The Venting Spot

[dsjunior1388 81]

It's not my fault the sharpener was malfunctioning. It's also not my fault it happened when I had one of your skates done but not the other when everything went haywire. Furthermore, you're an idiot for coming into the rink at 10:50 for an 11pm game and thinking you can get your skates sharpened, and your lucky my boss changed the policy to cater to idiots like you. I really appreciate you throwing the free sharpening card at me after I gave you a free pair of rental skates, refunded your sharpening, and told you several times that I was sorry the machine was screwing up, then tried my damndest to sharpen your skates despite knowing the damn wheel was getting a deep groove in it after four passes. Have a great damn skate, douchebag.

[troy 12]

It's the wood itself that is the issue. It's not how often it breaks, it's how it breaks.

If it starts the wheels for banning them, I'm definitely going to pick up a few maple bats before they disappear.

Is it just the wood or the shape of the bats? I recall reading that players are trying to concentrate more mass in the barrel, and in so doing thinner handles result, which leads to bats breaking more frequently at the point where handle begins to barrel. But if there was baseball MSH, I would not be a member there, so I'm not positive.

[TBLfan 25]

Is it just the wood or the shape of the bats? I recall reading that players are trying to concentrate more mass in the barrel, and in so doing thinner handles result, which leads to bats breaking more frequently at the point where handle begins to barrel. But if there was baseball MSH, I would not be a member there, so I'm not positive.

It's both actually. The wood is stronger so they thin the taper a lot more than in the past. So it breaks more often than it would with a normal taper probably the same or less than an ash bat. The wood being more dense it breaks cleanly down the grain... which is why it breaks with a sharp point. Ash is softer and tends to either break internally or somewhat hold together when it breaks. Remember back when you were younger and you'd see a batter foul a ball off and tap the bat on the ground? Generally he'd get a new bat because it was broke but held together, on tv you couldn't tell it was broke but if you're swinging it you hear it and sometimes can feel it. EVERY one of those broken bats you see that the barrel flies 30-40+ feet is maple.

[Chadd 916]

It's both actually. The wood is stronger so they thin the taper a lot more than in the past. So it breaks more often than it would with a normal taper probably the same or less than an ash bat. The wood being more dense it breaks cleanly down the grain... which is why it breaks with a sharp point. Ash is softer and tends to either break internally or somewhat hold together when it breaks. Remember back when you were younger and you'd see a batter foul a ball off and tap the bat on the ground? Generally he'd get a new bat because it was broke but held together, on tv you couldn't tell it was broke but if you're swinging it you hear it and sometimes can feel it. EVERY one of those broken bats you see that the barrel flies 30-40+ feet is maple.

They should just go to composite or metal with a maximum allowable COR like they do with golf clubs. Require the manufacturer to certify that it is legal before shipping with large penalties for shipping an illegal bat and spot check each team randomly.

[the_game 452]

Insane/unrealistic expectations at work...Getting asked, 'to do more, with less'.

Ugh, vent over.

[RadioGaGa 162]

They should just go to composite or metal with a maximum allowable COR like they do with golf clubs. Require the manufacturer to certify that it is legal before shipping with large penalties for shipping an illegal bat and spot check each team randomly.

Then the purists and tightasses will want a * next to EVERY stat.

MLB has been dead set against anything but wood for so long...that will be a tough sell I think.

[troy 12]

If they could figure a way to engineer out the ping of non-wood bats, then I might support that.

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

It's not my fault the sharpener was malfunctioning. It's also not my fault it happened when I had one of your skates done but not the other when everything went haywire. Furthermore, you're an idiot for coming into the rink at 10:50 for an 11pm game and thinking you can get your skates sharpened, and your lucky my boss changed the policy to cater to idiots like you. I really appreciate you throwing the free sharpening card at me after I gave you a free pair of rental skates, refunded your sharpening, and told you several times that I was sorry the machine was screwing up, then tried my damndest to sharpen your skates despite knowing the damn wheel was getting a deep groove in it after four passes. Have a great damn skate, douchebag.

You tried to make it better, you can't blame yourself. Me? I woulda screwed up his skates so bad, he couldn't stand up and blamed it on the machine. That would easily get me fired, but I would've gone on my gut which is that.

[dsjunior1388 81]

You tried to make it better, you can't blame yourself. Me? I woulda screwed up his skates so bad, he couldn't stand up and blamed it on the machine. That would easily get me fired, but I would've gone on my gut which is that.

I did a good enough job of that without trying too, this wheel was just not going to function at all.

[Drewhunz 3]

These days, 90% of the issue is coming from the wood itself. The maple used in bats is the same that instrument and furniature makers are using, so price is becoming dearer, as availability is becoming scarcer. Companies (especially the smaller ones) are having problems finding Canadian Rock Sugar Maple. Instead, woods such as Bigleaf Maple, and younger varieties with a less dense grain pattern are being used. This is creating large swings in quality, as the consistency is declining. Instead of a billet used that has a graining pattern consistent with an older growth timber, there are far more variables such as artificially aging and drying the wood through microwave based kilns ans seasoning techniques. Although the gains are marginal compared to ash, MLB has seen a shift which is causing bats to be produced which are dangerous as well as irresponsible. Taking a SamBat for instance that was made 10 years ago, no longer bears the characteristics of a recently produced bat. Instead, profiles of the barrel and taper are being modified to compensate for the deficiencies inherent in a less than desirable product. Maple tends to shear, whereas ash cracks and splinters leading to the dangerous situations that are seen today. In my current league, maple bats were no longer legal to use as of 2008 due to this issue. That said, the maple bat's biggest hurdle is the desirability of the maple bat itself.

AND IF MLB EVER, EVER ALLOWS THE USE OF COMPOSITE OR ALUMINUM BATS, I WILL NO LONGER CHOOSE TO WATCH.

[mack 44]

It sounds like that possibility is in a race with you being a Royals fan to see what gets you to give up first.

[Chadd 916]

These days, 90% of the issue is coming from the wood itself. The maple used in bats is the same that instrument and furniature makers are using, so price is becoming dearer, as availability is becoming scarcer. Companies (especially the smaller ones) are having problems finding Canadian Rock Sugar Maple. Instead, woods such as Bigleaf Maple, and younger varieties with a less dense grain pattern are being used. This is creating large swings in quality, as the consistency is declining. Instead of a billet used that has a graining pattern consistent with an older growth timber, there are far more variables such as artificially aging and drying the wood through microwave based kilns ans seasoning techniques. Although the gains are marginal compared to ash, MLB has seen a shift which is causing bats to be produced which are dangerous as well as irresponsible. Taking a SamBat for instance that was made 10 years ago, no longer bears the characteristics of a recently produced bat. Instead, profiles of the barrel and taper are being modified to compensate for the deficiencies inherent in a less than desirable product. Maple tends to shear, whereas ash cracks and splinters leading to the dangerous situations that are seen today. In my current league, maple bats were no longer legal to use as of 2008 due to this issue. That said, the maple bat's biggest hurdle is the desirability of the maple bat itself.

AND IF MLB EVER, EVER ALLOWS THE USE OF COMPOSITE OR ALUMINUM BATS, I WILL NO LONGER CHOOSE TO WATCH.

The rate of maple bats breaking dropped 35 percent from 2008 to '09 and another 15 percent from '09 to '10, according to a ranking major-league official

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/09/20/maple-bats-need-addressed-pronto/

[coryroth24 15]

Got a "Page not recognized" error on eBay when I went to place my last second bid in a bidding war!

[Wallzy41 9]

And I was correct in my Sweet Spot post. Car decided to take a dump on me and blow power steering fluid EVERYWHERE. So much for everything being peachy this week. :p

[IniNew 51]

4th day in a row my partner has called in. It's amazing how much more stressful this job is when it's just one person trying to do everything.

[Speedz98 15]

I'm not tall.

[barrett 0]

Maple is a much harder wood then ash , and you can feel it if you have ever swung both. Many players switch to maple as it is suppose to be more durable then ash (since most of us dont get free bats maple has really become popular). The problem is in fact with not the durability of the hard wood maple just how it breaks off, it splinters as previously said launching sharp projectiles sometime past the infield. I use a maple sam bat , had max bats and tpx all maple . That being said i have swung ash in bp and its just not the same feel for me. As far a the mlb going to composite , that can never happen, look at some of the liners coming back at the pitchers as it is.... composite would make it far more dangerous as oppose to the rare occassion a splintering bat hits sommeone.

[Chadd 916]

As far a the mlb going to composite , that can never happen, look at some of the liners coming back at the pitchers as it is.... composite would make it far more dangerous as oppose to the rare occassion a splintering bat hits sommeone.

If the league mandates a COR equal to that of wood, there would be no change in how fast it comes back at the pitcher. I agree that it isn't likely to happen any time soon though.

[shotty 7]

At least it wasn't your linemate, good linemates are hard to find.

LOL

[ktang 34]

If the league mandates a COR equal to that of wood, there would be no change in how fast it comes back at the pitcher. I agree that it isn't likely to happen any time soon though.

The league would have to mandate the swing weight and weight distribution, too. If a major league hitter can use a lighter bat he could hold back longer on the pitch, and that would change the dynamics of the pitcher vs batter contest.

The other variable to consider would be the size of the sweet spot. Solid wood bats have much smaller sweet spots than hollow bats.

[Chadd 916]

The league would have to mandate the swing weight and weight distribution, too. If a major league hitter can use a lighter bat he could hold back longer on the pitch, and that would change the dynamics of the pitcher vs batter contest.

The other variable to consider would be the size of the sweet spot. Solid wood bats have much smaller sweet spots than hollow bats.

Then lower the COR even more. Nothing wrong with more contact, makes the game more interesting. Plus there are already live ball and dead ball eras.

[Krev 86]

Job contract ending a month sooner than it was supposed to. There goes 2.5k down the drain. Awesome.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

Ebay Snipers.

lost on something I've been looking for a while............f*** ebay snipers

[Wallzy41 9]

Not sure whether this is a sweet spot in 3 months or not. College Audition music for sax: I must be in the top 4(perhaps 5) out of 20. H. Couf's Introduction, Dance and Furioso. Got Introduction down, playing it well, memorized somewhat well in 3 days. Dance or Furioso(I have a choice)... they're killing me.

[The Mafia Line 0]

I never thought I'd complain about getting service that was too good at a LHS but all I want to do is put LS2's on my Grafs and the shop basically won't let me and is trying to find cheaper ways to adjust the pitch. I spent the whole summer considering it and I finally said "hell with it, I'll pay the money". I go to the shop and tell them to put LS2's on and money is basically no option. I had to argue for 25 min. before I gave in and let them profile the skate and add a shim to the front of the cobra.

The thing that annoys me is that this shop always pushes Graf stuff and I never know exactly what their motivations are. Worst part is they are the best sharpeners in NYC and before I got the Grafs they were great with my XXX's.