Potential concern about Rendon

[paulcoates]

Anyone remember Luis Polonia when he was with the Orioles taking BP with an aluminum bat just so he could hit some in the stands?

[Arthur_Bryant]

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.

You think a 32-ounce wood bat weighs more than a 32-ounce aluminum bat?

[mark_beckens]

You think a 32-ounce wood bat weighs more than a 32-ounce aluminum bat?

You're all right. I agree to disagree. My personal use of said bats has no baring on this conversation, much less the link I provided. Thank you for correcting me and showing me that you know more then everyone else!

[GoOs888]

You're all right. I agree to disagree. My personal use of said bats has no baring on this conversation, much less the link I provided. Thank you for correcting me and showing me that you know more then everyone else!

No... 32 ounces is 32 ounces be it of wood, aluminum, or chicken feathers. I think that's what he's saying there.

[DrOrioles90210]

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.

This article lays out the physics involved in a little more depth.

Why Aluminum Bats Can Perform Better than Wood Bats

[usmcterp]

Old outdated research tested the wood vs. aluminum bat argument using stationary bats which is highly flawed. More bat speed equals greater distance. If you could generate more bat speed with a wooden bat, don't you think more kids would be using wooden bats growing up?

[mark_beckens]

Old outdated research tested the wood vs. aluminum bat argument using stationary bats which is highly flawed. More bat speed equals greater distance. If you could generate more bat speed with a wooden bat, don't you think more kids would be using wooden bats growing up?

HS and colleges use Metal cause it's cheaper, they don't break often. Have any idea who many bats a HS or college would have to buy every year?

[usmcterp]

HS and colleges use Metal cause it's cheaper, they don't break often. Have any idea who many bats a HS or college would have to buy every year?

So you really think you can generate as much bat speed with a wooden bat? College boosters would donate wooden bats at the top schools if it would give a competitive advantage.

How does higher batted ball speed translate to better performance?

So what does it mean that a player using an aluminum bat can hit a ball 8-mph faster than he could with a wood bat? Most noticeably is the fact that the ball will travel farther. The plot in Fig. 6 shows ball trajectories for varying batted ball speeds. In all three cases the balls left the bat at a height of 2.6 feet above the ground and at an initial angle of 35o above the horizontal. The effect of air resistance was accounted for using a numerical technique[13] and available data.[14] I ran the calculation to see whether or not a batted ball would clear the center-field wall, which I took to be a 10-ft high wall 400-ft from homeplate. The figure shows that a ball hit with a wood bat and having a batted ball speed of 98.6-mph will not clear the center field wall, but would land about 388-ft from home plate for an easy pop fly out. A ball hit with a medium performance metal bat, with a batted ball speed of 101.5-mph, would barely clear the centerfield wall, but could be caught by a good fielder with a high leap. However, a ball hit with a high performance metal bat, resulting in a batted ball speed of 106.5-mph, will easily clear the wall for a home run.

From the article referenced by DrOrioles. Once again, faster equals farther.

[Sanfran327]

So you really think you can generate as much bat speed with a wooden bat? College boosters would donate wooden bats at the top schools if it would give a competitive advantage.

From the article referenced by DrOrioles. Once again, faster equals farther.

Well, you absolutely can generate as much bat speet with a wooden bat as you can with a metal bat. After all, part of this is the fact that the weight of the bat means nothing. Remember, 32oz wood bat weighs the same as a 32oz metal bat.

But the fact that the ball comes off of a metal bat faster means it will absolutely travel further, as you (and everyone else but mark_beckens) have already said.

[usmcterp]

Well, you absolutely can generate as much bat speet with a wooden bat as you can with a metal bat. After all, part of this is the fact that the weight of the bat means nothing. Remember, 32oz wood bat weighs the same as a 32oz metal bat.

But the fact that the ball comes off of a metal bat faster means it will absolutely travel further, as you (and everyone else but mark_beckens) have already said.

I don't disagree that 32 oz equals 32 oz. I do think how that weight is distributed plays a part in how fast you can get the bat through the zone though.

[DrOrioles90210]

I don't disagree that 32 oz equals 32 oz. I do think how that weight is distributed plays a part in how fast you can get the bat through the zone though.

Exactly. This point is also discussed in the article I posted. The center of mass of aluminum bats is closer to the handle which allows the aluminum bats to be swung faster than a wood bat of the same weight.

[allstar1579]

Just an update on Rendon, looks like a severe sprain/possible fracture of his right ankle in the rundown injury.

Speaking as someone who has had the exact same injury in the opposite leg, it just takes some time to heal (mine took about 3 months before I could really start working with it) and then some time to build the strength back up, shouldn't be any long term concerns though. Just have to let those torn ligaments heal. Very similar injury to last year, and that didn't throw off his numbers this past season.

The difference will just be that his return time could take a little longer because it is his plant foot throwing and batting, but by extra time I mean 2 weeks or so. He'll be fine for next season.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/college/rice/7112390.html

[mark_beckens]

So you really think you can generate as much bat speed with a wooden bat? College boosters would donate wooden bats at the top schools if it would give a competitive advantage.

Try reading all of it, not just parts, please. Wooden bats are harder to hit with. If you take 2 secs to read my posts, you'll see it.

[mark_beckens]

No... 32 ounces is 32 ounces be it of wood, aluminum, or chicken feathers. I think that's what he's saying there.

but metal bats can be the same weight and longer then a wooden bat. Which has it's advantages!

[mark_beckens]

Old outdated research tested the wood vs. aluminum bat argument using stationary bats which is highly flawed. More bat speed equals greater distance. If you could generate more bat speed with a wooden bat, don't you think more kids would be using wooden bats growing up?

But just cause you can swing it faster doesn't mean the ball will go farther! I can swing a golf club faster then a baseball bat, wanna bet I can't hit the ball farther with a golf club? DO you get the analogy here? It's not only speed, it's weight also, the two go together.