May 21, 200818 yr So does anyone think that these BAT companies are making these bats easier to brake so that MLB or Teams (whoever is responsible for buying the bats) has to spend more money $$$? I mean wouldn't these bat companies stand to profit quite a bit from all the broken bats?
May 21, 200818 yr I'm no bat expert but Inside the Marlins did a story on bats and the Louisville Slugger guy mentioned that the average bat has gone from 34 ounces to about 30.5 ounces over the last decade or so. But the players still like the small handle, big barrel style. That may have something to do with it. I'll say this, Hermida better change his order or bat company. It's getting ridiculous.
May 21, 200818 yr I'm no bat expert but Inside the Marlins did a story on bats and the Louisville Slugger guy mentioned that the average bat has gone from 34 ounces to about 30.5 ounces over the last decade or so. But the players still like the small handle, big barrel style. That may have something to do with it. I'll say this, Hermida better change his order or bat company. It's getting ridiculous. I wonder what Hermida would be hitting without all the broken bat hits.
May 21, 200818 yr Players have been requesting maple bats more and more since Bonds made them popular. The problem is that maple is a soft wood and breaks easier than white ash. I believe the MLB is going to take a look at the process after this season and decide whether or not to ban them or try and change the recipe.
May 21, 200818 yr ESPN did a whole piece on this in the last week or two. Maple bats are the problem, and the way they break (shatter/explode) will undoubtedly cause injury to innocent bystandards.
May 21, 200818 yr As I said I think they (it used to be two or three bat makers, now there's dozens) are making them to maximize torque and without regard for longevity or the consequences of doing so. Years ago not only did you not see an entire team break as many bats as Hermida does in a series, the bats didn't break, they cracked (split) and stayed in tact. As much we love Hermida'd little broken bat flare over the first baseman last night one has to wonder how far he could have driven that or any other pitch with a conventional bat. The effect of the gained torgue is mitigated by the bat shattering and absorbing the energy created by the batter's swing. There is physics involved in this after all.
May 21, 200818 yr I dont ever remember bats breaking as much as they do now. In 1997, a bat breaking was a rare thing, but now it seems to me that a bat is breaking in every game. I agree with djm.
May 21, 200818 yr you can get a bat with the same length and ounce in either maple or ash. The reason maple is more popular is because of its smoother, less ridged surface. The problem is also it the tar can create an outer shell to the bat, and that, along with the heat, will cause the wood to dry up and break easier. Im not a bat expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
May 21, 200818 yr It's obvious Jeremy has lost a lot of hits due to the broken bats and it is probably because of the narrow handle. He may like it, but if it is hurting his BA and the team, he needs to accept a change.
May 21, 200818 yr It's obvious Jeremy has lost a lot of hits due to the broken bats and it is probably because of the narrow handle. He may like it, but if it is hurting his BA and the team, he needs to accept a change. Hasn't he gotten more hits breaking his bat than outs?
May 21, 200818 yr It's obvious Jeremy has lost a lot of hits due to the broken bats and it is probably because of the narrow handle. He may like it, but if it is hurting his BA and the team, he needs to accept a change. Hasn't he gotten more hits breaking his bat than outs? Haven't charted it, but I doubt it. He has had a few drop in but you are counting on luck, rather than solid contact.
May 21, 200818 yr It's obvious Jeremy has lost a lot of hits due to the broken bats and it is probably because of the narrow handle. He may like it, but if it is hurting his BA and the team, he needs to accept a change. Hasn't he gotten more hits breaking his bat than outs? I think so.
May 21, 200818 yr It's obvious Jeremy has lost a lot of hits due to the broken bats and it is probably because of the narrow handle. He may like it, but if it is hurting his BA and the team, he needs to accept a change. Hasn't he gotten more hits breaking his bat than outs? Haven't charted it, but I doubt it. He has had a few drop in but you are counting on luck, rather than solid contact. Im pretty sure the whole broken bat, in some odd way (probably intimidation lol) is making Hermida get MORE hits, not less.
May 21, 200818 yr Author It's obvious Jeremy has lost a lot of hits due to the broken bats and it is probably because of the narrow handle. He may like it, but if it is hurting his BA and the team, he needs to accept a change. Hasn't he gotten more hits breaking his bat than outs? Haven't charted it, but I doubt it. He has had a few drop in but you are counting on luck, rather than solid contact. Well even with Solid contact you still need to rely on luck to have a ball drop in. Who is to say that a few of those broken bat hits wouldn't have been caught had they been hit without breaking the bat? In the end I don't think it really has hurt him as much as you'd think. I am sure there are situations where the broken bat has helped turn it into a HIT and times where it has prevented him from getting a hit. Probably a balance of the 2.
May 21, 200818 yr Here's an interesting article from Popular Science with corresponding research data: She blinded me with science! ?We found that the batted-ball speeds were essentially the same for the two woods,? Sherwood said. ?Maple has no advantage in getting a longer hit over an ash bat.? - Jim Sherwood, the director of the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell At least we know with ball players sometimes superstition wins out over data.
May 21, 200818 yr Here's an interesting article from Popular Science with corresponding research data: She blinded me with science! ?We found that the batted-ball speeds were essentially the same for the two woods,? Sherwood said. ?Maple has no advantage in getting a longer hit over an ash bat.? - Jim Sherwood, the director of the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell At least we know with ball players sometimes superstition wins out over data. It's not about the length of the hit. The bats are lighter, which allows for a quicker swing.
May 21, 200818 yr Here's an interesting article from Popular Science with corresponding research data: She blinded me with science! ?We found that the batted-ball speeds were essentially the same for the two woods,? Sherwood said. ?Maple has no advantage in getting a longer hit over an ash bat.? - Jim Sherwood, the director of the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell At least we know with ball players sometimes superstition wins out over data. I know this is off topic but i just stare at your avatar for like 2 mins everytime i see it. fat people gettin "jiggy wit it" is hilarious!
May 21, 200818 yr Here's an interesting article from Popular Science with corresponding research data: She blinded me with science! “We found that the batted-ball speeds were essentially the same for the two woods,� Sherwood said. “Maple has no advantage in getting a longer hit over an ash bat.� - Jim Sherwood, the director of the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell At least we know with ball players sometimes superstition wins out over data. It's not about the length of the hit. The bats are lighter, which allows for a quicker swing. Maybe I'm confused about why some players first began making the switch. Barry Bonds (before Steroid-gate) is largely credited with the catalyst for the shift in bat material. I felt that players were largely attracted to his increase in long balls. I mean didn't he hit 70+ hr's in 2001 when he first started using one? And a sport where the long ball pleases GM's and crowds, I would think players would do anything for an advantage in this department.
May 21, 200818 yr Here's an interesting article from Popular Science with corresponding research data: She blinded me with science! ?We found that the batted-ball speeds were essentially the same for the two woods,? Sherwood said. ?Maple has no advantage in getting a longer hit over an ash bat.? - Jim Sherwood, the director of the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell At least we know with ball players sometimes superstition wins out over data. I know this is off topic but i just stare at your avatar for like 2 mins everytime i see it. fat people gettin "jiggy wit it" is hilarious! They give the best jiggy!
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