A The intent was to prevent breakage. ... No one thought that there would be a change in performance and at that time non-wood bats were not that much more in expense. The reality is over the next 35 years ... bat manufactures are very good businessmen, they’ve got great scientists, they understand their market, their product and what they needed to do and worked to improve the bats. They worked to gain a competitive advantage against their competitors to develop a bat that people wanted to buy.
Q Who gets credit for the “Gorilla Ball” College World Series game that coined an era?
A The ball manufacturers said it was the bats. The bat manufacturers said it was the balls. It became apparent to the NCAA and the (National Federation of State High School Association) that we had to get our own scientists. We had to figure out what the reality was and what was the science behind it.
Q What is that science?
A Force equals mass (times) acceleration (squared). We tried to reduce the speed of the bat. We dropped the weight differential, which made the bat heavier. We reduced the mass of the bat. We thought that might reduce the so-called mythical “sweet spot,” which we later learned there is no such thing. That led us to create the BESR.
Q Did that work?
A That helped for a while. (Bat manufacturers) began to get a feel for that science and where the loopholes were and the things they could do to meet the BESR but yet provide a competitive advantage. ... The inner shell was a composite weave and that broke down easily and quickly. Then that bat’s trampoline effect got accelerated. That’s what led us to banning composite bats.
Q How is BBCOR different?
A You can determine how “hot” you want the bat to be. High school and college have picked that bat to be at the top end of wood-bat performance. To do that, bat manufacturers have thickened the walls. They put some rings in there to make them not so susceptible to the trampoline effect.
Q What’s the trampoline effect?
A The ball hits the barrel. The wood barrel doesn’t depress. It absorbs the force of the ball. When the ball comes off a lot of the force has been dissipated with the contact of the bat. In a trampoline effect, the barrel depresses. Not as much energy of the ball is spent and as it comes back, it pops the ball back out. It helps accelerate the ball like a trampoline would.
Q What’s the chance of returning to all-wood bats?
A That’s not possible. There’s not enough wood in the United States that would allow us to go (exclusively) to wood. The top wood (ash, maple) will always go to Major League Baseball.
Q What is the sentiment against “hot” bats?
A Baseball is going to become like golf was for a while. It becomes a matter of equipment and who has the biggest bigger Bertha.
Q Does playing with a metal bat help or hurt a high school or college player who hopes to be drafted?
A That’s been a concern over the years for (MLB). Sometimes it takes three or four years to train someone with a wood bat and some of them can never make the transition. Hitting with a wood bat in college helps evaluate the talent better.
Q Are the new metal bat modifications good for the game?
A Maybe in 2012 we may have gotten back to what 1974 really intended, which was to have a bat that really hits like wood but doesn’t break as often.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton @DaytonDailyNews.com.
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