Bat Warmer

[sportnut]

Has anyone had any experience with the BK Enterprises microwavable bat warmer?

[govolz]

No, but the way the weather has been this year, anything would be better than nothing.

[FPFanatic]

an old sock does fine (lol)

[bigchief]

Anybody in the business will tell you. It is not the affect of cold weather on the bat. It is the ball.

[sportnut]

I don't understand what you are telling me. We have destroyed several bats using them in cold weather.

[bigchief]

sorry, please delete

[Edited by bigchief on 2-26-03 8:15A]

[bigchief]

The weather affects the core of the ball. The cold hardens the core. At least that is what the Worth people told me when I played slow-pitch for them. Since they make both balls and bats, I don't know why they would have lied to us. These bats are made out of alloys that are used for aircraft. All space-shuttle jokes aside, I don't see how cold weather would directly affect the alloy. I don't see planes going down in Maine. An outside force (the ball) forces the breakdown. The opposite affect can be found by putting the ball in a microwave. The core expands and jumps off the bats although the effect is brief.

[sportnut]

so then we should be looking for a ball warmer? :confused:

[imasoftballer]

I tend to agree, most of the damage is done by hitting the cold, hard ball. Even if the bat is warm, if the ball is cold and hard the bat will be damaged. I do think think that a cold bat will dent or break easier than a warm one. When the metal gets cold, especially in thin walled bats, they are less flexable. I will also say that hitting a cold ball with a warm bat, it will really jump off the bat. But the ball will damage the bat.

 

I have known of guys in slo-pitch to put microwaved balls on dry ice in a cooler during the day. Talk about a hard ball!

[Edited by imasoftballer on 2-27-03 8:54A]

 

[bigchief]

Imasoftballer, that sounds like a Haslam trick to me. Good to see you and Frosty at the clinic. Hope all is well. Good luck (if we ever get to play outside).