Potential concern about Rendon

[connja]

Rendon's name is certainly being thrown out there a lot as the potential #1 overall pick next year (either for us or someone else, hopefully us). I've seen him play a lot this past year. My only concern is his offensive success has a lot to do with his ultra-quick wrists. Most scouts say he has the quickest wrists they've ever seen. Will that translate well to a wooden bat? As far as I know, he hasn't played in wood bat league. There was a rumor he might play in the Cape Cod League. A wood bat might slow down that wrist speed a bit.

If that is the biggest concern, let's tank the rest of the games to make sure we get him.

[BowieMike]

Well, here's more to be concerned about:

"Rendon was caught in rundown and tried to cut back toward 1st base. His right leg bent underneath him as he was tagged out. Writhed in pain."

Source: Baseball America's Aaron Fitt

[mark_beckens]

Wood bats and metal bats have a totally different weight distribution. Since you don't have to worry about shattering a metal bat, a lot of them have heavier handles that act as a fulcrum to make it easier for the hitter to catapult the bat through the hitting zone. If wood bats did that, you'd see even thinner handles than you already do, thus many more broken bats.

Metal bats are longer and lighter. Not sure what you talking about with the heavier handles. I personally have never seen or used one like that. I have seen people make the end bigger to get my leverage, but you can add that to either metal or wood, you can also make it with tape on the nob.The idea behind thinner handles is quicker bat speed. IF you take a wooden bat and metal bat and they have the same length and weight. The difference between the two will be that the metal bat has a larger sweet but the ball doesn't travel as far. The wooden bat has smaller sweet spot and the ball will carry farther cause it is denser then the metal bat.

[Sanfran327]

Wood bats and metal bats have a totally different weight distribution. Since you don't have to worry about shattering a metal bat, a lot of them have heavier handles that act as a fulcrum to make it easier for the hitter to catapult the bat through the hitting zone. If wood bats did that, you'd see even thinner handles than you already do, thus many more broken bats.

Metal bats are longer and lighter. Not sure what you talking about with the heavier handles. I personally have never seen or used one like that. I have seen people make the end bigger to get my leverage, but you can add that to either metal or wood, you can also make it with tape on the nob.The idea behind thinner handles is quicker bat speed. IF you take a wooden bat and metal bat and they have the same length and weight. The difference between the two will be that the metal bat has a larger sweet but the ball doesn't travel as far. The wooden bat has smaller sweet spot and the ball will carry farther cause it is denser then the metal bat.

Oldfan? Is that you?

Is tonight bizzaro night at the OH???

[mark_beckens]

Oldfan? Is that you?

Is tonight bizzaro night at the OH???

no it's not, and what's up with the BS of asking that? You make an "out there" statement about using weighted handles on metal bats. You want the weight on the end of the bat, not the handle.

[rooster1]

Wood bats and metal bats have a totally different weight distribution. Since you don't have to worry about shattering a metal bat, a lot of them have heavier handles that act as a fulcrum to make it easier for the hitter to catapult the bat through the hitting zone. If wood bats did that, you'd see even thinner handles than you already do, thus many more broken bats.

Metal bats are longer and lighter. Not sure what you talking about with the heavier handles. I personally have never seen or used one like that. I have seen people make the end bigger to get my leverage, but you can add that to either metal or wood, you can also make it with tape on the nob.The idea behind thinner handles is quicker bat speed. IF you take a wooden bat and metal bat and they have the same length and weight. The difference between the two will be that the metal bat has a larger sweet but the ball doesn't travel as far. The wooden bat has smaller sweet spot and the ball will carry farther cause it is denser then the metal bat.

The ball will always carry further and faster off a metal bat I don't know where you're getting this from.

[Sanfran327]

no it's not, and what's up with the BS of asking that? You make an "out there" statement about using weighted handles on metal bats. You want the weight on the end of the bat, not the handle.

Okay. Go do some research on how metal bats are designed now. The weight is distributed much differently than wooden bats to help the hitter get the bat through the zone quicker.

[mark_beckens]

Okay. Go do some research on how metal bats are designed now. The weight is distributed much differently than wooden bats to help the hitter get the bat through the zone quicker.

I played college and semi pro ball. I have used more metal bats then I care to think about. I know how they are made and how they are different then wooden bats. Metal bats are lighter. Allows a player to use a longer bat then he would if it was wooden. Which increases bat speed cause it's lighter. Metal bats have larger sweet spots then wooden bats, but the sweet spot on a wooden bat will cause the ball to fly farther, cause wood is denser then the metal bat. Wood is heavier then metal, thats the reason the metal bat gets through the zone faster. In college I used a 32/30 bat, playing semi pro I used 34/28. Bat technology changed from the late 80's to mid/late 90's.

[mark_beckens]

The ball will always carry further and faster off a metal bat I don't know where you're getting this from.

faster yes, farther no! I got it from my personal knowledge using both.

[Sanfran327]

I played college and semi pro ball. I have used more metal bats then I care to think about. I know how they are made and how they are different then wooden bats. Metal bats are lighter. Allows a player to use a longer bat then he would if it was wooden. Which increases bat speed cause it's lighter. Metal bats have larger sweet spots then wooden bats, but the sweet spot on a wooden bat will cause the ball to fly farther, cause wood is denser then the metal bat. Wood is heavier then metal, thats the reason the metal bat gets through the zone faster. In college I used a 32/30 bat, playing semi pro I used 34/28. Bat technology changed from the late 80's to mid/late 90's.

Ok, Jackie Moon. I have a question for you. What's heavier: a 34 oz wooden bat or a 34 oz metal bat? MLB requires wooden bats with a 1:1 length:width ratio. That means that a 33in bat must be 33oz. College allows aluminum bats with a -3 differential. That means that a 33in bat must weigh at least 30oz. How that weight is distributed is up to the manufacturer. But like I said before, some bats are a little heavier in the handle to make the bat head lighter and therefore easier to drag through the hitting zone.

faster yes, farther no! I got it from my personal knowledge using both.

I'm not a physicist, but faster=further in my universe. If a ball is traveling at 80 MPH, it will travel further than a ball traveling at 75 MPH if launched at the same trajectory. It's simple math, and it doesn't matter if it was hit by a metal bat or a wooden bat.

Don't you think that there is some chance that the balls you hit with your wooden bat went further because you were just bigger, stronger, and a BETTER HITTER than you were when you were using a metal bat? Any chance at all?

[mark_beckens]

Ok, Jackie Moon. I have a question for you. What's heavier: a 34 oz wooden bat or a 34 oz metal bat? MLB requires wooden bats with a 1:1 length:width ratio. That means that a 33in bat must be 33oz. College allows aluminum bats with a -3 differential. That means that a 33in bat must weigh at least 30oz. How that weight is distributed is up to the manufacturer. But like I said before, some bats are a little heavier in the handle to make the bat head lighter and therefore easier to drag through the hitting zone.

I'm not a physicist, but faster=further in my universe. If a ball is traveling at 80 MPH, it will travel further than a ball traveling at 75 MPH if launched at the same trajectory. It's simple math, and it doesn't matter if it was hit by a metal bat or a wooden bat.

Don't you think that there is some chance that the balls you hit with your wooden bat went further because you were just bigger, stronger, and a BETTER HITTER than you were when you were using a metal bat? Any chance at all?

That's the second time you have resorted to name calling! Why can't you just argue facts? The ball will jump off an metal bat faster, cause of the thin walls of the aluminum. But that doesn't mean the that the ball will carry as far as a ball hit off a wooden bat. The wooden bat has more density. The sweet spot on a metal bat is much larger then that of a wooden bat, talking 3-4 times bigger. When you hit a ball on the sweet spot of a wooden bat, you don't feel it, the ball just jumps off the bat, makes the most amazing sound. The reason MLB doesn't use metal bats, is because the ball comes off the bat so much faster then wooden bats that pitchers and 1st/3rd basemen would be at risk of death. I used the wooden bat in the Empire state games in NY when I was in HS. And used it during BP in college. I hadn't used one since 1992 until a few years ago when I was playing BP with my sons and their friends. I played semi-pro in Harford CC among other places around B-more. The only wooden bat I used during that time was a fungo bat.

[Arthur_Bryant]

faster yes, farther no! I got it from my personal knowledge using both.

This is classic. Fifty years from now, undergrads at MIT will be reading this thread when they want a good laugh.

Speed is distance. Assuming that two balls are hit with the same trajectory and spin, the one that comes off the bat faster will go farther. The greater the difference between the speeds, the greater the difference in the distance. A ball that comes off at 80 MPH will travel farther than one that comes off at 70 MPH.

I know you're not buying that, so let's increase the difference in speeds. Close your eyes and imagine a ball coming off the bat at 50 MPH and one coming off at 100 MPH. Which one travels farther?

Not getting the picture yet? Okay, imagine one coming off the bat at 30 MPH and another coming off at 120 MPH. Which travels farther?

Still not yet? Okay, imagine one coming off at 5 MPH and another coming off at 500 MPH. Which one travels farther?

You are correct that the aluminum bat has the larger sweet spot. You are also correct that the ball comes off the aluminum bat faster. That's because an aluminum bat is more elastic than an ash bat. The bat actually deforms at the moment of contact, and it creates a small but significant catapulting motion when it snaps back into its original shape. Aluminum deforms more than ash, therefore has a greater catapulting action, therefore imparts more speed.

And more speed means greater distance.

[QBsILLEST1]

Only thing I have to add to this discussion is that there is no way that a wood bat hits a ball further than a metal bat. Also, wooden bats are heavier at the end making it more difficult to get to peak batspeed early in the swing. Because metal bats are hollow, the barrel is lighter where a woodbat is solid wood and obviously, more material is needed in the barrel which makes it heavier.

[justcompete]

Do college kids still hit metal bats? I thought they swung composite bats or is that just high school?

I can tell you with fact that composite bats include a metal rod inserted into the handle that carry much of the weight.

They also feature end-loaded bats which differ from balanced bats by the additional of either a one or half ounce weight attachted to the end cap.

[mark_beckens]

This is classic. Fifty years from now, undergrads at MIT will be reading this thread when they want a good laugh.

Speed is distance. Assuming that two balls are hit with the same trajectory and spin, the one that comes off the bat faster will go farther. The greater the difference between the speeds, the greater the difference in the distance. A ball that comes off at 80 MPH will travel farther than one that comes off at 70 MPH.

I know you're not buying that, so let's increase the difference in speeds. Close your eyes and imagine a ball coming off the bat at 50 MPH and one coming off at 100 MPH. Which one travels farther?

Not getting the picture yet? Okay, imagine one coming off the bat at 30 MPH and another coming off at 120 MPH. Which travels farther?

Still not yet? Okay, imagine one coming off at 5 MPH and another coming off at 500 MPH. Which one travels farther?

You are correct that the aluminum bat has the larger sweet spot. You are also correct that the ball comes off the aluminum bat faster. That's because an aluminum bat is more elastic than an ash bat. The bat actually deforms at the moment of contact, and it creates a small but significant catapulting motion when it snaps back into its original shape. Aluminum deforms more than ash, therefore has a greater catapulting action, therefore imparts more speed.

And more speed means greater distance.

So if your hit by a baseball going 100 MPH or a semi truck doing 50 MPH, which is going to make you fly farther?

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy00/phy00259.htm

Because the wooden bat is heavier, it has less "recoil": A wooden bat

moving at the same speed as an aluminum bat will hit harder. A batter who

can get a wooden bat moving fast will hit the ball further

Overall, the wooden bat has more potential power, but the aluminum bat is

easier to use. A very experienced player that can tell how the ball is

pitched just as it leaves the pitcher's hand will do better with a wooden

bat. The player that likes a little extra time to decide how to hit, as

well as a little opportunity for slight adjustment, will do better with an

aluminum bat. In the end, it is a matter of personal preference.