New bats for baseball

[AFTiger 282]

I think this is a good move. I had heard several baseball coaches express their concerns about the velocity of the ball with the metal bats.

New baseball bats add weight, deduct offenseby Jenna Moran / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR The Auburn Plainsman 13 hrs ago | 141 views | 0 | | 0 | | The NCAA is issuing a new standard for college baseball bats this season. The new “Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution” (BBCOR) standard became effective Jan. 1.

According to the NCAA website, the new BBCOR formula provides a better measure of a bat’s performance.

The goal is for nonwood bats that meet this new standard to perform more similarly to wood bats instead of aluminum bats.

The new standard was issued to regulate the ball’s speed after contacting the bat, which will reduce the number of injuries caused to pitchers.

Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said the team received the new bats in the fall in preparation for the season.

“There’s definitely a difference,” Pawlowski said. “The ball doesn’t come off the bat as fast.”

Pawlowski said the new bats will allow pitchers more time to react to the ball.

Georgia Tech assistant coach Rick Rembielak worked with the sporting equipment manufacturing company Easton for 11 years.

“The NCAA had told us, ‘Whatever you want, you can manufacture,’” Rembielak said. “So we realized we can make a different kind of bat to improve safety.”

Rembielak said he believes the emphasis is now going to be put on defense to win games since the number of both home runs and runs will decrease with the new bats.

“You’re not going to have those 15–13 games as often,” Rembielak said.

The average number of runs scored per game have increased slightly through recent years; there was an average of 6.57 runs per game in 2008, 6.88 in 2009 and 6.98 in 2010.

The NCAA rules committee believes this increase in offensive performance is the result of the kinds of bats that have been used in past years, according to the NCAA website.

Pawlowski said his players enjoyed using last year’s bats since the ball came off the bat much easier.

“But (the new bat) is what we have to use, so we have to be prepared,” Pawlowski said. “Offense for all of college baseball will not be where it was at last season. It’s an adjustment period, so it’s going to take a little while, but we’ve already started to make adjustments.”

The NCAA has declared they will incorporate a logo to be placed on every approved bat design so umpires can easily identify them.

Many college baseball coaches have argued against the new bat standards.

“The argument that was going on was that college baseball has increased its attendance year by year because the fans want to see runs; they want to see the action,” Rembielak said. “TV sponsorships have been increasing because people want to see action and not a 1–0 game.

“And many coaches are saying, ‘Well, why fix something that isn’t broken?’ They don’t think there is a major injury factor.”

But Rembielak is confident the switch in bat standards will not disrupt the game.

“College baseball is always going to be college baseball,” Rembielak said. “There will still be enough action for the fans.”

Pawlowski said he agrees the switch will do little to disturb the game.

“It’ll be interesting to see the true effect that the bats will have on the game this season,” Pawlowski said.

Read more: The Auburn Plainsman - New baseball bats add weight deduct offense

[Nay4AU 2]

I think this is a good move. I had heard several baseball coaches express their concerns about the velocity of the ball with the metal bats.

New baseball bats add weight, deduct offenseby Jenna Moran / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR The Auburn Plainsman 13 hrs ago | 141 views | 0 | | 0 | | The NCAA is issuing a new standard for college baseball bats this season. The new “Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution” (BBCOR) standard became effective Jan. 1.

According to the NCAA website, the new BBCOR formula provides a better measure of a bat’s performance.

The goal is for nonwood bats that meet this new standard to perform more similarly to wood bats instead of aluminum bats.

The new standard was issued to regulate the ball’s speed after contacting the bat, which will reduce the number of injuries caused to pitchers.

Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said the team received the new bats in the fall in preparation for the season.

“There’s definitely a difference,” Pawlowski said. “The ball doesn’t come off the bat as fast.”

Pawlowski said the new bats will allow pitchers more time to react to the ball.

Georgia Tech assistant coach Rick Rembielak worked with the sporting equipment manufacturing company Easton for 11 years.

“The NCAA had told us, ‘Whatever you want, you can manufacture,’” Rembielak said. “So we realized we can make a different kind of bat to improve safety.”

Rembielak said he believes the emphasis is now going to be put on defense to win games since the number of both home runs and runs will decrease with the new bats.

“You’re not going to have those 15–13 games as often,” Rembielak said.

The average number of runs scored per game have increased slightly through recent years; there was an average of 6.57 runs per game in 2008, 6.88 in 2009 and 6.98 in 2010.

The NCAA rules committee believes this increase in offensive performance is the result of the kinds of bats that have been used in past years, according to the NCAA website.

Pawlowski said his players enjoyed using last year’s bats since the ball came off the bat much easier.

“But (the new bat) is what we have to use, so we have to be prepared,” Pawlowski said. “Offense for all of college baseball will not be where it was at last season. It’s an adjustment period, so it’s going to take a little while, but we’ve already started to make adjustments.”

The NCAA has declared they will incorporate a logo to be placed on every approved bat design so umpires can easily identify them.

Many college baseball coaches have argued against the new bat standards.

“The argument that was going on was that college baseball has increased its attendance year by year because the fans want to see runs; they want to see the action,” Rembielak said. “TV sponsorships have been increasing because people want to see action and not a 1–0 game.

“And many coaches are saying, ‘Well, why fix something that isn’t broken?’ They don’t think there is a major injury factor.”

But Rembielak is confident the switch in bat standards will not disrupt the game.

“College baseball is always going to be college baseball,” Rembielak said. “There will still be enough action for the fans.”

Pawlowski said he agrees the switch will do little to disturb the game.

“It’ll be interesting to see the true effect that the bats will have on the game this season,” Pawlowski said.

Read more: The Auburn Plainsman - New baseball bats add weight deduct offense

I too think this is a good move. Safety should be the top priority. I don’t feel the game will change a whole lot. Sure there will probably be some drop in offensive production but college baseball will remain very exciting with plenty of offensive production.

[aucanucktiger 1,794]

The story went into detail about run stats, would have been nice to see pitcher injury increase/severity stats that led to this move to modify the bats. Great "journalism".

[LegalEagle 22]

If they could make it sound like a wood bat. . . I hate that "plink."

[IvesAU 0]

If they could make it sound like a wood bat. . . I hate that "plink."

There is still a "ping" although its not as high pitched. Definitely not an audible "crack" like wooden bats.

As for the impact it will have on the game. Probably not as much as people think. If you have power, you will still have power. Players with better swings and mechanics will still excel. What it should prevent are bloop flies turning into HRs just by muscling it out of the park.

Best thing for Auburn? We've already switched to a small ball mentality (saw it a bit last year) and manufacturing runs. Bunts and Hit and Runs should be key.

[Mikey 16,603]

Someone who lives and breathes Auburn baseball called in on the SportsCall radio show last week and discussed the bats. He watched a bunch of the fall practices and said in one week of practice, four home runs were hit. Last season, with the old bats, more than four were hit every day.

I do think these new bats will fit our Coach Paw's thinking much better. Below is a cut and paste from what I posted in the next thread down:

I firmly believe the new 'dead' bats will be a big benefit to Auburn. There were times last year when Coach P. clearly was a fish out of water with all those big hitters. He basically spent the season playing small ball with a team of mashers. There was one time I clearly remember, early in the game we had runners on 1st and 2nd, nobody out and he had a .400 hitter bunt with another .400 hitter in the on deck circle. This year one run will be a lot bigger deal than it was last year, and our coach is a one run coach.

This season most of the sluggers are gone, the bats are dead and I do believe all this will benefit his style of coaching. I think we'll do well.

Whether college baseball fans in general will like 3-2 games as well as they did 11-9 remains to be seen. One thing, you won't be staying at Plainsman Park nearly as long, the four hour game will be a thing of the past.

[Mikey 16,603]

Ok, here's an update on the bats. Since the start of practice at Auburn through today, there have been a TOTAL of four HR's hit. A poll today included the alarming information that LSU and FSU both report a TOTAL of three HR's since the start of their practices.

This is going to make one huge difference in college baseball. If you like hit and run, good pitch no-hit ball and 2-1 games this will be your year.

[banditmwp 712]

Small bat ball is good and everything, but there remains something to be said for a guy crushing one 450 feet up the middle. I guess the new bats will just let everyone know that power hitters truly are POWER hitters now.

[AUFAN34 0]

Ithink this will be a good move. Safety is being addressed I do believe. Nice move by the NCAA.

[jaredm2012 0]

Ok, here's an update on the bats. Since the start of practice at Auburn through today, there have been a TOTAL of four HR's hit. A poll today included the alarming information that LSU and FSU both report a TOTAL of three HR's since the start of their practices.

This is going to make one huge difference in college baseball. If you like hit and run, good pitch no-hit ball and 2-1 games this will be your year.

I agree. I think the old bats would be better. I've seen several hits this year that could have been home runs with those bats. Even though we've scored a fair amount of runs with only a few low scoring games, I definitely miss the power plays from previous years. I suppose the new bats make the game a little more strategic, but seeing home runs is pretty awesome and I would love to have that back.