Baseball America Story on New Bat Rules for 2010-11

[SB Shock]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/news/2010/2610722.html

How noticeable is the difference in the new bats?

"It's significant," Longhorns coach Augie Garrido said. "I think every coach kind of goes, 'Whoa.' It is recognizable from the very first batted ball. When you hit it on the sweet spot, it still goes. Whereas we might have hit 15 or 20 balls out in batting practice before, we're now hitting five or six balls out in BP. So it is a significant change—I think every coach will tell you that."

Also seems some coaches are complaining these bat changes are going to have a negative impact on the game.

"We draw almost 11,000 people a game, and I don't want it to be a boring game for our fans. We've worked so hard getting people following college baseball, and let's face it, they like the scoring, they don't want to be bored to death up in the stands."

Translation: Are pitching is not good enough in a low scoring game.

[SB Shock]

http://olemiss.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1130132

Another story on the bats. Lot of whining from the major programs. The big thing is it seems they are afraid they are somehow losing an advantage.

[Ashockalypse]

I don't like this change. We never hit "too many" longballs and I like to see the ones we do.

[Shirley Schmidt]

There have been several long balls hit in the fall series with only one that I have seen that have made it to the fence.

Hege mashed one to left center and it hit half way up on the 375 marker, Springer hit one pretty good to right and it hit the warning track. Johnny Coy hit one to center that would have been out if he could have pulled it to left.

[SB Shock]

I don't like this change. We never hit "too many" longballs and I like to see the ones we do.

I like it. Getting rid of mindless offense will bring back the excitement of more games where each AB means something.

I also think it will reward teams with superior talent. Pretty much what I read so far is good hitters who can square up the ball will be less effected than the marginal hitters.

It will also reward good pitching. It will magnify teams who pitchers are capable of making less mistakes. Prior to this a pitcher could make a good pitch and a hitter could pull out a crap hit out of his butt.

[pogo]

I don't like this change. We never hit "too many" longballs and I like to see the ones we do.

I like it. Getting rid of mindless offense will bring back the excitement of more games where each AB means something.

I also think it will reward teams with superior talent. Pretty much what I read so far is good hitters who can square up the ball will be less effected than the marginal hitters.

It will also reward good pitching. It will magnify teams who pitchers are capable of making less mistakes. Prior to this a pitcher could make a good pitch and a hitter could pull out a crap hit out of his butt.

I am going to side with SB on this one initially. I will reserve my much weighted opinion until I see some games that aren't inter squad but so far from what I have seen is I like it.

[1979Shocker]

I wonder if there will be any schools that will think about moving the outfield fences in some?

[ShockerFever]

I don't like this change. We never hit "too many" longballs and I like to see the ones we do.

Yeah, but what about all those ones we have given up by our stellar pitching the last couple of years?

[SFL]

Well, at least we know it can be done. :D

"Senior Kevin Hall was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Erik Harbutz was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Johnny Coy had a solo home run in four trips to the plate for the WSU Gold team."

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=205008374

[billybud]

FSU has been using the new bats in fall practice. Formerly, they used only wooden bats in the fall.

The newspaper printed the batting coaches view of how the bats might change the game. Interestingly, the coach says that HR's might not really be affected that much.

His take was that most of the balls that are going out now in college would still go out with the new bats. The ones that are now barely clearing the fence would not make it, but he said that is a much smaller percentage.

He thinks what will change are the number of extra base hits. With the slower velocity coming off of the bats, fewer balls will blast through the infield and fewer drives will roll to the fence.

Advancing runners might be more difficult with the extra base hits coming less frequaently. Could lead to more steal attempts, bunts, etc.

[Ta town]

Anything short of bats made from jello wouldn't effect home runs in that babe Ruth league size field FSU plays in.

[billybud]

LOL...obviously you are uninformed.

FSU's field is actually larger than at Eck (if you are talking Babe Ruth size, Eck is Little League). Dick Howser plays deeper than Eck. Deeper to left, center, and while 15 feet shorter shorter in right, you have to clear a 38 foot combined wall and fence to hit it out.

Eck: The dimensions are 335 feet down both left and right field lines and 390 to center.

Howser: 340 feet to left...400 to center...320 to right with a 30 foot fence on top of the wall.

[The Mad Hatter]

LOL...obviously you are uninformed.

FSU's field is actually larger than at Eck (if you are talking Babe Ruth size, Eck is Little League). Dick Howser plays deeper than Eck. Deeper to left, center, and while 15 feet shorter shorter in right, you have to clear a 38 foot combined wall and fence to hit it out.

Eck: The dimensions are 335 feet down both left and right field lines and 390 to center.

Howser: 340 feet to left...400 to center...320 to right with a 30 foot fence on top of the wall.

Howser may be deeper than Eck, it certainly doesn't play deeper than Eck. The place is a launching pad, as evidenced by a WSU that hit very few home runs at Eck having no problem going long in the post season at Howser.

[Ta town]

LOL...obviously you are uninformed.

FSU's field is actually larger than at Eck (if you are talking Babe Ruth size, Eck is Little League). Dick Howser plays deeper than Eck. Deeper to left, center, and while 15 feet shorter shorter in right, you have to clear a 38 foot combined wall and fence to hit it out.

Eck: The dimensions are 335 feet down both left and right field lines and 390 to center.

Howser: 340 feet to left...400 to center...320 to right with a 30 foot fence on top of the wall.

Power alley

360 and 365, reminds me of highschool

[SFL]

LOL...obviously you are uninformed.

FSU's field is actually larger than at Eck (if you are talking Babe Ruth size, Eck is Little League). Dick Howser plays deeper than Eck. Deeper to left, center, and while 15 feet shorter shorter in right, you have to clear a 38 foot combined wall and fence to hit it out.

Eck: The dimensions are 335 feet down both left and right field lines and 390 to center.

Howser: 340 feet to left...400 to center...320 to right with a 30 foot fence on top of the wall.

Power alley

Hot air