Am I Captain Oblivious?

2TransAms

2TransAms

Droppin' 280 ft bombs
Had an ump in a fairly competitive league tell me that "2/3 of the bats out here are shaved". I said I would have guessed much less, he said no, at least half are doctored and gave a "what can you do" shrug. Maybe I just assume that everybody plays by the rules, so that's news to me. Discuss amongst yourselves.
 
Dexb0t

Dexb0t

Entertainer
We don't have competitive leagues around here, but I'm just going to relate that to a tournament on any given weekend. I'm sure there are more out there than we know about but I think 2/3 might be a little bit much. I could be oblivious as well though..
 
blldwg23

blldwg23

Coach
I doubt it is that high around here but I may also just be naive. I'd think at worst half are and it is prolly much lower than that.
 
D

Dakota Deerwood

Addicted to Softballfans
DEXX said:
We don't have competitive leagues around here, but I'm just going to relate that to a tournament on any given weekend. I'm sure there are more out there than we know about but I think 2/3 might be a little bit much. I could be oblivious as well though..
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Depends on what team it is (certain teams pretty much everyone uses them) but if I had to make an educated guess, I would say 25% of the guys playing tournament ball use them.
 
WarHorse

WarHorse

Star Player
It's starting to become a problem around here. It's not terrible yet, maybe one or two teams use them in a league rotation of 10 teams, but with the internet making bat shaving readily available, it's getting there.

Shaved bats < gym membership.
 
2TransAms

2TransAms

Droppin' 280 ft bombs
Dakota Deerwood said:
Depends on what team it is (certain teams pretty much everyone uses them) but if I had to make an educated guess, I would say 25% of the guys playing tournament ball use them.
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That's what I would have guessed, maybe 25% on the high end. But I could be the only one swinging a stock bat for all I know. Makes sense though, that if bats are getting tested for tourneys then guys would just swing them in league where apparently nobody GAF.
 
chrometip78

chrometip78

The Hungarian Barbarian
2TransAms said:
Had an ump in a fairly competitive league tell me that "2/3 of the bats out here are shaved". I said I would have guessed much less, he said no, at least half are doctored and gave a "what can you do" shrug. Maybe I just assume that everybody plays by the rules, so that's news to me. Discuss amongst yourselves.
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Only the teams that beat us use shaved sticks.......

It's so common around here nobody fusses about it, just keep playing. I get more upset when I'm accused of swinging glass but I don't hear it firsthand most of the time. You can't tell if someone is swinging glass by sound or distance. Only way to know is by playing on different teams and hearing who brags about it and who the doctors are.

Joker said:
TX, CA, and FL: this is true
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Some correlation to weather, more glass in the warmer climates.
 
S

stepup

Coach
On our weekend team everyone is swinging stock. I know that for a fact. As for the other teams. I would bet there are alot more than you would ever realize. I am not gonna sit here and put us on a pedestal about how we are better than that or that we don't cheat. The thing that stops us is not a single one of us are prepared to hurt a pitcher with an illegal bat because we do hit middle and we hit it hard. I know there have been other teams hit at our pitcher with shaved bats but thats on them. It's just a recreational sport and none of us are prepared to be responsible for a lifelong injury playing the game we love. It's just not worth it.
 
spos21ram

spos21ram

The Legend
2/3 in league play? No Fn' way. Tournaments that's a close estimate if we are talking 2/3 of teams. 2/3 of players in a tournament is a little steep.
 
edvedsfb

edvedsfb

Addicted to Softballfans
Before we went to league provided bats I would've said that in our top men's division where I play, the precentage of shave sticks was probably at 75%. I say that from knowing the guys on the team and most were pretty open about it. Also, one of the umpires where I play was one of the guy that shaved bats. Everyone just thought it was part of the game here. The lower level guys did it cause they thought it was cool. Made it really annoying for the ones that decided to keep it clean. Going to league provided bats has been the best thing that's happened here in a long time. Really leveled the playing field.
 
WarHorse

WarHorse

Star Player
Gotta make this point: it's rec league. Bats are being nerfed to make the game safer. Why the hell would you risk a lawsuit like that by bringing a glass bat?
 
PPC#12

PPC#12

Manager
I must be naive too.... There is no way id believe that for one minute. That amount of dbags would probably like to but don't have access to a lathe/know what to do. Or want to pay to have it done by one of those stupid a$$ companies everytime they break one every couple weeks. If I'd have to guess id say less than 5% of bats out there are shaved... Now rolled or broken in in an illegal way that's another story.
 
killer mike

killer mike

Addicted to Softballfans
Don't know really who does or who doesn't. Unless it's a well known shaver.

What I really hate is a well known shaver with no bat control. Stupid dangerous right here....
 
T

TonyB

Addicted to Softballfans
I've noticed that the better I get, the less shavers I notice.
WarHorse said:
Gotta make this point: it's rec league. Bats are being nerfed to make the game safer. Why the hell would you risk a lawsuit like that by bringing a glass bat?
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How many people get hit by shaved bats? How many of them get seriously hurt? And how many of them know they were hit by a shaved bat and press charges? Not many in my experience.
 
Dexb0t

Dexb0t

Entertainer
That's probably part of the reason why people keep doing it. It's going to take something serious to happen before people are held accountable
 
louconn

louconn

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
i've played for like 10 years and i've only suspected a shaved bat maybe 5 times if that.
 
Debo03

Debo03

Addicted to Softballfans
louconn said:
i've played for like 10 years and i've only suspected a shaved bat maybe 5 times if that.
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Man, you're either extremely naive or play in an extremely honest area.

As for the OP, I've played in quite a few different states and and it definitely does vary regionally, or from area to area.

More common in some areas than others so it does tent to be contagious..
Kinda like when you play a team that is notorious for it. I think about half the guys on teams like that never would have swung glass if they weren't playing with a bunch of dudes that do. It's the same way in different areas.

But overall, I'd say the actual number is around 10-15%. 1 or 2 per team on average.. Some teams where almost all swing glass, and some that don't have anyone that swings them.
 
S

stick282

Addicted to Softballfans
Everybody here swings dirty! This is the reason I don't play much anymore. I would say 90% here swing shaved bats, I guess it's true "if u ain't cheating then u ain't trying"!!
 
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