coresoftball 20

It's a sad time for DFP....and it makes me angry. Core/Todd has helped dozens - hundreds, maybe - of DFP members select the correct bat for their DDs, has provided them the best possible pricing, and given excellent service every step of the way. Not only that, but he did it by rules dictated to him by Wilson. Todd also made an extra effort to generate a tremendous amount of data for the Bat Weight Database - this is a time consuming process. A majority of the weights listed are from the data Todd provided from each new shipment of bats he received. There have also been multiple instances where Todd has donated equipment to local players in need of assistance.

The decision by Wilson to put Core out of business hurts the softball community. Their decision isn't about selling more bats. It's about pushing the business to their dealers that sell bats at full retail price. It's about squeezing more out of the pockets of softball families. It's pure corporate greed.

Personally, this will affect my own buying decisions, and my recommendations to those who ask for my opinion. Unfortunately, Wilson's crushing of Core has made it so I no longer have a good place to send someone to buy a different brand. At this point, the best I can suggest is to refuse to buy at full retail price. If a Demarini or LS bat is the best fit for your DD, buy last year's model.

I hate this...

Eric F said:

At this point, the best I can suggest is to refuse to buy at full retail price. If a Demarini or LS bat is the best fit for your DD, buy last year's model.

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And this is when we will see prices skyrocket on older models. Already starting.


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Westwind said:

They want you to pay full retail, and worse yet they want you to buy from some putz that doesn't know what he's talking about. That part is infuriating to me. Nobody in those big box stores has a clue.

Todd/Core understands the product lines and has given really good advice publicly and privately over and over again. That is worth it's weight in gold to parents who just want to get the right bat in their kids' hands without being an equipment junkie. He has done more to help educate parents than the marketing drivel the bat companies put out. Providing good info to buyers helps create buyers who are willing to buy more product.

There is also a big retailer, one that specializes in bats and I am shocked how bad the advice is when people ask questions on their site. Basic questions, is this bat end loaded or balanced, is this a good bat for this purpose...."Of Course is is a good bat for that, every bat we sell is the awsomest ever"

It just happened on this site a few days ago: Question: should I replace a -10 LXT with a -8 LXT. Answer by a "Product Specialist": "If your daughter used to swing a Rocketech she can handle this bat". Really..... Yeah one of the most end loaded bats ever made replaced by a super heavy balanced bat. Ever heard of MOI? Ever swing a RT? The RT is going to be +1,2,3 oz over the -9 sticker weight but most kids won't feel it in the swing. A sawlog LXT? That's going to take a really unusual hitter to swing well. But even if she can swing it, those two bats are apples and oranges. Heavy end loaded and heavy balanced are NOT similar in any way.

Really honks me off.

I'm sickened.

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Great post Westwind! Todd and Eric, these two guys together with the bat weight database have done more to help us and the average softball dad make an informed bat decision or bat purchase than all the pimple faced 18 year old employees at DSG combined!! Thanks to you two, I appreciate it. Todd (Core), I hope this isn't the last we hear from you and I wish you all the success in whatever you do!

Thanks folks...Its been a rough little time for us. I poured my heart into this business and I felt we did everything the RIGHT way. It wasn't about money to me, but helping a sport I love (sp and fp), and helping the people that also loved the sport along with the hard working
people that wanted equipment for their kids but didn't have the extra money to spend on it. Heck, when I gave hitting lessons, my payment was a cup of coffee and a bagel in the morning. And when I went to watch their games, the parent had to have a cold beer for me . That money people saved could go towards food, bills and whatnot. That's what made it right by me.
And when I had some extra bats that I could afford to give away, I felt the right thing to do was help great kids that couldn't afford bats but loved the game. To give them something they could call their own at the field and the parent didn't have to spend money they didn't have. I was brought up
by hard working middle class parents and I am working middle class.

I wasn't in business to just sell bats, I wanted the parent to be sure and have the right bat. I would feel terrible if somebody bought a bat on my watch and it wasn't the right bat. Which is why I didn't push sales, I let the information lead the person to the right bat. Whether it was now, or a month later. And the reason why I weighed a hundred bats when I got a new shipment in...so folks could have more info.

I guess it wasn't the RIGHT way to run a business in hind sight. I should have screwed people over and tried to make 150 bucks a bat like these scumbag stores do.

This week, I will post a thank you to everybody and a email or two. I would really appreciate it if I could get a nice amount of people from DFP to email the addys I give to voice their opinions. I don't hold any hope out, as again, money runs the fastpitch market, not good people. So I don't hope for any change of their minds, but would like for them to know
that the 8 years wasn't a waste of time and that my customers weren't just numbers and Core wasn't just some store.

Who knows, some big store that lurks on here could have cried their hearts out to Wilson about
how the owner couldn't buy yet another car because of little guys like us.

maksoftball said:

And this is when we will see prices skyrocket on older models. Already starting.

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It would take only one year of the fp market cutting back purchases to throw the rich (big stores and manufacturer) into an all out disaster frenzy.
No joke there.

But again, would never happen and they know it. Which is why they can do things like this. They know the majority will pay whatever they have
to, to get a new bat from whoever they have to.

And that leaves what, Easton?


I hope that is not a stupid question.

Hence the problem...they know exactly what they were doing. They have the two best selling products out there
so they call the shots no matter who they screw over or ruin. As long as POS's like O'Brien
has a cushy job and fat paycheck along with all the big owners.

They also fired a couple really nice guys who worked for Louisville last year. Guys that worked there for
many years. But again, who cares whose lives they ruin.

They know Easton can compete in sales nor can Rawlings. Until people stop buying, they will do anything they want...plain
and simple.

This is sad. I brought my daughter's Xeno off Core back in November. I was literally just going to look into purchasing an LXT. I'm sorry this happened to you Coresoftball 20. I wish you best of luck in whatever you do.


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BobInMadison said:

And that leaves what, Easton?


I hope that is not a stupid question.

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I would put the Rawlings Quatro up against a balanced -10 Demarini CF-series, or an LS LXT.

Unfortunately, for players needing a different weight/feel, Wilson is in control of the market. Taking dealers like Core out if the game, Wilson is controlling your choices, even if you want to buy a different brand.