kingjammy24
08-24-2006, 02:55 PM
Boston Globe: Bashing some myths about bats and balls
August 24, 2006
Q: Are maple bats better than ash bats?
A: There's no difference. Barry Bonds used a new maple bat during his record-setting 2001 season but, according to Jim Sherwood of UMass-Lowell's Baseball Research Center, any difference was probably in his head. "Our testing has shown there's no difference between maple and ash," Sherwood said.
Q: Does corking your bat help?A: No, at least when you're talking about distance. Hollowing out a wood bat and filling it with cork makes it lighter, which makes it possible to swing faster. "But the thing is, when you take the weight out, you're also taking the power out of the bat, too," Sherwood said. "You're not going to hit the ball any farther with a corked bat than a solid-wood bat." A corked bat could increase a batting average, however, because a lighter bat would be easier to swing.
Q: Are aluminum bats much more powerful than wood?
A: Not for long. Sherwood and Drane have been working to narrow the performance gap between the two types of bats, using wood as a benchmark for their testing of aluminum and composite bats. High-tech bats have the potential to be much lighter and more elastic than wood, but the NCAA was looking to rein in the new technology when it turned to UMass-Lowell. Today, Sherwood said, regulations on aluminum and composite bats certified for college and high school games have brought the performance very close to that of the best wood bats.
Q: Is the Major League ball "juiced?"
A: If it is, it hasn't been juiced any further since the Lowell program started in 1998. Sherwood and Drane have been dissecting Rawlings-made balls two or three times a year and have found that they meet Major League Baseball specifications for hardness. They have also tested the World Series ball every year since pitchers complained the ball was too hard in the 2002 Series. "By early September, typically," Sherwood said, "we've looked at the World Series ball and given it our thumbs up."
August 24, 2006
Q: Are maple bats better than ash bats?
A: There's no difference. Barry Bonds used a new maple bat during his record-setting 2001 season but, according to Jim Sherwood of UMass-Lowell's Baseball Research Center, any difference was probably in his head. "Our testing has shown there's no difference between maple and ash," Sherwood said.
Q: Does corking your bat help?A: No, at least when you're talking about distance. Hollowing out a wood bat and filling it with cork makes it lighter, which makes it possible to swing faster. "But the thing is, when you take the weight out, you're also taking the power out of the bat, too," Sherwood said. "You're not going to hit the ball any farther with a corked bat than a solid-wood bat." A corked bat could increase a batting average, however, because a lighter bat would be easier to swing.
Q: Are aluminum bats much more powerful than wood?
A: Not for long. Sherwood and Drane have been working to narrow the performance gap between the two types of bats, using wood as a benchmark for their testing of aluminum and composite bats. High-tech bats have the potential to be much lighter and more elastic than wood, but the NCAA was looking to rein in the new technology when it turned to UMass-Lowell. Today, Sherwood said, regulations on aluminum and composite bats certified for college and high school games have brought the performance very close to that of the best wood bats.
Q: Is the Major League ball "juiced?"
A: If it is, it hasn't been juiced any further since the Lowell program started in 1998. Sherwood and Drane have been dissecting Rawlings-made balls two or three times a year and have found that they meet Major League Baseball specifications for hardness. They have also tested the World Series ball every year since pitchers complained the ball was too hard in the 2002 Series. "By early September, typically," Sherwood said, "we've looked at the World Series ball and given it our thumbs up."