“Going Yard” Bat Blog

A new, ergonomically-correct bat has made its debut in MLB, and the makers of the Pro-XR bat hope it’s a sign of things to come.

The new bat technology is based on an angled knob that is designed to improve grip and reduce injuries. With this ergonomic knob, the Pro-XR bat enables batters to improve bat speed and achieve more swing control, according to Grady Phelan, the brains behind the new bat.

Several MLB players have already used the new Pro-XR bat and many more have signed on to try it out. We’d like to try one ourselves. Will let you know if and when we do. Have any of you tried this bat yet?

Think a corked bat can add distance? Think again.

Research out of the University of Illinois indicates that the trampoline effect that is so significant in metal bats is negligible in wood bats.

But there still may be an advantage to be had in using corked bats. Increased bat speed enables batters to delay swinging for a few micro-seconds – perhaps allowing the batter to hit with increased accuracy.

So even if a corked bat doesn’t yield greater power, it may allow for greater accuracy. Research, we’re sure, is ongoing.

Jesse LaCasse, a 30-year-old currently playing professional baseball in Germany, started making bats in 2006, using high quality beechwood and setting up shop with a lathe and a handful of custom orders.

Now Subway is giving him a boost by highlighting LaCasse Bats in the 2010 Senior League World Series. Subway is a big sponsor of the event, and their pitchman Jared Fogle will be on hand for the closing ceremonies in Bangor, ME this weekend.

The exposure gained from this kind of tie-in is a huge boost for a small, custom bat-maker like LaCasse, and he’s already seeing a spike in demand for his totally customized bats offered in a variety of woods, color schemes, and technical specifications.

Just last week, we blogged about how dangerous broken bats can be – for players, coaches, officials and fans. So we weren’t too surprised to see this article in the news about a man who was hit in the face by a broken bat at a Mets game a few years ago who has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for his injuries.

As much as we feel for the guy (he suffered serious injuries to his face and head), we were a little surprised at the numerous targets of his lawsuit: he is suing the Luis Castillo (the batter), Ramon Castro (Castillo’s then-teammate who loaned him the bat), the New York Mets, Major League Baseball and Rawlings, the bat manufacturer. No word yet on if he’s suing the hot dog vendor from that section of the stadium.

Seriously, though, if his contention is that maple bats are inherently more dangerous than other bats, is the batter really to blame? Or the player who owned the bat? Or the team?

Tell us what you think.

Broken wood bats can be dangerous. Razor-sharp shards of wood flying through the air, who knows where they may land? Players, coaches, officials and fans have all been injured by broken bats.

There’s been a lot of talk about the relative safety of wood bats recently, which makes us wonder about the different kinds of breaks and what causes them. There’s a really interesting site that explores the science of wood bats and explains the various causes of “bat failures.” Recommended reading.

In a widely anticipated move, the National Federation of State High School Associations enacted a rule banning the use of composite bats in high school baseball effective from the start of the 2010-11 school year.

They have, however, left some wiggle room, as the NFHS may consider waivers or modifications to this rule if composite bats can meet certain standards.

This has been a hot topic on the baseball-bats.net forum lately. What do you think about composite bats and this new ruling? Please discuss.

Figuring out what to do when your playing days are over is a big deal for most professional athletes.

Javy Lopez, one of the Atlanta Braves all-time fan favorites, is no exception.

When Javy retired, he started his own bat company – Bones Bats – and he’s keeping himself busy by building a business that provides top quality wood bats for every standard of play.

Javy spoke to with Anna Kim of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after appearing at the Braves Alumni Weekend at Turner Field to talk about what he’s been doing since retiring from baseball. A good read.

As the College World Series grows more popular each year, the NCAA will also need to be more vigilant each year. Sure, the college game shouldn’t be as scandal-prone as the majors have been, but it can still have its problems. One of the big potential concerns is bat rolling, stretching the metal fibers by applying pressure from two rollers. The stretched fibers are more flexible, giving the bat more pop. Of course rolling is illegal in NCAA play, and The Boston Herald reports that of 500 bats tested at the College World Series, 25 were illegal, five because of rolling.

According to the Herald, Easton bats is working on a softball bat that would visually expose the affects of rolling, but there’s no word about the same practice for baseball bats.

The NCAA will be watching, and improving its ability to watch. We’ll keep an eye on it too.

Do you remember which Chicago club President Barack Obama favors? In interview with Stuart Scott last year, the then-candidate gave the answer. The White Sox. He even got to throw out the first pitch at their season opener this year.

But Obama has been a baseball fan since long before he moved to Chicago…the Tribune found a great childhood photo of him in Hawaii taking an early swing. The bat looks a little big for him… maybe he should have taken our advice about youth bats.

Obama is a lefty now, but from the follow-through, it looks like he may have been a righty in his youth. We’ll let that slide.