Baseball Bats

[Harvey Mushman]

Hi everyone. New guy here. Is there anyone out there making baseball bats? My cousin's little kid is a huge baseball fan and a pretty good little leaguer. I thought a custom made bat would make a great Christmas gift. So I turned an ash bat and it came out great. Any thoughts on how to apply a logo? It is too late to do anything but make a decal with a print program on the computer. Silk screen maybe. Would anyone know of a good reliable laser engraver for any future bats?

Also, being that this is my first bat, does anyone have any advice for a newbie bat maker?

 

[John Altberg]

Harvey,

I have made a number of bats and have experimented with applying logos. A laser engraver would be great, but I bet a bit expensive! What I have done is make a logo on the PC, print it up and tape it to the bat. From there I use a wood burner to trace the logo directly onto the bat. Looks a bit rustic, but it does echo the look of the old time wooden bats which I believe were branded. Also make sure that you orient the logo across the grain so that when the bat is used logo up the long, straight grain makes contact with the ball.

Dimensions are also very important for proper weight distribution throughout the bat. Unlike a softball bat, the baseball bat has a constant taper from the barrel down through the handle. The link below is to PSI and is an excellent set of instructions on how to achieve the proper taper.

Regards,

John

http://www.pennstateind.com/library/BBAT_ins.pdf

 

[Harvey Mushman]

John, Thanks for the info. It is a great help.

 

[Jim Stoppleworth]

What John did plus one step. Took the PC created logo, taped it along with a piece of carbon paper on the bat, traced over it and burned the logo from the carbon paper tracing. The logos I've done have included the person's signature who is getting the bat. If you look at my nickname you should be able to tell what 'ville Slugger my signature bats are.

Stoppy

 

[john lucas]

Harvey it's not to expensive to have lazar engraving done. Check around your town and see who does it and ask prices. For one or two it might be a little price but I didn't think it was outrageous when I looked in to it. It's very reasonable if you have a few dozen done. It's less expensive if you furnish the artwork. Find out what programs they can use and how to size it.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Doesn't the league mandate aluminum bats? They have less inertia, thus allow a faster swing by lesser-armed youngsters. Better distance from a hit, but the sound is nowhere. I used to catch, and there were few balls out of the infield until we got our first growth spurt in the days of wooden bats.

 

[Harvey Mushman]

Thanks to all for your input.

Aluminum bats are mandated by Little League for all sanctioned games. But, there are pending legislations and suits to eliminate the aluminum bats. I guess the extra energy that is created by an aluminum bat is causing some injuries to the kids that cannot yet react to a harder hit ball. Also, there are size and weight regulations to consider.

Remember the "good ole' days" when you could tell how well you hit the ball by the "crack of the bat". With the aluminum bat, whether you make perfect contact or not, ya get that same loud "tink"! There is just something about a wooden bat.

Be Well.

 

[John Altberg]

I have been a league official for a number of years in my city. Wooden bats are not disallowed by Little League proper, they are just seldom used. One must be a much better hitter in order to use wood since they are much less forgiving than aluminum. A flare off the handle of an aluminum bat can go for a base hit, while off the wood it is most likely an easy out. My boys discovered wood this past summer when they played in a wooden bat tournament. They were quite surprised to find that they could indeed hit with the wood quite successfully.

It is too bad that wood has gone by the wayside. I have spoken with college coaches that have had players drafted into the minor leagues and wash out because they never learned to hit wood.

Below are the bat rules taken from the Little League rule book:

2007 Little League Baseball®​

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BAT REQUIREMENTS​

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Regulation 1-10 of the 2007 Official Playing Rules:​

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1.10 - The bat must be a baseball bat which meets Little League specifications and
standards as noted in this rule. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or of material and color tested and proved acceptable to Little League standards. It shall not be more than thirty-three (33) inches (34 inches for Junior; 36 inches for Big and Senior League) in length, nor more than two and one-quarter (2 ¼) inches for Little League, 2 ¾ inches for Junior, and 2 ¾ for wood-2 5/8 non wood for Senior and Big League in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenth (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30") at its smallest part. Bats may be taped or fitted with a sleeve for a distance not exceeding sixteen (16) inches (18 inches for Junior/Senior/Big League Baseball) from the small end. Senior/Big League baseball a bat shall not weigh, numerically, more than three ounces less than the length (in inches) of the bat (e.g., a 33-inch-long bat cannot be less than 30 ounces).

Regards,

John​

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