Quote:
Originally Posted by Gulf Coast Blue
I agree that while probably legal.......this could have been spelled out in the 2010 rule changes.
Section 1. OFFICIAL BAT.
A. CERTIFIED/APPROVED. The official bat for ASA Championship Play must
meet all the ASA specifications and the requirements of Rule 3, Section 1, and:
B. SAFETY KNOB: The knob shall have a diameter of at least 1.6 inches
with no sharp edges. The knob will be permanently attached to the
bat and may be taped with safety tape.
D. SAFETY GRIP: Covers the handle region of the bat. The Safety Grip
shall not be less than 10 inches and not more than 15 inches. There
shall be no exposed metal in the 10 – 15 inch area. The Safety Grip
may be a molded finger formed grip as long as it is permanently
attached to the bat, or attached with safety tape. Resin, pine tar or
spray substances are permissible on the Safety Grip only.
Any tape applied to the Safety Grip must be a continuous spiral. A
bat having a flare or cone shaped grip attached is legal.
H. ALTERED BAT: The Official bat shall not be an altered bat. The
distribution of weight and length of the bat shall remain fixed at the
time of manufacture and may not be altered in anyway thereafter,
except otherwise specifically provided for in Rule 3, Section 1 or as
specifically approved by the ASA. Inserting material inside the bat,
or painting a bat other than the top or bottom for identification purposes
are examples of altering a bat. Laser marking for ID purposes
is not considered an Altered Bat. Engraving ID markings on the barrel
end of a metal bat is considered an Altered Bat. Approved bats
shall not be rolled, shaved or modified to change their characteristics
from that produced by the manufacturer and shall be considered
an Altered Bat.
My reading is that you should not alter the weight distribution of the bat.......unless it is with safety tape....... 
Joel |
IMO, it is quite specific. You can use tape, cork or any other synthetic material as long as it is permanently attached and covers the region of the handle. Something omitted above. Don't really care how much it weighs because it is not forbidden and it has no altering effect on the bat except the hitter must swing extra weight though miniscule. And can you imagine these guys today swinging a 36-38 oz bat like we did?
The exception to an altered bat negates the weight argument. As the rule stands now, you can attach a molded piece of steel to the handle as long as it is permanently attached. The weight distribution noted in the altered bat issue refers to that within the bat.