Justification For 2-Strike Bunting? - Page 3

Baby Ruth · 01-07-2022, 04:41 PM

Nice story. It always bothered me that by the time my kids were young everybody was using metal bats. It just doesn't seem...right.

Pelican · 01-09-2022, 02:14 PM

Now that we’ve hijacked this two-strike bunting thread, I’ll say I have to agree with you. My great concern when my kids were young was how fast the ball could come off a metal bat even with a nine-year-old swinging. Less time in the field to adjust, at a point when they were still learning. As a result all the fielders play deeper, but no bunts to speak of (two strikes or otherwise!). Harder for young infielders to throw anybody out. And, for the handful who would ever play professionally, metal bats yield a lot of “cheap” contact - meaning not squarely meeting the ball, but still getting a bloop hit or chopped ground ball. Wood bats would lower that BABIP considerably. I recall one justification for the change being that metal bats last forever. Untrue. They may not saw off or break in two, but they definitely crack (fracture) and lose their integrity. I have faint hope that the trend will reverse itself. Artificial turf is all but gone (on baseball fields); and while the DH persists and is spreading like a virus; maybe wood bats will make a comeback with amateurs. (2 out of 3 not too bad)

01-07-2022, 04:41 PM	#41
Baby Ruth All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Reading Posts: 632 Infractions: 0/2 (3)	Nice story. It always bothered me that by the time my kids were young everybody was using metal bats. It just doesn't seem...right.

01-09-2022, 02:14 PM	#42
Pelican Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Wilmington, Delaware Posts: 3,022	Now that we’ve hijacked this two-strike bunting thread, I’ll say I have to agree with you. My great concern when my kids were young was how fast the ball could come off a metal bat even with a nine-year-old swinging. Less time in the field to adjust, at a point when they were still learning. As a result all the fielders play deeper, but no bunts to speak of (two strikes or otherwise!). Harder for young infielders to throw anybody out. And, for the handful who would ever play professionally, metal bats yield a lot of “cheap” contact - meaning not squarely meeting the ball, but still getting a bloop hit or chopped ground ball. Wood bats would lower that BABIP considerably. I recall one justification for the change being that metal bats last forever. Untrue. They may not saw off or break in two, but they definitely crack (fracture) and lose their integrity. I have faint hope that the trend will reverse itself. Artificial turf is all but gone (on baseball fields); and while the DH persists and is spreading like a virus; maybe wood bats will make a comeback with amateurs. (2 out of 3 not too bad)