Why wood bat?

Hey, I love those gloves. I recall Prepster making some great plays with those. His could actually fold up and put into his back pocket. The best part about those gloves is the padding and the fact they were ambidextrous.

There is no purpose for a $150-400 baseball glove---other than to bilk the parent. It's outrageous, but if they have people willing to buy them, they will keep pushing the envelope.

"Be the first kid on the block to own our new $1,000 Dingo leather 2nd baseman's glove or our 'Hot' Mexican Gila Monster skinned leather 3rd baseman's glove discounted when buying both @ $850----Hurry, while supplies last!!!!!"

 

Gloves are just following the path made by bats... all of which lead straight to "Daddy's" hip pocket!

I remember when G was a senior in HS and he was looking at new bats. This was about the time the "top line" bats were cresting the $300 barrier. He said "jeez, that's stupid to pay that much for a bat!" Made me proud!

 

low & slow

What team dose your son play for!

 

Low and slow's son is a pitcher...and an excellent one at that.

There is another side of this argument that many people believe and I think L&S was trying to cajole and that is this:

Since the vast majority of kids will never play professional baseball, and if the kid is already mashing the ball, what's the purpose of ever using a wood bat, since he never will in HS or college. For many it's another expense to shell out of pocket.

But before I get stoned to death, I agree with the comments of how using a wood bat CAN make you a better hitter, but as far as professional scouts are concerned, not many should be overly concerned with that.

I am on the side that believes wood bats should be used period---at every level!!!!

But since that ain't going to happen anytime soon, I understand the arguments made for a HS kid not having a NEED to hit with wood, since his career invariably will end with him swinging the metal bat.

 

There are different reasons

people put on wood bat tourneys.

ML Scouts want to see kids hit with wood.
The games move much quicker so you can get in many more games.
Kids like the idea of hitting with wood. "At least some do."
Its something different and intrigues people into giving it a shot.

I would much rather see a wood bat game anyday of the week than a metal bat game. Especially one where the players understand the importance of hitting behind runners , getting bunts down , moving on dirtballs , taking an outside fastball to the 2b and moving the runner from 2b to 3b with no outs and understanding that was a good ab. When kids play wood bat baseball they begin to understand the game much better. They start to understand how important it is to hit your cuts and keep runners out of scoring posistion. They understand that throwing strikes and making routine plays can allow you to play with anyone. And they understand that walks and errors will get you beat against anyone.

As a hitter it teaches you to have a solid approach. If not you will fail miserably over and over. It teaches you that your ab is about having a quality at bat and doing something positive for the team. Metal bat baseball is a totally different game. I dont think most people understand how different it actually is.

If you can learn to have a solid approach with a wood bat , learn to square up the baseball fairly well with a wood bat , you will be an outstanding hitter with metal. Wood will force you to either make adjustments and get better or force you to stop playing with them. There was a day when driving an outside fastball to the 2b for a fielders choice and moving the runner to 3b with 1 out now , was considered a great ab. Hitters knew it and were proud of it. A kid with a metal bat hooks around it and tries to mash it and hits in front of the runner and now he can not advance.

I could go on for days about this topic. Metal bats have hurt the game and the guys that play it. Kids today have no clue. They are metal bat baseball players. The more wood baseball a kid plays the better baseball player he becomes. The more he learns to truly appreciate the game and how to actually play it.

 

Coach, I couldn't agree with you more. But metal bats, as you aptly described, has changed the game. The wood bat game has gone...just like the basic fundamentals of the game have been left behind. We're left with Stars Wars Baseball---and who can hit it the furthest. I can picture a conversation with a player and coach now,

"Hey Coach, don't worry about bunting him over or going oppo or any of that other crazy stuff....I'm goin' Big Fly, baby!!!!! I'll get him home"

or

"Boys, we're going to cover situational plays today---hitting backside, taking the extra base, reading pickoff moves"

Player raises hand, "But Coach, I'm up there rakin'...why would I want to learn that stuff"

There's only one good thing about metal bats in baseball






















It knocks the dirt off your cleats better.

 

Thoughtful post...thanks!

Coach 27, I enjoyed your post and I agree with the vast majority of it. I know this site is not just for elite players and their coaches and families. What about the wood bat tourney for 13U's at Gastonia or somewhere? No MLB scouts there and I just cringe when Mom & Dad have to gulp down another $85 when junior breaks his maple bat....particularly for those who had to sacrifice for that $300+ metal bat that doesn't see daylight for this event. Many struggle to pay the freight (gasoline, hotels, entry fees, team fees, uniform costs, etc) for what youth baseball has evolved into and when the player and Mom & Dad have a dream, then it seems the only way to go. For many wood bat events, the teams and players are not being scouted and never will be...they are just feeding the machine.

I see the positives for certain teams and certain events and for certain ages, but not for the masses. I would prefer to see coaches teach the game to be played correctly and by long-standing standards and serve up the consequences when Johnny just wants to mash it and not do his job.

 

""Hey, I love those gloves. I recall Prepster making some great plays with those. His could actually fold up and put into his back pocket. The best part about those gloves is the padding and the fact they were ambidextrous."


Braves, the reason you recall those gloves so well is that they were all your hand-me-downs! Why, I remember that Honus Wagner autographed model that you'd almost worn out. That glove was a utility glove if there ever was one! Even though Wagner was a shortstop, you could use that glove for infield play, outfield play, and even catch with it! It didn't make any difference back then; with no place to put your individual fingers! If only you hadn't given it so much wear, I could have used it much longer than I did!

 

I think you have the solution within your post. If Johnny is 13U, there are no MLB scouts at the event, parents are concerned about shelling out $$$ for another broken bat; don't enter the tournament. Unless things have changed from a few years ago, up until the age of 15U there were only a couple of wood bat tournaments per year. Johnny is still a kid, let him go swimming, bowling, fishing, hang out with friends (hopefully he has friends outside of baseball) and just be a kid on those few wood bat weekends. Also, the Fall is a good time to find $20 wood bats on clearance, buy 2 or 3 for next year. They may not be the "name brand" high dollar wood bats, but what's your priority? Let Johnny practice with wood through the off season, maybe he won't break as many next year. Maybe he'll be better with metal or maybe he'll start to like wood better. I know my son does!

 

Ahhh...those were the days, my friend!