If we werent good- there is no way I could watch college baseball

[Coach34]

bunting in the 2nd and 3rd innings...no HR's hit all weekend of SEC series...very few doubles to gaps

It's become boring as ****

[Dawg61]

Agreed. They need to switch to the MLB wooden bats like 10 years ago. ****ing stupid that they still use metal. I'd think the MLB teams would be screaming for wood bats. They each invest millions every year on players they haven't seen hit with wood bats very much. It'd improve the college game ten fold.

[Schultzy]

Why not just go back to the old Easton specs with the green or black 34/31 33/30 or 32" 29 ounce bats like we had back in the 80's?

You could gapshot some doubles and even hit some homers without making it dangerous for the pitchers like the bats ten years ago did wit that crazy bounce combined with whiffle ball weight.

College baseball has over compensated with bat specs, these bats are deader than bad wood.

[thedawg]

I hope the new baseball's help next year

[Bothrops]

I hate these damn bats with a ****ing passion. If I had known how much they were going to put a damper on the game a few years ago, I would have predicted the end of fan support.

[Coach34]

Actually- they were -4 in the 80's
They tried -5's in the 90's and Gorilla Ball was born
They then went to -3's and I have no idea what was wrong with that.

These bats now are killing college baseball

[Schultzy]

Yeah, minus four. That was perfect.

If you go to wood, that's just too expensive in the long run. No way there's enough good wood out there to supply a country with population of 300 something million people with bats from little league all the way through the majors.

[Political Hack]

it's terrible. unless you care about one of the teams, it's impossible to watch.

[Schultzy]

I hope the new baseball's help next year

I'm concerned they'll help tear up some arms trying like hell to get more bite on a curve.

Eta: but you're right - there will be more well hit balls.

[Dawg61]

Yeah, minus four. That was perfect.

If you go to wood, that's just too expensive in the long run. No way there's enough good wood out there to supply a country with population of 300 something million people with bats from little league all the way through the majors.

Metal till college. Wood from college on. Eliminate some independent leagues if needed but it's really ridiculous imo that college still uses metal.

[Homedawg]

Actually coach is right and schultzy is right. The black magic was a -3 differential w a 2 3/4 " barrel. The green was a -4 w a 2 5/8 " barrel. The gorilla ball started in 97 w a -5 and a 2 3/4 " barrel. Then technology got better and better and the rebound effect of bats and golf clubs too led to this shit we see today. Which, I agree w coach is awful awful awful to watch. The ball rea hit today would have left the yard in the 80's, much less the late 90's, even into the wind. Today, it doesn't make the track. Sucks

[Homedawg]

Metal till college. Wood from college on. Eliminate some independent leagues if needed but it's really ridiculous imo that college still uses metal.

The problem is providing good wood. Of u saw the difference of what they swing in college summer leagues and the major leagues you'd see what I'm saying. It's drastic.

[State82]

Metal till college. Wood from college on. Eliminate some independent leagues if needed but it's really ridiculous imo that college still uses metal.

They could even limit wood use to just D1. Whatever they have to do, it needs to happen at the D1 level at least. I can understand that its in no way feasible for every level of amateur baseball but something needs to be done.

[Coach34]

Go to a -3 bat that still has some pop in it and teach pitchers to land properly and balanced so they can field their ****ing position and not get hit very often

**** wood. I love metal bats. Give the guys some pop- just dont give them weapons for Gorilla Ball. It's not as hard as people make it out to be.

[shoeless joe]

First off wooden bats wouldn't improve the game from an offensive standpoint. I don't know where the thought process that wood has more pop came from but it's absurd. These new bats were designed to be more like wood without having to replace broken wood bats. And it is painful to watch at times.

The solution to the problem is simple...leave the bats at -3 but trash BBCOR and go back to BESR. I am for this in the college and high school game. If a pitcher makes a mistake they should be punished. If a hitter squares one up they should be rewarded. The power game is gone for the most part and it detracts from the game overall.

[Schultzy]

The bats are so bad right now it could even deter some younger kids from even continuing to participate in baseball.

It's fun to hit a baseball well and for it to jump off the bat. You can barely hear the ball come off there these days. Just dead; thud.

[Homedawg]

The bats are so bad right now it could even deter some younger kids from even continuing to participate in baseball.

It's fun to hit a baseball well and for it to jump off the bat. You can barely hear the ball come off there these days. Just dead; thud.

That's a great point.

[Coach34]

Honestly- if I was a young power guy now- there is no way I'd play at State on that bigass field.

We've played 1/3 of our home SEC schedule- and not 1 HR has been hit by either team

[Pollodawg]

OP is truth. If I didn't love MSU and we weren't elite, I would almost rather watch paint dry than college baseball.

[Schultzy]

It's funny. I remember when Barry Larkin and Chris Sabo played for Michigan here in the '85 regional. They had a big left handed hitting first baseman who got ragged by the fans for saying Dudy Noble was big as a popcorn box, they called him popcorn all week but he could bomb it.


Baseball was fun to watch back then.

[Air of The Dawg]

OP is truth. If I didn't love MSU and we weren't elite,
I would almost rather watch paint dry than college baseball.

No way Pollo....

[ShotgunDawg]

The biggest problem is that they mis diagnosed the problem. Gorilla ball had nothing to do with the bats and everything to do with LSU players being on steroids. Ryan Theriot, Fontenot, and Brandon Larson all played in the big leagues at a much lower weights than they played at LSU with. The bats weren't the problem in first place. Did no one ever ask why LSU was always huge during those years?

[Coach34]

The biggest problem is that they mis diagnosed the problem. Gorilla ball had nothing to do with the bats and everything to do with LSU players being on steroids. Ryan Theriot, Fontenot, and Brandon Larson all played in the big leagues at a much lower weights than they played at LSU with. The bats weren't the problem in first place. Did no one ever ask why LSU was always huge during those years?

meh- the -5 bats were awesome. I got to use one in the 25 and over league I played in around Jackson. It was a damn weapon. It wasnt just LSU- lots of other teams were putting up crazy numbers also.

Shoeless is right and the BBCOR bats need to go away and that will solve alot of problems

[Homedawg]

The biggest problem is that they mis diagnosed the problem. Gorilla ball had nothing to do with the bats and everything to do with LSU players being on steroids. Ryan Theriot, Fontenot, and Brandon Larson all played in the big leagues at a much lower weights than they played at LSU with. The bats weren't the problem in first place. Did no one ever ask why LSU was always huge during those years?

That didn't hurt the cause but that wasn't the sole reason around the country. Travis chapman wasn't on roids. He couldn't hit a hr now but could then.

[State82]

Shoeless is right and the BBCOR bats need to go away and that will solve alot of problems

Probably have too much time/effort/money invested in the current bat for them to change now. I don't see the current bat going anywhere at this point, unfortunately. Based on some aero studies I've seen comparing the existing/new ball, it will probably help some but not significantly.

[chainedup_Dawg]

I would kill for college, at least D1, to go to wood. Hell MLB has even offered to subsidize the cost if I'm not mistaken. I wouldn't think good wood would be a problem. There are a ton of small bat companies that are legit that I know of from playing in wood bat leagues. I also firmly believe hitting with wood makes you a better hitter

[Coach34]

I remember MLB being mentioned about subsidizing- but I dont remember them offering

[Dawg61]

I would kill for college, at least D1, to go to wood. Hell MLB has even offered to subsidize the cost if I'm not mistaken. I wouldn't think good wood would be a problem. There are a ton of small bat companies that are legit that I know of from playing in wood bat leagues. I also firmly believe hitting with wood makes you a better hitter

This!! Y'all are crazy for not loving MLB wood bats. Those bats have plentyyyy of pop. The sound of the ball off those bats is orgasmic. Stop shipping wood bats to ****ing Mexico if we need them here.

[gravedigger]

I think part of the problem with the old bats were that they were easily modified. It's not so much the diff in -3 or -5 but the springlike effect that takes place when the barrel is thinned. We've come full circle and like you say the game is boring with the lack of the power game.

I hope they figure it out too. If the wooden bat comes back, so be it. I just want the thrill of the home run back. But not so much that it looks like football scores.

[Bucky Dog]

Everyone has the fix and as Coach said it is a combo of things. I believe you go back to the -4 bats and tighten the core of the balls with smaller seams. They talk about safety for pitchers but think about how many minor/major league pitchers have been drilled just in the past 3-4 years with the wooden bats. I know they are bigger and stronger and may get reported more than any college level incident with the metal bats but my point is I don't see or don't remember there being and absurd amount of pitchers getting hit with metal bats 5 years ago.
The argument is you just can't go to wood bats because of the cost factor, it's that simple. But, if I am correct don't they still use wood bats for the summer leagues like Cape Cod? How can those teams afford the costs and a university cannot? I will answer my own question here, because not ALL universities can afford to absorb any additional costs the woods bats would bring so it would create an un level playing field throughout.

[State82]

It would be interesting to hear comments from someone who has used both the existing BBCOR and a quality wood bat for comparison. And not from just a couple of cage sessions.

[shoeless joe]

It would be interesting to hear comments from someone who has used both the existing BBCOR and a quality wood bat for comparison. And not from just a couple of cage sessions.

The BBCOR bats still have more pop than wood. That is plain and simple and anyone who doesn't realize this is an idiot when it comes to baseball.

Wood bats in professional ball look like they have more pop because they are being swung by professionals. Wooden bats magnify weaknesses within a swing. To hit well with wood you have to have really good hands throughout the swing. A lot of high school and college guys just don't have the proper mechanics to consistently hit with wood. Aluminum bats make up for this. Not as much now as before but to an extent. Also, the sweet spot on these new bats is much smaller; like wood, but at the end of day it is still easier to hit with the new BBCOR vs a wood bat.

I am interested to see the effects of the new balls next year. More so from a pitch movement standpoint. Less movement equals easier to hit.