Bat Rolling

[nopachunts]

I imagine that if more than one player is swinging the same "HOT" bat, we will be asked to inspect it before the game is over. JMO

[MikeStrybel]

Okay, I admit that I spent way too much time looking online for bat rolling online. After a couple hours of looking at vendor sites, YouTube and reading up on the issue, it is pretty clear that detecting it is almost impossible. Basically, the bat rolling machines squeeze the resin that interlocks the composite fibers enough that they weaken. This creates a trampoline effect and a few sites show huge differences in exit speed and restitution. The bat manufacturers know that composite bats break down over time and make their bats 'less hot' when new, so that they will comply after a hundred hits or so. I found a couple associations that have banned composite bats altogether due to how they react when broken in. The new baseball equipment magazines are out and Junior's new toys cost $300 or so. Roll 'em and add another $75, void the warranty and speed up the process of it finally breaking down completely. Nice.

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

Okay, I admit that I spent way too much time looking online for bat rolling online. After a couple hours of looking at vendor sites, YouTube and reading up on the issue, it is pretty clear that detecting it is almost impossible. Basically, the bat rolling machines squeeze the resin that interlocks the composite fibers enough that they weaken. This creates a trampoline effect and a few sites show huge differences in exit speed and restitution. The bat manufacturers know that composite bats break down over time and make their bats 'less hot' when new, so that they will comply after a hundred hits or so. I found a couple associations that have banned composite bats altogether due to how they react when broken in. The new baseball equipment magazines are out and Junior's new toys cost $300 or so. Roll 'em and add another $75, void the warranty and speed up the process of it finally breaking down completely. Nice.

$75.00 just to roll a bat! Hell, you should be able to get one machined and rolled for about that price.

Just hit off a tee. That will break them in faster.

[kylejt]

One more thing. Some companies dumbed down their BESR bats to BBCOR by inserting a metal ring, to truss up the insides. Rolling those will probably eff them up, and not produce the desired results.

Again, I don't know if rolled bats are considered altered, or not. I've felt rolled bats before, and you can feel the facets, ever so slight, but they're there.

Me, I'm worried about the end caps being removed. That either means a shaved bat, or one that the ring has been removed. Now that's an altered bat.

[Rich Ives]

If you think rolling a bat isn't altering it you've come under the influence of a mind altering substance.

[kylejt]

I dunno about that. A year ago I would have agreed. But since then the new testing technique is rolling 'til death. Thus, proving that rolling doesn't cause the bat to overperform. Hence, rolling should be legal.

Now, I consider rolling to be akin to a pitcher rubbing up a baseball. Just warmin' it up. (well, maybe not warming it up, as some rulesets have wording prohibiting heating up bats).

p.s. I'm only on my first Blue Moon Pale Ale of the evening.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

If you think rolling a bat isn't altering it you've come under the influence of a mind altering substance.

Rich:

I agree with you completely. Especially about rolling mind altering substances, .

MTD, Sr.

[kylejt]

Fair enough, fellas. How 'bout these other techniques?

Hitting 500 of those hard rubber balls at the cages?

Hitting a "heavy bag" time after time?

Hitting a wooden telephone pole repeatedly?

Backing your car over it, repeatedly?

Don't get me wrong, these are all stupid things to do to a kid's $300 stick. But folks do each of them. And given that it's been proven that rolling doesn't alter the performance characteristics beyond the given threshold, I'm inclined to overlook those rippled bats from now on.

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by kylejt

One more thing. Some companies dumbed down their BESR bats to BBCOR by inserting a metal ring, to truss up the insides. Rolling those will probably eff them up, and not produce the desired results.

Again, I don't know if rolled bats are considered altered, or not. I've felt rolled bats before, and you can feel the facets, ever so slight, but they're there.

Me, I'm worried about the end caps being removed. That either means a shaved bat, or one that the ring has been removed. Now that's an altered bat.

Seriously?

I've felt and looked at bats I know are rolled and shaved, and I couldn't tell the difference from one to the other. They can take those end caps off, and you cannot tell if they've been off or not.