
To me, all of this is entirely avoidable if regulations stay away from specific materials and only indicate whether a bat is allowed to have a hollow core (which yields COR), or must be solid. A solid bat that has the weight, balance, and length of a wood bat, will hit no better than wood no matter what it's made of.
I really couldn't care if Baum is successful as a company, but in this day and age it is possible to get wood-matching performance without issues of quality.
Again, my apologies to you, cabbagedad.
It is interesting how eager many in the industry seem to be to try and segregate Baum bats as being functionally different from wood when many high level players see them as being for all purposes exactly the same, only much more durable. Many of those players would continue to use them right through the minors if they could. Not because they hit harder or better but because they last longer.
To me, all of this is entirely avoidable if regulations stay away from specific materials and only indicate whether a bat is allowed to have a hollow core (which yields COR), or must be solid. A solid bat that has the weight, balance, and length of a wood bat, will hit no better than wood no matter what it's made of.
I really couldn't care if Baum is successful as a company, but in this day and age it is possible to get wood-matching performance without issues of quality.
Again, my apologies to you, cabbagedad.
brute,
got it, thanks. I do see and appreciate the role that this type of bat can fill, just not what I was talking about at the time.
As things move toward BBCOR at College and HS and as wood is more widely considered as an alternative, it will be very interesting to see how the powers that be determine where various types of wood laminates and wood/composite offerings fit in...
got it, thanks. I do see and appreciate the role that this type of bat can fill, just not what I was talking about at the time.
As things move toward BBCOR at College and HS and as wood is more widely considered as an alternative, it will be very interesting to see how the powers that be determine where various types of wood laminates and wood/composite offerings fit in...
I'm sure Baseball Express is thrilled with that video.
My son got a chance to swing a handful of BBCOR bats over the last couple of weeks. These are the bats he swung and in the order he rated them 1) Easton surge, 2) Easton Rival, 3) Demarini Voodoo 4) Tpx Omaha 5) Rawlings 5150. The top 3 bats did not thicken the walls to make their bats BBCOR compliant the other 2 did.
Let me start with that compared to the BESR bats well it"s going to be a different game this year. The consensus was that everyone would rather swing the BESR bats. I'm still not sure what the CIF is going to decide next month. It will be interesting to see if the Bat Companies will be able to get enough bats out for all levels of college baseball plus the 40,000 plus H.S players in CA.
Easton Surge- By Far he thought this was the best BBCOR bat He said it swung and felt like BESR surge no vibration at all. Ball jumped off the bat, this is the one to get if you can.
Easton Rival- Very balanced no Vibration. Ball jumped off the bat
Demarini Voodoo- Balanced and very little Vibration the ball didn't seem to jump off of this bat. No one else liked this bat as much as he did.
Tpx Omaha- Seemed end loaded probably because of the thickened the walls plus more Vibration if you didn't hit it exactly on the sweet spot.
Rawlings 5150- End loaded probably because of the thickened the walls plus vibration no matter where the you hit it on the bat.
Its going to be all individual preference on whether you like a 1 or 2 piece bat or which brand you like or how much you can afford. No one there had the Anderson or the Nike BBCOR.
Let me start with that compared to the BESR bats well it"s going to be a different game this year. The consensus was that everyone would rather swing the BESR bats. I'm still not sure what the CIF is going to decide next month. It will be interesting to see if the Bat Companies will be able to get enough bats out for all levels of college baseball plus the 40,000 plus H.S players in CA.
Easton Surge- By Far he thought this was the best BBCOR bat He said it swung and felt like BESR surge no vibration at all. Ball jumped off the bat, this is the one to get if you can.
Easton Rival- Very balanced no Vibration. Ball jumped off the bat
Demarini Voodoo- Balanced and very little Vibration the ball didn't seem to jump off of this bat. No one else liked this bat as much as he did.
Tpx Omaha- Seemed end loaded probably because of the thickened the walls plus more Vibration if you didn't hit it exactly on the sweet spot.
Rawlings 5150- End loaded probably because of the thickened the walls plus vibration no matter where the you hit it on the bat.
Its going to be all individual preference on whether you like a 1 or 2 piece bat or which brand you like or how much you can afford. No one there had the Anderson or the Nike BBCOR.
That's a nice summary, hopefully we can get a few more like that.
I agree, a great summary. Keep them coming.
I have swung both the DeMarini Voodoo & TPX Omaha. The DeMarini is a little more evenly distributed as far as weight goes. The TPX is a little end-heavy, but it is not too noticeable(I've swung TPX my whole career, so it could just be IMO). The Voodoo did not seem to have very much pop to it, and when hitting on the sweet spot, it sounded much like a driver hitting a golf ball (more like a "Thunk" than a true "PING". The new Omaha however does have a vibrant "PING" and I felt as though it was easier to square balls up on and the pop was greater on the Omaha.
Overall, the Omaha is what my teammates and I liked better. Have not swung Eastons. Would be curious to others' opinions!
Overall, the Omaha is what my teammates and I liked better. Have not swung Eastons. Would be curious to others' opinions!
University of Tampa gets to swing the Demarini (no choice), and most of the hitters there seem to prefer their wood bats over the newer BBCOR. My guy was hitting significantly more over with wood than the new aluminum during the Fall practice.
I wonder why there is such a variance in these bats, and I feel bad that my son has to swing a Demarini, and is stuck with the bat that everyone reviews as the worst.
BUT we are all Lovin' The University of Tampa! Small price to pay, in the greater scheme of things!
I wonder why there is such a variance in these bats, and I feel bad that my son has to swing a Demarini, and is stuck with the bat that everyone reviews as the worst.
BUT we are all Lovin' The University of Tampa! Small price to pay, in the greater scheme of things!
quote:Originally posted by ILVBB:
Careful what you wish for! This is another way of looking at the changes in bat requirements at the college level and soon to be high school level.
This fall I have talked with two head coaches of college programs as to effect that the changes will have this year. Both had similar comments about offensive production and a change towards more small ball, pitching domination and the importance of speed and near perfect defense.
What was more interesting was they both had real concerns that while the game will be the same; the changes will adversely impact attendance and potentially funding for college programs. Both told stories about major college programs finishing fall practice without anyone hitting home runs. Without prompting they both pointed to major programs with a strong tradition of large attendance and an atmosphere built on fans expectations of coming to games to see offense. They raised the question “will fans keep coming out to see a 2-1 game without the offense that has become a part of the college game for the past 20-years?” After a year or two; if fan attendance at college games goes down as a result of a shift away from an offensive game; will funding be adversely impacted? If so will the coaches and administrators of these programs lobby for a change back to equipment that helps them economically?
I take the same question and then apply it to the kids that I see when I umpire high school games. Here in California the new bat standard is being applied this season to High Schools. I have seen a continuing weakening of talent. Yes; there are lots of terrific players playing all kinds of competitive baseball; but behind these programs are many more kids playing Freshmen, JV and Frosh/Soph baseball. Rarely do I see kids with the skills and talent to really play the game with a wooden (or near wooden) bats. When these new bats become the standard this year; will the kids all of a sudden have the talent that they have not possessed in recent years? Will a lack of success discourage kids to the point that they abandon the game? One can make a case that as kids become discouraged and leave the game earlier there can be an economic effect that trickles through and has an adverse affect on the attendance, purchases of equipment, funding of programs, etc. in general it can produce an adverse effect to the game as a whole.
I am not making an argument against safety or the tradition of wood bats. What I am trying to do is to look at the potential impact to both college and youth baseball. It is not a simple question of make the game safer and everyone will be better off. I can see a set of result that were completely unintended when the standards were changed.
Change is never easy but in this case it's long over due. Over the past 20+ years players and coaches have become lazy relying on the equipment to do the heavy lifting which has resulted in an erosion of skills both mental and physical throughout the game. The game will change and the fans will change with it.
Baseball is a perfect game played by imperfect people on perfect fields of grass and dirt using leather and wood.
"Baseball is a perfect game played by imperfect people on perfect fields of grass and dirt using leather and wood"
Nice!
Nice!
Why arent swing weights or weight distribution of bats given by the manufactures. Why do we have to guess? I dont want to buy it to figure it out.
As the parent of a pitcher, I am glad to see bat change. Luckliy, he has never been hit (had several near misses) by a shot up the middle and little to no time to react. The pitching will become much more important in college and HS (as it is in MLB) to game plan and how a batter is handled. The finesse of the pitcher will be more important. It will require hitters to learrn to hit correctly and efficiently instead of throwing the bat at the ball. If a hitter can hit, the "type" of bat does not matter except in the distance. The adjustment curve will be difficult, but more focused on the game essentials instead of the "long ball".
vhs, another part of this is maybe if we switched to a major league ball the pitchers would have to learn to pitch without the raised seems of the college ball. Just a thought.
2bagger.
I don't think there is much difference in the balls. All WWB tournaments use low seam balls and my son prefers them. He can spin them just as well as the HS/College ball and they are more consistent according to him at least.
I don't think there is much difference in the balls. All WWB tournaments use low seam balls and my son prefers them. He can spin them just as well as the HS/College ball and they are more consistent according to him at least.
My sons college coach told me that they hit more homeruns this fall with the new bats than they did last year with the old bats. He said one reasons is they are more talented , bigger and stronger than last year.
He went on to say that the new bats hurt the hitters that were not very strong to start with who relied on the old bats to supply their power. He said the guys that were strong and could swing it were still hammering the baseball in spite of the new bats.
I am sure the hr's will be down. The two games I went to this fall I saw three hr's and all three were no doubters. I did see two or three shots that def would have gone out with the old bats. One things for sure the pitchers will not be able to say "That was a cheap hr off a rocket launcher." And the hitters will not be able to get away with some things they used to be able to get away with.
Regardless the same things that you have to do win will be the same things you have to do to win. Throw strikes , make the routine plays and hit with risp.
He went on to say that the new bats hurt the hitters that were not very strong to start with who relied on the old bats to supply their power. He said the guys that were strong and could swing it were still hammering the baseball in spite of the new bats.
I am sure the hr's will be down. The two games I went to this fall I saw three hr's and all three were no doubters. I did see two or three shots that def would have gone out with the old bats. One things for sure the pitchers will not be able to say "That was a cheap hr off a rocket launcher." And the hitters will not be able to get away with some things they used to be able to get away with.
Regardless the same things that you have to do win will be the same things you have to do to win. Throw strikes , make the routine plays and hit with risp.
The Major league balls have lower seams and are wound tighter imo.
My thought is to lets see what happens when the new bat and or wood cause another injury to a pitcher.
Will those that have argued and lobbied for the change allow for a return to the lively bats and for face protection to be optional??
If that happens, then I vote for face protection and a return to lively bats. I to am a purist however I do like the home run element and more offense to high school and college. Everyone focuses on learning to hit with wood well, I also think the livelier the bats the more challenging defensive plays will occur.
What I really do not get is that there are no changes to the bats used for youth club baseball, Pony, or Little League where the participation numbers are way higher than at the older ages.
How can we argue about high school and leave the youth leagues out of this discussion?
Absolutely mind boggling!
Will those that have argued and lobbied for the change allow for a return to the lively bats and for face protection to be optional??
If that happens, then I vote for face protection and a return to lively bats. I to am a purist however I do like the home run element and more offense to high school and college. Everyone focuses on learning to hit with wood well, I also think the livelier the bats the more challenging defensive plays will occur.
What I really do not get is that there are no changes to the bats used for youth club baseball, Pony, or Little League where the participation numbers are way higher than at the older ages.
How can we argue about high school and leave the youth leagues out of this discussion?
Absolutely mind boggling!
quote:Originally posted by gonyard:
My thought is to lets see what happens when the new bat and or wood cause another injury to a pitcher.
Let's see what happens? Nothing should happen. Comebackers from solid wood bats (or wood-like bats) are an INHERENT RISK of the game, and have been for the past 150 years.
To the degree that hollow bat rocket launchers add risk, this additional risk is NOT a traditional inherent risk. It's new. It's recent.
The distinction between inherent risk and non-inherent risk is the basis for NCAA bat policy.
Gonyard, you've got me scratching my head when you say you're a "purist", yet prefer having pitchers wearing headgear.
One reason youth leagues aren't in this discussion is that the vast majority of youth players are physically undeveloped and have relatively lousy swings, whereas the vast majority of college players have been taking batting lessons since they were 12 and have been weightlifting since they were 15--college players have the technique and strength to swing a wood (or wood-like) bat with a minimum of whining and weeping.
Snowman and Coach May both make good points. I'm looking forward to the new bats because I believe the good hitters will still be good hitters. They may not have quite as many HRs, but they'll make the adjustment. The guys who relied on the livelier bats for their power will struggle more. The lazy flyball homers are gone and probably many of the opposite-field shots, too. The college game has rewarded the hitters for many years, and I have no problem with the pitchers getting a little give-back. (And I say that as the dad of a hitter.)
I also look forward to quicker-paced games and perhaps a little truer brand of baseball. I'll take a 5-3 score over an 11-9 score any day, especially when the pitching starts to run out at the end of a three-game series. My son, whose team spent much of the fall swinging wood, is looking forward to swinging the new bats.
One college coach (not my son's) told me the new bats, while less lively than the old bats, still perform a good bit better than wood simply because the sweet spot on wood is so small.
I also look forward to quicker-paced games and perhaps a little truer brand of baseball. I'll take a 5-3 score over an 11-9 score any day, especially when the pitching starts to run out at the end of a three-game series. My son, whose team spent much of the fall swinging wood, is looking forward to swinging the new bats.
One college coach (not my son's) told me the new bats, while less lively than the old bats, still perform a good bit better than wood simply because the sweet spot on wood is so small.
LLI just banned all composites for the majors(12u) division and below.
http://www.littleleague.org/le...approvedcompbats.htm
http://www.littleleague.org/le...approvedcompbats.htm
gonyard,
though not pushed through for the 2011 season, USSSA will require different bats for 2012 youth play. From the release I read, bats will have to be certified with a USSSA 1.15 label & older bats will not be allowed.
though not pushed through for the 2011 season, USSSA will require different bats for 2012 youth play. From the release I read, bats will have to be certified with a USSSA 1.15 label & older bats will not be allowed.
Might be a good time to buy some stock in the bat manufacturing companies...
Freddy,
I get what your are saying, let me add "optional" face masks if the parents are concerned. Goalies wear them all day long and get great protection. No one asks for aluminum hockey sticks to be replaced by wood to slow the puck down. It would hurt the game.
I get the inherent risk , my point is do the politicians really get that? What will they do when a player gets hurt by the wood bat, or composite wood? My bet is they will create another law mandating face protection for pitchers and leave the new bat specs the same. So what happens is more laws, and more rules in the scope of safety and not a go back to the performance bats. Do not get me wrong, I am not advocating composite metal bats that can be rolled, but solid performing aluminum that are tamper proof and can not be shaved.
I get what your are saying, let me add "optional" face masks if the parents are concerned. Goalies wear them all day long and get great protection. No one asks for aluminum hockey sticks to be replaced by wood to slow the puck down. It would hurt the game.
I get the inherent risk , my point is do the politicians really get that? What will they do when a player gets hurt by the wood bat, or composite wood? My bet is they will create another law mandating face protection for pitchers and leave the new bat specs the same. So what happens is more laws, and more rules in the scope of safety and not a go back to the performance bats. Do not get me wrong, I am not advocating composite metal bats that can be rolled, but solid performing aluminum that are tamper proof and can not be shaved.
Thanks to those that posted on the youth leagues. Thats great news. My gut says that there is more danger in youth being so close to the big barrel light bats than in high school and college. We just do not hear about them as much being that this is a site for high school.
okay I am leaving, happy new year to all,
gonyard
gonyard