We introduce to you BaseballBats.net’s official baseball bat news roundup! No need for you to Google around the Web every day, as we’ll bring you this simple and fun gathering of the best baseball bat news items you would have otherwise missed. Enjoy!
This week we bring you the following baseball bat stories:
- Four-Year Old Rocks the Bat Flip and Dance
- Trinity Bat Company Releases its First BBCOR Model
- MacDougall & Sons Bat Company Named Official Bat of Great West League
- Invasive Beetle Threatens Future of Ash Bats
- Creating Miguel Cabrera’s Bat in 10 (Not So) Easy Steps
- Eastchester Little League Mandates Use of Wood Bats
- MLB Stadiums Installing Upgraded Netting to Combat Fan Injuries
MLB Stadiums Installing Upgraded Netting to Combat Fan Injuries
Fan injuries in Major League Baseball due to batted balls and errant bats seem to have reached an all-time high in recent years. Or maybe they’re just more publicized due to a recent rash of horrific injuries and subsequent lawsuits, all covered by television, the internet and the relentless eye of social media.
For the 2016 season, Major League Baseball has smartly encouraged its ballparks to take proactive measures to prevent future injury. Chief among them is upgrading stadium screens and nets to be more robust and to cover a wider area. Because of the prevalence of smart phones, fans at the ballpark are more distracted than ever before and these protective upgrades are long overdue. Hopefully all professional ballparks will heed MLB’s recommendation in the interest of protecting their fan bases.
Read the complete article here.
Eastchester Little League Mandates Use of Wood Bats
To many experienced players, there is no sweeter sound a wood bat squaring up on a baseball. Most of today’s youth players, however, have not experienced that fabled crack of the bat, save for maybe an occasional wood bat tournament or a trip to a Major or Minor League ballpark. That hallowed sound is set to make a comeback, however, at least for one youth league in Eastchester, New York.
In an measure enacted primarily to increase player safety, Eastchester Little League is requiring the use of wood bats for kids in the 10-12 year old age groups beginning this season. In addition to player safety, the new rule is also intended to get back to “old school” baseball which places more emphasis on defense and pitching. The rule also prepares players for the upcoming 2018 national bat rule changes which will outlaw the use of the current high-performance bats and mandate the use of wood or BBCOR-like bats with less of a trampoline effect.
Kudos to Eastchester Little League for putting player safety above all else. We’re guessing that the kids will embrace this change, at least until they hit one off the handle in early April.
Read the full article here.
Creating Miguel Cabrera’s Bat in 10 (Not So) Easy Steps
Not surprisingly, superstar Miguel Cabrera has very specific requirements when it comes to his bats. They are, after all, the tools of his trade; and his trade is all about mashing baseballs. Learn how Sam Bat creates Cabrera’s bats here.
Invasive Beetle Threatens Future of Ash Bats
Ever since Barry Bonds pioneered the use of maple bats during his record-breaking home run season of 2001, ash bat use among pro players has been on the decline. And, due in no small part to a nasty little bugger known as the emerald ash borer beetle, that trend shows no signs of changing any time soon.
One prominent U.S. Forest Service entomologist described the beetle as “the most destructive invasive insect to have ever entered North America”. This pervasive pest has spread to 25 states and two Canadian provinces, an area which encompasses much of North America’s ash tree forests and Louisville Slugger’s white ash harvest site. The bug species has spread slowly on its own, but people have also done their part, unwittingly carrying infested firewood from residential areas into campgrounds and forested areas to build campfires.
The fight against the emerald ash borer is being led by a research team from the U.S. Forest Service. This group is testing various insecticides, parasitic Chinese wasps that prey upon the beetle, and “girdling” a tree in an effort to gather large amounts of the beetles in one tree for en masse extermination. The only certainty that exists is that if something is not done soon, millions of ash trees are in peril and with them, the future of ash bats.
Our take: even though ash bats are used far less these days, they still have their rightful place at the core of baseball. Ash bats are relatively inexpensive and a great tool with which young players can learn to hit. In addition, many pro players still prefer the traditional flex and feel of an ash bat. Most importantly, however, our ecosystem as a whole needs ash trees, as do many industries apart from baseball. Here’s hoping that the environmental experts can find a way to eradicate this scourge before it’s too late. Read the full article here.
MacDougall & Sons Bat Company Named Official Bat of Great West League
Bend, Oregon bat manufacturer MacDougall & Sons has been named the official bat company of the Great West League. This new amateur summer league consists of six teams in California and Oregon, and approximately 160 collegiate players. The league will begin play in June and serve as a showcase for collegiate players to demonstrate their abilities to hit with wood. The NCAA, in contrast, allows the use of metal and composite bats.
MacDougall’s bats utilize a patented design that incorporates two different types of wood, which the company claims is much more durable than traditional wood bats. The company backs this claim with a five-month breakage warranty. MacDougall will offer the bats to Great West league players for $169, $30 lower than the retail price.
We’ve heard good things about MacDougall bats. Hopefully this added exposure will help the brand to grow and succeed with their unique product offering. Read the article here.
Trinity Bat Company Releases its First BBCOR Model
MLB bat supplier Trinity Bat Company is jumping into the high school and collegiate bat arena with the announcement of the Trinity T7, its first BBCOR bat.
The 2-5/8 barrel bat is offered in 32” and 33” lengths with a -3 weight drop and features a one-piece alloy construction, balanced swing weight, and a tapered handle. A 90-day warranty is also included. Price is $299.95 and may be purchased through their website or at their showroom in Fullerton, California.
Four-Year Old Rocks the Bat Flip and Dance
This kid’s celebration is on point, from the bat flip to his on-base dance!