Bluedawg
05-24-2008, 02:32 PM
The NCAA has been changing the rules to make aluminum bads sound and react more like wood. Is that a good thing? NCAA silences baseball debate Metal bats now mimic wood ones (http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/1083780.html)
Here are a few quotes:
The bat had become a bigger part of the game than other pieces," said Ty Halpin, the NCAA's associate director for playing rules. "There was a bigger difference between offense and defense.
N.C. State associate head coach Tom Holliday says the metal bats are "the worst thing to happen to baseball."
"I'd rather hit with the wood bat," said Synan, who batted .388 in the Cape Cod League. "You can feel the barrel more, and I believe there's more flex. There's probably a smaller sweet spot, but that sound. There's no better sound than that [crack]."
"Anybody would tell you that you'd use metal over wood, because it has a better sweet spot," Flack explained. "You can definitely tell a difference between the two. ... If you hit each pitch perfectly, it will go farther with metal."
Sounds to me like metal bads gives the batter an advantage. That alone should be a reason to change. Plus, it seems that for scouts trying to judge potential talent a metal bad would make it harder.
Personally I prefer wood. The "ping" of the bat just isn't baseball to me.
Here are a few quotes:
The bat had become a bigger part of the game than other pieces," said Ty Halpin, the NCAA's associate director for playing rules. "There was a bigger difference between offense and defense.
N.C. State associate head coach Tom Holliday says the metal bats are "the worst thing to happen to baseball."
"I'd rather hit with the wood bat," said Synan, who batted .388 in the Cape Cod League. "You can feel the barrel more, and I believe there's more flex. There's probably a smaller sweet spot, but that sound. There's no better sound than that [crack]."
"Anybody would tell you that you'd use metal over wood, because it has a better sweet spot," Flack explained. "You can definitely tell a difference between the two. ... If you hit each pitch perfectly, it will go farther with metal."
Sounds to me like metal bads gives the batter an advantage. That alone should be a reason to change. Plus, it seems that for scouts trying to judge potential talent a metal bad would make it harder.
Personally I prefer wood. The "ping" of the bat just isn't baseball to me.