Posts Tagged ‘Baseball Bats’
RIP-IT Batting Helmets and Baseball Bats! The Game of Baseball is Not without Its Risks…
March 19th, 2012 by GuestThe Game of Baseball is Not without Its Risks…
The game of baseball has been entertaining millions of spectators and participants for many decades. It can be a very dangerous game, though. In recent years, Major League players have taken fastballs to the helmet suffering severe concussions that have taken them out of action for weeks. The importance of wearing quality batting helmets cannot be overemphasized, whether you are a pro or playing little league.
Of course, players at bat are not the only ones at risk. Consider the pitcher who is staring down the batter at close range. In little league (players up to the age of 12) it is a distance of 46 feet from the pitcher’s mound to the batter’s box. In the pros, it is 60 feet, 6 inches. That does not leave much reaction time when a line drive is hit straight at you, particularly when you are off balance from your wind up, release and follow through. Imagine a 90 mph pitch coming off a bat at 108 mph that gives the pitcher .375 of a second to react! Many prudent pitchers are more concerned with protecting various body parts than trying to catch the baseball.
In recent years, there has been talk about putting a ban on aluminum bats since they increase the speed of a hit ball by 4 mph. This increases the chances of injury for pitchers. This is why, in the NCAA, aluminum bats need to conform to new BBCOR bats (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) specs and regulations. BBCOR is the NCAA’s new method of measuring bat performance.
Regulations focus on getting the bat manufacturers to deaden the trampoline– like effect that a bat has on a ball. The idea is to get aluminum bats to react more like the old traditional wood bats, making the sport safer. The trade off is fewer home runs and less excitement.
Listed below are some of the more common injuries that are suffered by batters and pitchers:
• Muscle Strain
• Meniscus Tears
• Hand/Wrist Injuries
• Elbow Tendinitis
• Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
• Tears of the labrum
• Dead Arm
• Oblique Strains
Of course, batters and pitchers are not the only ones susceptible to baseball injuries. Players in every position are always dealing with sprains, muscle pulls, broken bones, and concussions.
Another thing to note is that injuries don’t always take place on the field. As noted in a February 2011 article on electro-mech.com, lots of freakish and weird injuries have caused professional baseball players to end up on the injured list. One example given was Marty Cordova of the Baltimore Orioles who fell asleep under a tanning lamp causing burns on his face. His doctor ordered him to stay out of direct sunlight causing him to miss the next game. Another was Adam Eaton of the San Diego Padres who cut himself while anxiously trying to cut open a new DVD with a paring knife. Lastly, Mat Latos of the San Diego Padres suffered a severe spasm that put him on the injured list for 15 days when he sneezed real hard coming out of the dugout! Baseball players suffer a wide range of injuries, whether on the field or off. Baseball is a fun game, but it is not without its risks.
The Hitting JackIt System
March 11th, 2012 by Cale LokenBaseball season is arriving and there will be plenty of new baseball products hitting the local sports stores shelves. A new product that helps develop bat speed during batting practice is the Hitting JackIt System.
The product comes in four sizes to assist progressive training. The 9oz size develops bat speed and works fast twitch muscles. The 12oz size strengths hands and forearms, and improves muscle memory. The 16oz size develops power and the 21oz “on deck” size builds Big League power. The product works with all baseball and softball bats allowing players to develop during live batting practice sessions and off hitting tees.
All current weighted products on the market are placed on the barrel of the bat causing a “casting” elongated swing, slowing down your swing causing less power and do not let you practice with live pitching. The Hitting Jack-it was developed as a complete hitting system by ball players for ball players to provide immediate results, quickly develop bat speed and power, and force your hands to work properly creating improved technique.
Some Major Leaguers are using the Hitting JackIt, including Evan Longoria. On February 16th, Longoria(@Evan3Longoria) tweeted about the Hitting JackIt: “Spring is coming quickly, pick up a Hitting Jackit System! I promise you won’t regret it. Been using it for 2 yrs now, it’s an amazing tool!” Longoria then tweeted about it again on Feb 28th, “Pick up the Hitting Jackit System. No joke, I am happy I worked with it this offseason. Looking forward to getting going!”
Here are a few videos showing how the Hitting JackIt System works:
You can purchase the all in one system with 9oz, 12oz and 16oz or 5oz, 9oz and 12oz weights included for $49.99. You can buy the 16oz and 21oz weights individually for $19.95 and $21.95 a piece.
Warstic Baseball Bats
November 8th, 2011 by Ben Remington
You gotta love the indies. The little guy fighting to make it, the little dog in the fight. Warstic is the little dog. Volume wise, they’d be in the Pomeranian range. But mindset wise, they’re somewhere between a Mastiff and Clifford the Big Red Dog. They take pride in this imbalance, and ask those who swing their bats to do the same. They’ve managed to do something to the woodbat realm that hasn’t been done in a while- differentiate themselves, thanks to the ‘Wartip’ finish on their bats, where just the last 8″ or so of the bat is finished, and instantly, from across the ballpark, you know what kind of bat is being swung. This rates fairly high on the marketing cool scale, but me being a fundamental baseball guy, you need the meat to back it up, or you’d be Nike Baseball. There again, Warstic delivers. They offer some premium Ash and Maple bats, with customizable options up and down the bat, which is something all of us neurotic ballplayers can appreciate. Barrell size, handle thickness, handle shape, over a dozen stain color options, and the full range of sizes to accommodate every spot in the lineup. Do yourself a favor and check out the Raven Foot and War Buffalo models- very cool. These bats range from $65 to the basic Ash all the way up to $122 for the manliest Maple.
If you’d like to find a store that carries Warstics near you, search Sportrabbit.com.
Bat Bans: Sporting Goods Industry Crying Foul
April 19th, 2011 by sourcedDid you buy your 8-year-old a $300 graphite/titanium-lined aluminum bat for the upcoming baseball season? You did? OK, first, what the heck is wrong with you, spending $300 for an 8-year-old’s bat? Second, are you sure your child will even be able to use it?
Read the rest of this story at Forbes.com.
What to Look for When Buying a Baseball Bat
April 5th, 2011 by Cale LokenIt is baseball season, so why not talk about the differences between baseball bats and what to look for when buying one. I want to start off by discussing the differences between the materials in bats:
Aluminum is typically lighter in weight than other metals. Baseballs & Softballs travel faster off of aluminum bats than wood and other metals. Some aluminum bats feature a double layer wall. The inner layer acts as a spring to allow the ball to fly off of the bat with more speed and distance.
Graphite and titanium are two higher end materials which offer more power and durability in both baseball & softball bats. Graphite and titanium also help reduce vibration, which in turns makes the bat more comfortable and enhanced feel.
Wood maple bats are prized for their density and strength. The problem with Maple is the density of the wood which increases weight. Maple is less prone to crack and will last longer than Ash. Maple bats typically cost between $55.00 and $90.00.
Wood ash is not as hard as maple. An ash bat will split or crack after a couple of hard days use. Low quality ash is made from low quality maple. High quality ash is made from high quality maple. Ash bats are less expensive than maple bats. These bats have far less hitting power than metal bats. Typical price for an Ash bat is about $30.00.
Here are some other things to keep in mind when buying a baseball bat.
- The barrel size of a bat includes both the length of the barrel–top part of the bat–and its diameter.
- The drop or length to weight ratio of the bat is the difference between the length and the weight of the bat. Leagues have different drop ratings because of safety ratings.
- Make sure you check with the league that you are in which drop rating you need.
- Standard bats are tapered 31/32 of an inch but can be slightly larger or smaller depending on whether you want a lighter or heavier bat.
- High School bats typically have a length to weight ratio of -3, meaning the bat can be 33 length, 30 ounces or 32 length, 29 ounces.
- Bat performance depends on the type of alloy, barrel dynamics, and thickness of the bat barrel walls. Aluminum bats, especially higher performance models with thinner walls, should not be used in temperatures below 50 degrees.
- Two piece bats, which allow a trampoline like affect when the ball comes off of it have become more popular because of the extra power and distance. These bats tend to be sold at a higher price point.
Pricing
Baseball bats usually cost from $29 all the way to $399. The lower end bats are made of basic aluminum that makes the absorption sensitive and doesn’t have much power or pop. The higher end bats have the higher end materials like graphite and titanium which deliver the power or pop, durability and optimum performance players are looking for. You can buy a nice baseball bat for around $149.
Some of the top models are the Easton Stealth Speed, Easton Surge, Demarini Vendetta, Demarini Voodoo, Rawlings H2, Rawlings Exogrid and the Miken MV3 to name a few. A few of the top retailers that offer some of these baseball bats are Sports Authority, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Modell’s, Academy Sports and Sport Chalet. You can find additional stores that sell baseball bats at Sportrabbit.com.