Bats

I thought I would begin a semi-regular series exploring the gear that we use. With bats, I am a compulsive experimenter, and I have spent way too much money trying to figure out what kind of bat suits me best.

I started with a 26-oz Easton Reflex, which was damaged in a very cold weather batting practice early in 2008. I then bought a 30-oz Miken Freak composite, which lasted for most of the 2008 season. I replaced it with a 28-oz DeMarini Doublewall Distance AND a 34-oz Easton Cyclone, and switched between them depending on whether I wanted to direct the ball, or hit with power. For the 2010 season, I used another 26-oz Easton Reflex, after trying a 27-oz DeMarini Creature two-piece composite that never really hit well despite being very expensive. This year, I have a 30-oz DeMarini Ultimate Weapon.

Every bat I've ever owned has been 34 inches. I don't know why you'd want less plate coverage, but if anyone can explain, please do.

I noticed that some great hitters use rather pedestrian bats, a case in point being Brian Hernandez swinging a low end 30-oz Easton singlewall, and consistently smacking the crap out of the ball.

There are a few different variables-- material, weight, balance. I also own a 34-oz Worth that is marketed as a "Clincher" bat. It's extremely end-loaded, and it feels like a sack of cement at the end of a broomstick, and the only success I've ever had with it is pitching to other people who are swinging it. I prefer a balanced bat, which feels lighter than it really is, to an end-loaded bat. And the more I hit, the more I think the hitter's reflexes and physical condition have far more impact on how well the ball travels than most bats do.

As far as weight goes, 28 to 30 ounce bats seem to combine the best of both worlds, at least for me. A hitter with very strong arms and wrists might need a 34-oz bat, whereas someone who struggles with bat speed might want a 26 or a 27.

There are three different kinds of bat construction-- singlewall, doublewall, and composite. Singlewall are the cheapest bats, and most of them still perform well. Several different grades of aluminum alloy are used, if that sort of thing matters to you. I've tried to avoid using the cheapest grade. Doublewalls and composites are more expensive, and generally don't last as long, either. I was happy with the one doublewall I owned, and I think one-piece composites are far superior to two-piece composites. And a good singlewall bat performs almost or just as well as its more expensive counterparts.

As far as bat manufacturers, I buy almost exclusively DeMarini and Easton, and I did a lot of research into the subject before buying anything. I didn't read too many good things about the lower-end Worth and Louisville Slugger bats. Some of the really high-end bats aren't ASA legal, which limits their utility. The one dud DeMarini I bought was ironically the most expensive one. Their midrange bats are pretty excellent, as are Eastons. I would only avoid the super-cheapo Easton Hammer.

My first two high-end bats had a lifespan of less than a season. They seemed to develop dead spots, and not drive the ball as well as they had before. I wonder if this was psychological-- maybe I was just in a slump and chose to blame the bat. With the doublewall, this may have been the case, as I gave it to Don Weiss, who still hits hard line drives with it.

I'd love to know what everyone else thinks about this. Please comment below!