“Going Yard” Bat Blog

A two out triple by Carlos Gomez escalated to a full out fist fight between the Brewers and Pirates on Tuesday, April 20^th. Gomez, known for admiring his home runs, chose to do so on what turned out to only be a deep outfield drive- a difference which Pirate’s pitcher Gerrit Cole pointed- although he is adamant that he “…didn’t curse at [Gomez]. I didn’t try to provoke a fight. I was frustrated. I let my emotions get the better of me.“

Gomez has been suspended for 3 games for his actions, but seeks to appeal this decision. Watch the full video here.

They’re going back to wood bats in New Mexico high school baseball for the 2012 season – a move that results in a shift baseball strategy and tactics.

If you need evidence of baseball’s global appeal, look no further than the Wikipedia entries discussed in this enjoyable read.

But somehow Major League Wezen-Ball just doesn’t sound right…

We tweeted about this last week – marking the passing of Irving Franklin, co-founder of Franklin Sports and co-inventor of the batting glove.

Franklin teamed up with Mike Schmidt in the 1980s to design and make the batting glove that remains today the flagship product of the Franklin Sports brand – and a favorite of batters stepping up to the plate.

We’ve been hearing the drum beats of change these past few years as the game of baseball has gone back to basics with its embrace of wood bats.

In the name of safety or fairness or the purity of the game, the result is the same: here’s an interesting article on some of the ways that wood bats are changing the way we play the game.

We’d love to hear what you think about what the trend towards wood bats means for the players and the game.

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?

What’s the difference between reinventing the wheel and building a better mousetrap?

The former is a pointless exercise, and the latter is, well, basically what a New Jersey man has done by creating a revolutionary new wood composite bat that’s shatterproof.

MLB isn’t convinced, but we think these durable bats are worth considering, especially if you’re prone to breaking bats.

The Mets caught a break when newly-crowned Miss USA Rima Fakih stopped by Citi Field before a game last Thursday.

She posed for photos, chatted with players and took a few swings before the Mets took the field to face the Phillies.

Rima, a long-time Met fan, brought the Mets some luck as they went on the blank the Phillies 3-0. Mets fans say, “Miss USA, stop by anytime!”

Interesting article by Ken Belson at The New York Times website about the bat-making industry.

The story focusses on BWP Bats, a up-and-coming player in the industry that specializes in maple bats it manufactures from wood it harvests from its own forests and runs through its own mills. There’s a lot of inside info here on everything from manufacturing to marketing – worth a read.

Had you already heard about the response Vernon Wells had for a bunch of hecklers at the beginning of this month? After enough innings of shouts and jeers, the story goes, Wells tossed a ball up to the stands, with a handwritten message:

“Here’s your ball, now please tell me what gas station you work at so I can come and yell at you when you’re working. Please sit down, shut up, and enjoy the game. From your favorite centerfielder, Vernon Wells”

Maybe the fans got under Wells’s skin, but that’s a pretty comedic retort. Poetry it’s not. Billy Chapel’s signed message in For the Love of the Game it’s not. (And while we’re on Costner, it’s also not as good as the note Crash sent Annie in Bull Durham.)

HomerDerby caught up with the hecklers to share their story and posted the interview. Of course, they may not be up to the caliber of the original hecklers, but you can judge for yourself.