Bat rattle
 

FED. Interesting bat situation I had. Batter grounds out, inning over. Catcher says that bat had a rattle. I didn't hear it. I go check the bat between innings and shake it and hear nothing. Don't see that bat again until same batter comes up later. Foul ball and catcher says there it is again (rattle). I hear nothing. Next swing is ground ball out. Catcher says didn't you hear that? I heard something different and told the catcher. He picks up the bat and taps it against the plate and we hear a slight muffled rattle. I pick up the bat and shake it and feel, more than hear, something loose inside. I tell the coach it's out of the game due to rattle. His batter says it's the power disks. While shaking it for the coach we hear nothing and coach in good humor says I'm hearing things but bat is gone. Post game I google "power disk" and get this link:

2012 Louisville Slugger TPX EXOGRID2 BBCOR: BB12EX2 Adult


In the reviews it seems the power disks can come loose but also can be reseated. Anyway, once I hear a rattle the bat's out of the game.

The discs probably came loose because the bat was heated artificially in the dug out...did you miss that blue ??? :):):):):):)

With the manufacturers trying as hard as they can to get around the rules, I'm sure NFHS has been puzzling a way to maintain the safety and fairness of play. What about this possible method:

1) NFHS performs checks of sample equipment, and allows the manufacturer to put a stamp on a product line that conforms to the standard.
2) NFHS publishes a list of what product lines are allowed, and updates it periodically on their website, accessible to the public.
3) If a manufacturer is found to be abusing the rules with a product line, even with only one size or weight model, the entire product line is removed from the approved list until the end of the season. Any bats manufactured after notification must not have the approval stamp.
4) Retailers who sell bats for NFHS baseball or softball voluntarily submit a distribution list for notification of bat repeals.
5) NFHS uses that distribution list to notify retailers of a bat repeal. Since manufacturers marketed those bats for NFHS athletics, the bats cannot be sold.
6) Retailers return unsold bats or returned bats in good condition to the manufacturers, recouping some of their funds--retailers will still likely incur a loss, but this will be because of malfeasance of the manufacturer.

I think it's plain whom I lay the blame for illegal bats. The requirements for a legal bat are not difficult to understand for a properly trained engineer.

When a manufacturer succumbs to temptations of marketability by selling an athlete a cheater's implement, he has enticed the athlete to cheat, and is just as guilty as the cheater.

If an illegal bat causes an injury to an athlete due to its "enhanced" performance, then the manufacturer, through his intentional neglect, has caused a battery to be committed. The players all assume an amount of risk based on the rules of the game and the rules NFHS sets forth regarding legal equipment. By promoting or even duping persons into the use of illegal equipment, the manufacturer is introducing an excessive risk beyond that prescribed in the rules.* I cannot abide such an act.

*I work as a Safety Engineer, I define policy for safe conduct of a set of very hazardous activities on a daily basis. Little irritates me more than people who disregard the rules put in place specifically to keep them above room temperature.

Just to be clear, in my OP, this was a legal bat that apparently developed a defect inside.

Almost all composite bats will delaminate at some point. Small bits of the material will break off and the rattle is normal. In fact, I have heard bats that were still in the protective wrapper rattle fresh off the store rack.

I probably wouldn't toss the bat out unless it sounded like a rain stick. It is not an altered nor broken bat.

This spring has been really warm around here. Bats are being broken in quickly and I just love the BBCOR response. So far, so good. enjoy your season.

Hey I have an idea. Why don't we just use wood. Like the good Lord intended! It will never happen but I can dream can't I.

There's not enough. With just pro ball using wood, some projections have us running out of bat-grade ash in 5 years. If amateur ball adopted wood, that would drop to months.

Update on rattle
 

Latest news in TX about bat rattle:

To: All TASO Baseball Umpires

Subject: Bats:

Please be aware and make coaches and players aware that if a bat makes a rattling sound that it is considered a BROKEN BAT (1-3-5) and therefore, illegal for use in a game.

You should handle this situation in the following manner. If you hear a rattling sound as the player comes to bat, you should declare the bat illegal and apply 7-4-1a and 4-1-3 a-b. If you discover the bat after the bat has been used, you should only remove it from the game (1-3-4). The bat could have become broken after hitting the ball.

BBCOR bats have rings in the barrel that stiffen the barrel and they sometimes break. This results in the bat barrel becoming more flexible like the BESR bats.

Thank you,
Jay Evans, TASO Baseball Rules Interpreter

Agree.

Disagree: the batter has committed an infraction only by bringing the bat into the batter's box. If the illegal bat is detected before the batter enters the box, remove it without further penalty.

Agree with both ends. If you are in Texas, when the coach signs the blue card he is affirming his equipment is legal, his players are legally equipped, and have been instructed what to do if a piece of equipment is found to be illegal or not in compliance.

That's true in every state that uses FED and already covered by the rules. A batter is not out under 7-4-1a until he enters the box.

The things rattliong could render it illegal.

mbryon,
No argument there.

Texas TASO has the umpire have a card signed by each coach before each game affirming players being properly equippped, equipment being legeal, and players being instructed what to do in the event of something either being illegal or becoming illegal. The cards are turned into our chapter secretary who then forwards them to the state level of TASO. I don't know if other states have the coaches sign something or if just the questions are asked and answered.