Tag Archives: bats

2012 Youth Baseball Bat Rules and BBCOR Standards

Baseball leagues around the country have seen plenty of changes over the past year or so. Most have focused on BBCOR bats, but there are changes across the board.

Citing safety concerns caused by the exit speeds of some composite bats, some leagues have banned composite-barreled baseball bats. Others have not. Add in the new BBCOR performance standard, and things can quickly get confusing.

This post is a guide for parents, guardians and players looking for new bats or making sure their current bats will be legal.

Little League
Heading into the 2012 baseball season, Little League’s bat rules look like this:

Minor League Baseball — Composite-barreled bats will be banned; some have been re-allowed
9-10 Year Old Baseball Division — Composite-barreled bats will be banned; some have been re-allowed
Little League Baseball (Majors) — Composite-barreled bats will be banned; some have been re-allowed
Junior League Baseball — Composite-barreled bats will be banned; some have been re-allowed; and all BBCOR certified bats will be allowed
Senior League Baseball — All bats must be BBCOR certified
Big League Baseball — All bats must be BBCOR certified

Continue reading →

Do You Want to Know the BBCOR Baseball Bat Standards, Rules and Regulations?

This will provide you with the difference between BBCOR, BESR and ABI. It also provides you with the current BBCOR standards, rules and regulations along with It will also let you know legal and what isn’t.

Below is the breakdown of the current changes in bat performance standards. First, we have some definitions of terms. Second, there is a league-by-league timeline. Third, some of the common questions about the changes are answered.

Definitions

BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio)
This was the longstanding test used to ensure that non-wood bats play similar to wood bats. It tests a bat’s “exit speed,” i.e. how fast the ball bounces off a composite or aluminum bat barrel. It has been phased out, because it failed to account for how bats would perform after they have been broken in (Composite bats typically improve with use).

BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution)
This is the new, more-accurate test that is replacing BESR. Like BESR, it is used to ensure that aluminum and composite bats play similar to wood bats, but it also accounts for how bats perform after they’ve been broken in. That’s because it includes the ABI, described below.
Continue reading →

2012 Marucci BBCOR Bat Reviews

Marucci Baseball Bat Reviews
First, yes the Cat 5, 33 inch Adult -3 has been banned as of February 2012. You can read more about that here.

The Marucci Bat Company has a great story behind it. In 2002 Jack Marucci saw his 4 year old son Gino slide head first into home plate at his first T-ball game he knew his son shared his love for the game. However, after two seasons of hearing the “clink” of the metal bat in the backyard, Jack and Gino could bear the sound no more.

Searching for a child-size wooden bat proved to be quite difficult. Marucci, who had inherited some woodworking tools from his late father had been slowly teaching himself the craft of woodworking. He purchased a small lathe and kit of tools and taught himself how to use it to craft wooden baseball bats. Before too long Marucci wood bats were at the MLB level in the hands of Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols and 300 other MLB stars.

Marucci then expanded into the aluminum bat category, with the Cat 5, and quickly generated a lot of buzz in the market. The buzz is quite hot right now and in my opinion is over the top. It reminds me of the insanity about Combat following that LLWS walk off home run in 2007 (and Miken bats before it). That has long since faded and so will the crazyness over the Cat 5. Nonetheless, Marucci has done a fantastic job of incorporating MLB stars into it’s advertising which is helping to stoke the fire.

Here’s what Marucci has to offer in 2012:

Marucci 2012 The Black BBCOR Baseball Bat
The Marucci Black is their new entry for 2012 and brings them into the hybrid category.

Continue reading →

Learn What The BBCOR Baseball Bat Standard Is, and Why It’s Important.

BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution), the baseball bat standard that replaced BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio)

Many are still confused with the BBCOR standard and exactly what it means. Here’s a very simple explanation.

Rather than measuring the ratio of the ball exit speed to pitch and bat speeds (like BESR), BBCOR measures the trampoline effect of the bat. With the BESR standard, when a pitched ball made contact with an alloy or composite bat, the barrel would flex inward somewhat and the ball would retain a portion of its energy. This resulted in hits that were longer and harder. Wood bats don’t have that give to them and the ball loses much of its energy upon impact. The BBCOR standard ensures that non-wood bats perform more comparably to wood bats in an attempt to level the playing field.

It also accounts for how bats perform after they’ve broken in. Since the dawn of composite bats, it was found that the more they were used the better they performed. This led to tampering with the bats to artificially accelerate the break-in process and improve bat performance (rolling anyone?). With BBCOR, bats are now tested after various stages of simulated use in the lab, so that a bat never performs beyond the BBCOR standard at any point during its useful life.

All Nike College Teams Released from Baseball Bat Commitment!

Looks like every college under contract with Nike has been let out of its commitment to use Nike baseball bats during the upcoming season. This is due to tremendous backlash from college teams that used Nike BBCOR bats last season. These teams showed signs of substandard offensive performance when compared to teams using non-Nike bats. The Tuscaloosa (AL) News broke the story, this is their article that was released on September 13, 2011:

TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama, along with every college under contract with Nike, has been released from its obligation to use Nike baseball bats in the upcoming season.

Alabama requested that Nike allow the school to use other manufacturers’ bats following the 2010-11 season.

Continue reading →

Everything You Need to Know About The BBCOR Bat Standard.

This new BBCOR standard measures bat performance and replaces the previous BESR standard. The NCAA (college) began requiring BBCOR starting with the 2011 season. For NFHS (high school) play, all bats must be BBCOR certified for the 2012 season and beyond. BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) is no longer considered accurate enough to determine the actual performance of differing bat models.

Instead of measuring the speed of the ball after it is batted, BBCOR measures the “bounciness” of the ball and bat, or the “trampoline” effect. When a bat hits a ball, the ball actually compresses / deforms by nearly a third at high pitch velocities.

Continue reading →

Here are Oure Reviews of the Easton Power Brigade Bats

Easton’s long awaited Power Brigade series has finally hit the market. This lineup follows Easton’s format of offering a 100% composite two-piece bat, hybrid two-piece bat and 100% alloy bat. The difference is that they will come in two different series. The Speed Series has a low (Easton says the lowest) swing weights (MOI), and the XL Series has a higher swing weight (MOI) and claims to have a longer barrel. The pricing is the same for both series, it’s just a matter of preference. All of the Brigade bats are BBCOR certified.

The Speed Series Bats:

S1 – Two-Piece IMXTM Composite

Continue reading →

The BBCOR Standard Has Made An Impact on Baseball.

We all know the BBCOR standard began on January, 2011 in NCAA baseball and January, 2012 in High School baseball. So what are the results?

First some background, BBCOR stands for “Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution” and it focuses on how much of a trampoline effect the barrel of a bat has on a ball. It was created to ensure that aluminum and composite bats play similar to wood bats, but it also accounts for how bats perform after they’ve been broken in. The fact that composite bats broke in, therefore exceeding the old BESR standard, was the primary reason for the change.

Also, many don’t know that College baseball officials have been gradually taking the pop out of bats for more than a decade. The turning point was the 1998 College World Series, when there were a record 62 home runs in 14 games. Southern California’s 21-14 championship-game win against Arizona State featured seven home runs and 39 hits.

Continue reading →

Little League Bans Compsosite Bats in Major Division.

No surprise that Little League has, as of 12/30/10, banned composite bats in their Major League division (9-12 years old). This was just a matter of time. Although they are calling it a moritoriam it is unlikely to ever be reversed. Here is their official announcement:

By Communications Division
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.
December 30, 2010

Little League International has placed a moratorium on the use of composite bats in the Little League (Majors) Division and all other baseball divisions of Little League, effective immediately.

“Today’s decision of the Little League International Board of Directors Executive Committee is based on scientific research data from the University of Massachusetts (Lowell), which was contracted by Little League Baseball,” Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, said. “The maximum performance standard for non-wood bats in the divisions for 12-year-olds and below is a Bat Performance Factor (BPF) of 1.15. The research found that composite bats, while they may meet the standard when new, can exceed that standard after a break-in process.” Continue reading →

Little League Bans Composite Bats in 13 – 18 Year Old Divisons.

Little League baseball has banned (or suspended) composite bat use in their Junior League (13-14), Senior League (15-16) and Big League (17-18) divisions. It does NOT apply to their Major League (9-12) division which is where most kids play. Their statement, released on September 1, 2010 is listed below:

A moratorium on the use of composite bats in the Junior, Senior, and Big League Baseball Divisions of Little League was enacted on Aug. 27, 2010, by the Little League International Board of Directors, effective immediately. The moratorium shall be in effect until further notice by Little League International.

The moratorium covers all games and practices only in the three divisions referenced above. It closely follows a similar moratorium approved in July 2010 by the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS), based on a recommendation from its Baseball Rules Committee. The NFHS Board enacted a rule to prohibit the use of composite bats until they can produce consistent compliance with the standards through the life of the bat. Continue reading →