Different size bat barrels? Authentication question...

[Murph4Prez]

I recently picked up a Dale Murphy B310 from 80-83. Today I received a Murph B310 from the 86-89 era of LVS, because the (R) is present after Louisville Slugger under Dale Murphy on the bat barrel.

I thought the barrels looked different. I measured the 80-83 barrel, and it was roughly 7.75 inches around at the "B" in B310. The 86-89 bat was roughly 7.5 inches around.

Is this common/legitimate? Thanks for your help!

[EricTheRed44]

I have no answer to your question, but here is a recent article about Murphy you may find entertaining.

Also.... I havent seen Dale Murphy in 20 years... Seeing the pic of him, I feel old. We are all getting old!

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/08/chad-murphy-argues-for-his-dad-dale-murphy-to-get-into-the-hall-of-fame/

Enjoy,
Joe

[Murph4Prez]

Isn't that a great letter from his son?

I have heard a few people saying Dale is campaigning for the HOF. He doesn't have anything to do with what his kids want to do. If they are passionate about something he supports them.

It's ridiculous he's not in the HOF already. But, with this being his last year on the ballot, I'd rather see the Veteran's Committee vote him in. Look at the former players who make up the Vet's Committee, and you'll understand why. I value their opinion a great deal more than a bunch of sportswriters.

[CampWest]

I believe the bat barrel maximum diameter allowed in pro baseball is not more than 2.75". I do not believe there is a regulated minimum.

7.75 / 3.14 (Pi) = 2.46"
7.5 / 3.14 = 2.39"

So not a huge diameter difference. Not sure if the B310 changed or if there was an acceptable tolerance and deviation in production. Both barrels are in accordance with MLB rules, so I doubt you would have any authentication issues.

[CampWest]

I've also noted a similar difference between a couple C271s I have from the same labeling period, caught my attention because one of them the barrel seemed smaller than normal... bat A 2.45", bat B 2.35". Both are 33.5" long...

[CampWest]

I've also noted a similar difference between a couple C271s I have from the same labeling period, caught my attention because one of them the barrel seemed smaller than normal... bat A 2.45", bat B 2.35". Both are 33.5" long...

gahh, posted before I finished my thought. My thought is that they may have been working the barrels larger or smaller based on potentially differing desired weight of the bat and/or the differing densities of the wood may have led to a slightly larger or smaller barrel for the same desired weight. With Ash wood density would be evidenced by the grain pattern, in maple, they have low density maple which allows larger barrel and more flex without added weight but more prone to breakage.

[Murph4Prez]

Thanks for the info... just want to make sure I'm not getting duped.

[CampWest]

from maxbats.com

Bat Barrels

Let's start with barrel size, because that's really the most important feature of a bat. Most players who don't have a lot of experience with wood bats will gravitate towards the biggest barrel they can find, because "bigger is better", correct? Not with wood. At MaxBat, we want to put the absolute best piece of lumber in your hands, therefore we design a multitude of models, but most of them have a moderate to medium barrel diameter.
What gives a bat its' strength is the density of the wood. Simply put, the smaller the barrel, the higher density billets are used in production. Bat models that have large barrels require us to use lower density billets. And since density equals strength, smaller barreled bats will always be stronger and have more pop than the larger barreled bats.

Wood bats have a solid barrel and the baseball will compress (instead of the barrel) when making barrel contact. Because there is no trampoline effect from wood bats, we need to think of ways to help give the player more lift and carry when hitting a baseball. The way to do that is to put more backspin on the ball, and you don't need to be a seasoned professional in order to do this.

This brings us back to the "big barrel vs. small barrel" argument. Which is better? Well, because the diameter of the smaller barrel has greater curvatures than the bigger barrel, you're able to put more backspin on a baseball with your natural swing, thus giving it more lift and carry. Whereas hitting a ball squarely with a large barreled bat can often result in the baseball "knuckling" off the barrel, limiting its' distance.