Shaved bat and what to do about it

[redhotcoach]

That is where parenting comes in. Imagine that, adults doing what they are supposed to do when they bring a child into this world. Or do you suggest we just keep everything a secret from the children so they can grow up ignorant of right and wrong?

So the parent who is responsible for the cheating should disipline the little girl who didn't know she was cheating? Or her coach should disipline her? Or do "we" just let her know her parents are cheats?

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I still want to know how the coach came to the fact the bat was altered? Could answer some important questions. Another parent? Was the bat indeed shaved? Are the accused parents even smart enough to know what a shaved bat is? Something smells funky, I been in this game a very long time and I've never even heard of an altered bat at 8u. Not even sure if a person could tell as they are too small to reach a reasonable good strong swing to maximize the shaved effect. The advantage would be very little. I have a shaved bat for homerun derby fundraisers, a 8u might get an additional 5-10 feet at the most.........the very most.

 

[2bucketdad]

I'd like to slap the snot out of the parents!

 

[chinamigarden]

I still want to know how the coach came to the fact the bat was altered? Could answer some important questions. Another parent? Was the bat indeed shaved? Are the accused parents even smart enough to know what a shaved bat is? Something smells funky, I been in this game a very long time and I've never even heard of an altered bat at 8u. Not even sure if a person could tell as they are too small to reach a reasonable good strong swing to maximize the shaved effect. The advantage would be very little. I have a shaved bat for homerun derby fundraisers, a 8u might get an additional 5-10 feet at the most.........the very most.

At 8u thats the diff between a singles hitter and a power hitter. I can hear the parents now. Did you see that smash. Man that balls out of the infield in just about every other park

 

[chinamigarden]

I can't believe people are surprised by this. We live in a world where $300 for a bat is considered normal and part of the game. Where parents buy their 10 and 12 year olds 5 bats to try to find the one that hits the ball an extra few feet. Cheating is wrong, don't miss what I am saying, but the reliance on equipment over skill, ability and practice is rampant in this game. I can't get over how much money parents pay for equipment, and expect the equipment to make the difference in a kids game. 10 year olds with $250 gloves, $125 cleats, $300 bats, $300 catchers gear... for a kid who wouldn't know the difference (and neither would anyone watching them) if they used a $50 glove, $50 cleats, Walmart special bats, and hand me down catchers gear.

You only need to move a tiny bit from buying a $300 dollar bat for an 8 year old to buying a shaved bat for the same player, its not that big of a jump on the scale of rational (irrational) behavior.

 

[llsoftball]

All good stuff guys!! I actually found out from a friend that coaches a competitors team. Another dad, friends with my dad, told my friend he had one for his daughter that he got from my dad. My friend approached me to see what I thought about it, because it was bothering him. I told him what I thought and he told his dad it was unacceptable. I know you guys say it doesn't make much difference but both the girls involved are very good hitters and hit the ball extremely hard. When a machine is throwing it down the middle at a good speed the ball comes off really hard. We were probably one of the top 5 teams in the state. The dad has yet to apologize and will not agree to stop using her new "Legal" bats unless I buy them from him. He claims the bat was an average bat that he tried to make good, but it didnt perform. Also immediately said I needed to worry about the safety of our girls because he knows teams are using them against us. Ironically my information tells me he supplied one of these bats to a girl from a competitor.

 

[flamethrower]

Sounds like he needs to go.

 

[barlowjames]

Was the bat indeed shaved? Are the accused parents even smart enough to know what a shaved bat is?

Loved the whole post but that part is really good.

I'm not industrious, or ethically challenged, enough to do it but anyone could make a killing by taking a $30 bat and selling it on e-bay for $400 saying it was shaved and rolled.

I think most of us know that proper instruction and practice will do more for a kids game then any amount of money spent on equipment but there will always be parents who truly believe that the only difference between their "Strike Out Princess" and a solid power hitter is the bat. And they will spend any amount of money, and break any rules, to do it.

As a side note I heard a discussion a while ago about drugs and athletes. Bear with me, I do have a point. The speaker said that the drugs, or in this case an illegal bat, is your trump card. You can play it whenever you want, but you can only play it once. When you play that card says a lot about what level of success you will achieve. If a player needs a $400 bat, or an illegal bat, to be able to make a team most likely that is the farthest they will ever go.

 

[redhotcoach]

Since 1970, six players have been caught using corked bats. The following table summarizes these events:

Player Team Date Suspension Offense
Sammy Sosa Chicago Cubs June 3, 2003 Eight games[2] Corked bat
Wilton Guerrero Los Angeles Dodgers June 1, 1997 Eight games Corked bat
Chris Sabo Cincinnati Reds July 29, 1996 Seven games; Reds fined $25,000 Rubber balls in bat[3]
Albert Belle Cleveland Indians July 15, 1994[3] Seven games Corked bat
Billy Hatcher Houston Astros August 31, 1987[3] Ten days Corked bat
Graig Nettles New York Yankees September 7, 1974 Ten days[3] Six super balls in bat

 

[llsoftball]

both dads involved play competitive slowpitch softball. several of my kids can hit balls to the outfield that roll to the fence to give you an idea of how hard 8 year olds are hitting these days.