Legal Bat Question / Observation

[redkuda]

Can you say "WOOD BATS"? That would end this discussion.

 

 

Your hands and your wrists are where all your power comes from. And when you swing with a heavier wood bat it is going to make your swing better. It also trains your body to do the right things. There is not wasted motion; there is no wasted energy. If you watch the major leaguers with a wood bat, they have a compact swing. For a wood bat, since it is solid, most of the weight is concentrated in the barrel, which means the

center of gravity is further from the hands. For an aluminum bat, because it is a thin shell, the

weight is more uniformly distributed and less concentrated in the barrel. Thus the Trampoline effect.

By the way, it has been said that college players, who almost exclusively use aluminum

bats, have big problems making the transition to professional baseball, where wood bats are used,

because of the advantage that aluminum bats have in hitting the inside pitch. In effect, college

players making that transition have to relearn the proper way to hit an inside pitch.

 

I agree with what you're saying the problem with using wood bats is the cost due to all the broken bats and that is most likely one of the main factors with them using only wood bats. Our county has a fall high school league that mixes players from each high school onto different teams and it is a wood bat only league. I would say in the month and a half that they played some 15 games each I saw at least 20 bats broken.

[redkuda]

I attended a High School game tonight that I will not name. The Ump behind the plate was a Seasoned Veteran Ump that Umps A LOT in the Knoxville area.

 

While watching the game, I noticed that 2 players from one team were swinging Easton Comps, one was 2009 Orange barrel/ royal handle & the other was 2010 model Black Barrel/ burnt orange handle. I asked one of the coaches that I knew & he asked the Ump about the bats being legal. The Ump examined the bats the next time thru the order & then told the coach that if they had the BESR Stamp, they were legal & he allowed them to continue using them.

 

The TSSAA website clearly shows that the comps are ILLEGAL & so does the national HS website. The bats did not make a difference in the outcome, but what if they did? What if someone got hurt? Is it not the Umps responsibility to know the Illegal Comps this year, especially since they say clearly on the barrel COMP? If you have rules, then they should be followed for all.

 

The Orange Barrel Comp is a dead give away. Is this rule not being enforced? Has anybody else noticed anything like this?

 

We had the exact same thing come up in our game last night and the same bat. There are however some Easton bats that are legal BESR's with comp handles only and alloy barrels. Also we were looking at an Easton Omen which is a BBCOR bat that is brand new that has to be legal or they wouldn't have made it. It is all alloy. They problem I think is that the TSSAA website and The TBR websites have not updated their lists. I also found this website that breaks down virtually every manufacturer, model and even gives details on all comp, alloy, wood, etc...very detailed and it is an NFHS site report.

[riverdaleman]

I agree with what you're saying the problem with using wood bats is the cost due to all the broken bats and that is most likely one of the main factors with them using only wood bats. Our county has a fall high school league that mixes players from each high school onto different teams and it is a wood bat only league. I would say in the month and a half that they played some 15 games each I saw at least 20 bats broken.

I understand your arguement of cost of wood bats but aluminum bats are cheap and you need to buy 1 every 2 years so in my opinion the cost is a wash...

[redkuda]

I understand your arguement of cost of wood bats but aluminum bats are cheap and you need to buy 1 every 2 years so in my opinion the cost is a wash...

 

That's a good point, really I was trying to make it the TSSAA/High School's point of view. I suppose it's a combination of reasons money being the main one, pressure from distributors although most do wood and aluminum bats and probably they feel it would dampen the excitement of the game and on top of that the college level still uses aluminum. It definitely separates the better hitters when wood is used. I'd say mentally they think of all the bats that will be broken even though it probably does even out as you pointed out but even as a parent I was always thinking "don't break that bat", especially when other kids were picking his up and using it which happened quite a lot actually since there were so many being broken. I'm sure there are other reasons they don't, but either I can't think of them or don't know them. Personally I like a mix of both, the wood bat games are a nice change to watch. Having a son that pitches on occasion it really does worry you quiet a bit. You being a Riverdale player parent, (I'm guessing) I bet you remember a friend of mine (won't mention the name) that was taking pictures of his son and the boys over the top of the fence and caught a foul ball in the side of his nose that hurt him pretty badly and could have been worse.

[Solo-mon 2]

Have the Umps been instructed on what bats to look for? It seems that it would be real easy for an Ump to print the LEGAL COMPS page & keep it with them. They could check once a week for any update to that page. If there was a question, the page has pictures of what is legal, not on the page & says COMP, illegal. All the aluminum BESR bats are legal for this year only, so the COMPS page is all they really need.

 

I know the Umps don't think they get paid enough, but they do get paid. Most are umping because they love the game, right? They should be wanting to help enforce this rule for the integrity of the game, right? Then there should be no excuse for not knowing which bats are legal or illegal. If it is addressed at the pregame level with the coaches & stressed they are looking for the illegal bats, I think this would limit players trying to use them.

[shakinthefat]

I understand your arguement of cost of wood bats but aluminum bats are cheap and you need to buy 1 every 2 years so in my opinion the cost is a wash...

I agree....probably a wash, plus it will separate good and great hitters. Not to mention the safety aspect for a pitcher who starts at 60 feet from this metal weapon and ends up only 50 to 52 feet from it after delivery.

Bat companies will continue to lobby not to make metal bats illegal....it's a $ thang.

[highntight5]

Knox Halls player hit a double at Mo West over the weekend and was called out because he used an illegal bat. Some umps are calling it. These bats gives the player an unfair advantage. I hope all umps will follow TSSAA rules.

[Solomon]

There is some responsibility on the umpires to check the bats. It can't just be on the coaches. If little Johnny got smacked in the forehead from a ball hit off an Easton bat, some jerk lawyer will try to say its the coach's AND umpire's fault.

 

I know the Demarini and Louisville Slugger comp bats are legal. I think there's one more. Easton is NOT.

 

If a player came to the plate and got a hit with an illegal bat that had been hid during inspection, the batter should be called out upon discovery.

 

It is my understanding that the NFHS had planned to make ALL comp bats illegal this year. The reasoning was because some of the bats actually got hotter the more they were hit. The companies whose bats were deemed legal showed statistics and documentation that their bats did NOT become hotter and were therefore deemed legal.

 

I have heard several stories of mad mommies and daddies who paid $400+ for an Easton comp and they can't use it. However, it is also my understanding that next year the only bats that will be legal are aluminum or wood. All comp bats will be illegal, no exceptions.

 

You can bet your bottom dollar I'm going after the umpire and coach if my kid got smacked in the forehead with a ball hit by an illegal bat and both have given it a thumbs up.

[NETFan]

The players know. We were watching a JV game the other day and the players sitting around me saw 4 bats that were illegal being used. The umpires up here never check anything. BAts, helmets, catcher's equipment. they would not have a clue whether a bat was legal or illegal.

[glock22]

In my opinion, the coaches need to be responsible for their players using legal equipment, period. The coaches see their kids and their equipment every single day. The umpires may see the equipment only once per week and only inspect the equipment presented for inspection.

[highntight5]

In my opinion, the coaches need to be responsible for their players using legal equipment, period. The coaches see their kids and their equipment every single day. The umpires may see the equipment only once per week and only inspect the equipment presented for inspection.

 

 

I agree and disagree. Coaches are the first line of responsiblilty, but umpires are charged with making sure the rules are followed.

[Solomon]

I agree and disagree. Coaches are the first line of responsiblilty, but umpires are charged with making sure the rules are followed.

 

I can make it real simple. If a player is caught using an illegal bat, both the player and coach are kicked out of that game and suspended for "X number" of games following it. Make it even stiffer for a a repeat offender. That would start to get people's attention real quick.