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The Umpire Corner

umpires v. Xeno

Rule question? Get it answered here.

by swells9232 » Sun Jun 14, 2015 8:30 pm

So dd xeno, that she got at Christmas, was taken out of tournament play this weekend. I questioned the uic who said xenos break at a higher rate, therefore they inspect them more, therefore find more problems because that is what they are looking for. Anyone else see a bias with this? I saw 3 bats impounded and all 3 were xenos. ASA qualifiers in Fontana. They shake the hell out of it and say there is a "wobble".

Of course everyone affiliated with ASA stated there were not any bias, but wouldnt answer how many bats get impounded and how many are xenos.

Confusing
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by Comp » Mon Jun 15, 2015 3:39 am

If the bat has a wobble in the joint, then it is broken internally and should be removed from play. The old purple stealths were very bad about this. In fact, there was a picture of a nationals with literally piles of them that had been removed from play. I have not seen nearly as many of the xenos as I have the stealths, but I have personally removed a few xenos because of looseness in the joint. And yes, when a particular bat becomes known to have problems, they get looked at a little closer.
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by jonriv » Mon Jun 15, 2015 7:30 am

Was the bat broken? If that's the case your issue is not with the Umps but with mfg. You can't clainm "bias" if there is something actually wrong.
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by UmpSteve » Mon Jun 15, 2015 8:25 am

swells9232 wrote:So dd xeno, that she got at Christmas, was taken out of tournament play this weekend. I questioned the uic who said xenos break at a higher rate, therefore they inspect them more, therefore find more problems because that is what they are looking for. Anyone else see a bias with this? I saw 3 bats impounded and all 3 were xenos. ASA qualifiers in Fontana. They shake the hell out of it and say there is a "wobble".

Of course everyone affiliated with ASA stated there were not any bias, but wouldnt answer how many bats get impounded and how many are xenos.

Confusing


If you thought of this as a safety check, instead of thinking about it was YOUR bat, this would make all the sense in the world. It is only logical that the safety check would match how a bat breaks down.

The older Anderson bats had rivet issues; umpires checked for loose rivets. Metal bats dent and deform out of round, composite bats do not; so metal bats are checked for that more than composite bats. Metal bats hit against steel cleats get sharp edges and burrs; they are checked for that. Composite bats split and crack (especially after being rolled!!); they are checked for that. Bats with joints (Stealth, Synergy, Xeno, Torq) tend to weaken at the joint; they are checked for that evidence of breaking down.

This is the same as your family doctor looking for a family medical history to help identify what he should be screening for or against. A history of heart disease gets more and special tests; a history of breast cancer may suggest more frequent chest x-rays. Do you / did you smoke? Hereditary and genetic diseases and factors are strongly considered in any good health exam. Would you consider that a "bias"?
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by ZARDOZ34 » Sun Jun 28, 2015 3:59 am

My daughter's Xeno was taken out this weekend in ASA state tournament for being "wobbly." Is there any documented evidence that this "wobble" creates a safety hazard or unfair advantage? If so, where can I find this?

On a side note of my daughter's Xeno: her bat was removed from the 2nd game she used it in high school. Only had the bat 4 days. She has played at least another 30 games with it since and never has an umpire even questioned it until this weekend.
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by jonriv » Sun Jun 28, 2015 5:28 am

Wobbly???!??? You need to even ask? Would your car be safe if the wheels were "wobbly"? :D
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by ZARDOZ34 » Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:34 am

If my new car was wobbly, I think it would be recalled for a potential safety issue. Don't you?
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by jonriv » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:04 am

Like 8 years later
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by as the world turns » Sun Jun 28, 2015 7:31 pm

Are you sure the wobble and rattle is not being confused for their teeth (tooth)
“Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid.” John Wayne
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by Comp » Mon Jun 29, 2015 4:32 am

ZARDOZ34 wrote:If my new car was wobbly, I think it would be recalled for a potential safety issue. Don't you?



If it is new enough to still be under warranty the manufacturer will replace it. The bat did not wobble when new, the wobble is because it has broken inside the joint and eventually the barrel will separate from the handle.
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