This showed up in my Inbox the other day …
Subject: bat policy
I didn’t want to bring it up but you may want to talk with ….
He was using a TPS Response tonight.
It is a blue Louisville bat.It is banned.
He may not be aware of this.
Whether the bat in question is legal or illegal is yet to be confirmed (I believe it was one of the grandfathered bats that was no longer authorized beginning in 2008) – but that isn’t really the point.
Here’s another message I received …
I got an email from a coed team that another team is swinging an Ultra 2. How they do not know this is illegal when it is one of the hottest bats ever is beyond me.
I think a combination of umps checking bats and teams checking their own is what is needed. A doctored bat will not be found by looking all the time but if umps check them and find the endcap spacing or anything suspect, then they can pull the bat before the game even starts.
When you pick up a bat off the fence to go in and take your cuts … are you really aware of what you are swinging? Have you checked the lists lately to make sure that bat is authorized? Do you know where the bat came from – and trust the source? Is it possible the bat has been doctored or altered in any way? Shaved? Loaded? Painted? Accelerated break-in?
The technology that produces the best bats (the composition, design of the barrel, weight distribution) also produces consistent performance for all bats of the same make and model. Over time bats will eventually break in and become “hot”, but if you are hitting the ball THAT much further with one bat than with another of the same model, there is a possibility you should be asking yourself “Why?”.
There are always accusations and rumors surrounding this issue, but you should be aware that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS. Should something happen during a game which results in injury and it is found that an illegal bat was involved, the batter will be held liable.
Please be aware of the bat you are swinging.
