Bat Checks at PGF Championships Make Sense???

[BB2830]

ASA has decided to add bat testing this year at nationals, will PGF follow suit? http://www.roanokevalleyasanationals.co ... esting.pdf. We played the Vegas 14U qualifier last weekend and in the semis of the championship had a girl launch a ball an easy 270' that just seemed to carry forever from not that big of a girl. It would have gone out, no doubt about that but hitting a ball that almost would have gone out at Dodger Stadium??? Had another one barely go out that didn't seem to be hit that well that was a difference maker. Never heard a bat sound like that, Xeno, LXT, De Marini etc. Bat appeared to be an older model that just didn't sound right. Next team that played them apparently had similar suspicions having noticed a majority of players on that team all swinging the same bat. Umps said they would not check bats had to get with PGF tournament director that was not available. This is just plain dangerous for the pitchers and corners if teams are using altered bats and nobody will hold them accountable. More teams and locations in PGF so tougher to implement but doesn't seem like a bad idea.

[Battle]

ASA has decided to add bat testing this year at nationals, will PGF follow suit?

I don't know why not. They have followed on the heels and copied ASA for everything else. If you don't believe me, just ask PDad...

[PDad]

ASA has decided to add bat testing this year at nationals, will PGF follow suit?

I don't know why not. They have followed on the heels and copied ASA for everything else. If you don't believe me, just ask PDad...

I haven't a clue what you're talking about. Don't drag me into your quixotic quest.

As for the OP, it is long overdue and would like to see PGF do it too.

I expect JR will chime in with his oft-repeated suggestion of PGF switching to NCAA's bat list...

[jonriv]

Sure.....


Why follow ASA when your claim to fame is a more direct relationship with college and recruiting process. It would get rid of all the older and more questionable bats

[Pale Rider]

There's a real easy button fix...Manufacturers such as Easton can simply tell the ASA to pull particular models off the approved list..its not like Easton will lose money on the models...they aren't being made anymore...Some are older than the kids using them...
Around here, especially in HS ball doctored up blue and gray Synergys and the yellow and gray Stealths show up...With obvious glue marks on the end cap etc...end caps blowing off...its rampant...and HS umps being TOLD by assn to NOT check any bats for anything...

Real long story with a lot of underhanded stuff going at the 'leadership' level on that here...

[onlooker]

Bat checks AND the infamous Nor Cal Skip/Leap/Re-Plant checks will be prime topics late July/erly august is my guess. It's an overdose of the Nor Cal Skipping now vs the teams that use One or Two bats.

[UmpSteve]

Sure.....


Why follow ASA when your claim to fame is a more direct relationship with college and recruiting process. It would get rid of all the older and more questionable bats

I don't speak for PGF on this, or any other topic, but .......

The NCAA bat check process with highlighted bat lists and bat counts is an onerous process that would make the pregames a ridiculous process at the PGF Nationals. The NCAA process works there because 1) the big teams get free (or heavily discounted) bats, and the NCAA and NFCA only listen to the D1 coaches anyway, 2) with freely available team bats, Daddy can't scream about why HIS bat can't be used, 3) travel ball coaches have to be more sensitive and responsive to Daddy's concerns than college coaches. The same arguments still happen at the JUCO level, though, where players try to use their own batss.

All that said, those in charge really can't change a rule midyear, when teams have already played in Qualifiers using the NFHS bat rule, absent an event that makes the change compelling. That doesn't make compression testing impossible; it would just require some equipment purchases (compression testing machines and the right kind of stamps) and a more extended "check-in" process to have bats approved before used in games.

A related side story. I was told, off the record, that a certain D2 player in the Southeast, one of the national leaders in home runs during the season, mysteriously had her (Daddy's) bat unavailable to be tested prior to the Region tournament her team played. She didn't hit any bombs that weekend, after hitting 5 in her conference tournament two weeks before. Anyone think that was a coincidence??

[jonriv]

Umps checked bats at everyone of my dds college games(diii). Not too onerous

[Pale Rider]

Umps checked bats at everyone of my dds college games(diii). Not too onerous

I know some conferences do check bats before every conference game. I know the SEC does, coaches present bats, each teams rep is present and a sticker from opposing team is applied by opposing team rep...showing that bat has been inspected. I'm not sure every conference does that.

I do know the doctored bat is rampant in HS and some in TB...especially at the younger ages...Knew a man who said he bought his kid a shaved bat...
She doesn't play anymore, the sport passed her by...

[Justin.pontes]

PGF needs to make this a priority, there are teams that have bats that have been altered across the board. i am on my second round of TB with my older DD as a senior this coming year in college. i dont think this was to much of a issue 4-8 years ago. Coaching my younger DD now and when you have 11, 12 and 13 year old kids hitting the ball 220-270 it is obviously the bat and not the 100 pound kid hitting it. Some teams have a few bats handed down between the whole team, some teams have multiple bats. (12-14 Grey/Blue Eastons in one line up) We were in 12 last year and now in 14 and everyone knows what teams that have these bats and the results they get out of it. It has become more and more the standard including in 14, 16. Not as much in 18 as most teams are sponsored and using new bats as their kids are old enough that can hit the ball 220 and dont need to use a altered bat. It is basically cheating the game and unfair to the teams that are using regulation bats not to say it is a safety issue that will have consequences when someone is hurt. There will be a pitcher, 1st or 3rd that will get hurt.

PGF is aware of this issue and does nothing about regulations and standards within their organization they will also be liable.

PGF has to make this part of their system, so all teams and all players are equal and for the safety of the kids. It wouldnt take much time at Nationals during registration to check 12-20 bats per team and stamp them or tag them accordingly.

PGF is at the highest standard as a organization so i would hope this would be a huge priority of theirs moving forward and not to turn a shoulder and ignore this ongoing movement. i know most of PGF board and ownership are also coaching teams that will or have been seeing the same.