by 93players » Tue Jul 31, 2012 7:17 am
I am all for checking bats carefully. We are talking about two different issues. The Phenix, the Easton Blue and Purple bats and the original Demarini D3s, naturally get hotter over time. It is not cheating to use one of those bats, but the governing bodies over time will outlaw them. If a bat is visibly rattling or damaged, it should be tossed. But I have seen too many isolated cases of bat rolling. Too many parents are tempted by the notion of increasing their player's hitting stats. In high school and regular tournament play, those players can use those bats because no one bothers to check. But in the national tourneys, many of these bats are tossed.
It is amazing to watch the difference in distance when a player has to use a regular version of their bat. College coaches are becoming much more careful to make sure such bats dont make their way into the team. After all, their careers are at stake.