Cheap(ish) 240 comp. bats....

[TWmccoy]

Is anyone producing/selling an affordable 240 compression USSSA bat? I need to get one at some point this year, but I have zero desire to spend $270+. Everything I'm seeing right now is just expensive AF.

I don't need anything with ridiculous pop. Durability and ability to hold compression are more of a concern.

I'd settle for something along the lines of a Ronin or Salvo.

 

[EAJuggalo]

I'd say give it a month or two if you can. From what I'm hearing there were so many production delays that they just aren't out there in decent numbers yet. Easton isn't going to release a 240 like a Ronin or Salvo until they've got their player models made and out.

When's your first Conference Event?

 

[jbo911]

I would assume all the dual stamps will be released eventually, but I'd assume the store can hook you up once they do.

 

[TWmccoy]

I'd say give it a month or two if you can. From what I'm hearing there were so many production delays that they just aren't out there in decent numbers yet. Easton isn't going to release a 240 like a Ronin or Salvo until they've got their player models made and out.

When's your first Conference Event?

May, in Mansfield, TX. I'll figure something out. I just don't know what bat I even want yet. I have like 30 "old" stamp USSSA bats.

 

[dunkky]

ok, please educate me because this is something that I can't understand. Not asking out of disrespect, i am just curious.

what in the world would you travel that far to play softball? I mean at least conference players got some motive behind, what about the rests?

I personally, would not even travel 3 hours to play softball. that's just me. I just can't justify, spending all the expenses, lodging, flight, etc so i can play softball tournament.

 

[Redsfan]

Dunkky. When I used to travel to play it was fun to see and play new teams. When we played just in central Ohio you had to play the same teams every tourney. One tourney 3 out of the final 4 teams were from our league. Felt like a boring league night. My mom also played when I was a kid and her team went clear to Oklahoma City to the Worlds or whatever it was called back then. I guess it just depends on how much you like to play.

 

[jbo911]

ok, please educate me because this is something that I can't understand. Not asking out of disrespect, i am just curious.

what in the world would you travel that far to play softball? I mean at least conference players got some motive behind, what about the rests?

I personally, would not even travel 3 hours to play softball. that's just me. I just can't justify, spending all the expenses, lodging, flight, etc so i can play softball tournament.

Outside of world, i stopped traveling mostly once i had kids. I spent one other night away a couple of years ago at the location where worlds was going to be, but we have family there too so it worked out like that.

 

[jlee]

I have a 26 NR Easton coming in I could sell for rather cheap. I dont know which model they are sending me.

 

[TWmccoy]

ok, please educate me because this is something that I can't understand. Not asking out of disrespect, i am just curious.

what in the world would you travel that far to play softball? I mean at least conference players got some motive behind, what about the rests?

I personally, would not even travel 3 hours to play softball. that's just me. I just can't justify, spending all the expenses, lodging, flight, etc so i can play softball tournament.

Uh.... I hate to say it, but all sorts of people travel to play softball. I've played in probably 10 different states.

It can get expensive, but it's fun. Most of the places I've ever been in my life I'd have never seen if not for softball travel.

 

[dunkky]

it makes sense. It's a softball trip but it's a vacation at the same time, get to see new places and all. Playing different teams are bonus. I don't have funds for that and my life is occupied too much with kids.. well. mansfield is my home territory. Welcome to Texas TW!

 

[TWmccoy]

it makes sense. It's a softball trip but it's a vacation at the same time, get to see new places and all. Playing different teams are bonus. I don't have funds for that and my life is occupied too much with kids.. well. mansfield is my home territory. Welcome to Texas TW!

I've played in TX a couple times before. Houston and Lubbock.

 

[dunkky]

Mansfield is all turf, BLD. those fields are too small for you.. 280ish...

 

[EAJuggalo]

ok, please educate me because this is something that I can't understand. Not asking out of disrespect, i am just curious.

what in the world would you travel that far to play softball? I mean at least conference players got some motive behind, what about the rests?

I personally, would not even travel 3 hours to play softball. that's just me. I just can't justify, spending all the expenses, lodging, flight, etc so i can play softball tournament.

Once you get above a certain level you have to travel in order to find tournaments in large parts of the country too. I live in WI, there is no USSSA program at all, and the USA state tournament had 4 C teams the last time it was held. There is a very good B team that has to travel to play, when I lived in MN there was one AA team, one A team, two B teams and maybe a half dozen C teams. You might see a couple tournaments for the C teams but you're playing the same teams every weekend. Even for me to umpire I have to travel. I worked 43 games last year. 14 Men's major in Ohio, 5 Women's Major in Ohio and 24 at Worlds in FL. This year I'm looking about about 80 where we play strike zone and probably another 100 of mat ball. My first tournament is the end of this month in Euless, then other than leagues at home I'll have to go to Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and Viera.

 

[dunkky]

Never thought of it that way. That's true, most are e or d tournaments. not that many upper levels. I do believe there are more talents out there, but it think this softball attracts more of avg joe than good athletics. They don't take underhand throw balls seriously.

 

[Redsfan]

25 years ago there were C tournaments everywhere. We really didn't have to travel much more when we moved up to B. Now that I've been back playing for the last 3 years I've noticed, at least around here, that softball players take sandbagging to a new level. I play with and against several C or better players that only play E. The mindset of moving up and getting better doesn't seem to exist any more. They don't want to practice either. I don't get it. That's why there are D/E tournaments almost every weekend here.

 

[dunkky]

25 years ago there were C tournaments everywhere. We really didn't have to travel much more when we moved up to B. Now that I've been back playing for the last 3 years I've noticed, at least around here, that softball players take sandbagging to a new level. I play with and against several C or better players that only play E. The mindset of moving up and getting better doesn't seem to exist any more. They don't want to practice either. I don't get it. That's why there are D/E tournaments almost every weekend here.

yeah, i see that drama here in Dallas too, blow up in Facebook every month.. lol I don't understand the point of sandbagging. If I am good, i want to compete against other goods, not scrubs, that's how you get better. People cry so much when a association classed them C

 

[jbo911]

25 years ago there were C tournaments everywhere. We really didn't have to travel much more when we moved up to B. Now that I've been back playing for the last 3 years I've noticed, at least around here, that softball players take sandbagging to a new level. I play with and against several C or better players that only play E. The mindset of moving up and getting better doesn't seem to exist any more. They don't want to practice either. I don't get it. That's why there are D/E tournaments almost every weekend here.

Softball is stupid. You can't even compare it to softball 15 years ago, and it wasn't in a good place then.

Sandbagging is dumb, and so is the equipment. I'd fix the equipment first, because the sandbagging will largely be a non issue if they do.

The percentage of people that can hit at their level or higher, but can't field at that level is only getting worse. Until the bats and balls are reigned in the sandbagging will always be more justified. I pitched a c tournament in Tampa Florida in around 2010. I wasn't wearing a helmet yet, so I'm guessing the year. The balls being hit in d right now are about the same, and i have to dress like a goalie or worry about missing work to play. It's completely stupid.

Sandbagging is on the associations too. An e team can have 2 d players, and people appeal down all the time. It's totally dumb. You can play c, and the next year appeal down and play e. That makes no sense. This is a top down problem too. I've known one or two teams to get bumped to c and not break up, and both of them went out and got all new players to compete. The difference between c and d shouldn't require going our to pick up b players, but it does in today's game.

 

[Redsfan]

You know they will never change the equipment. Too much money to be made with players trying to buy their talent. I'm not up on all the rules on how many upper level guys can play down and etc. My main complaint is the mentality of many players now. I always, and still do, enjoy playing against better teams. I get more out of it than run ruling a team after 3 innings. I don't see players think that now. When we play the best team in the league we will have guys say they have other plans that day. WTF? And defense, don't get me started on that. I guess turning 50 has made me a grumpy old dude. Haha.

 

[TWmccoy]

Mansfield is all turf, BLD. those fields are too small for you.. 280ish...

I know. I've played at BLD in Houston and Vegas. Those things are tiny. I wish they'd have major tournies on larger fields. With Pro Ms it'll be HR derby.

 

[EAJuggalo]

25 years ago there were C tournaments everywhere. We really didn't have to travel much more when we moved up to B. Now that I've been back playing for the last 3 years I've noticed, at least around here, that softball players take sandbagging to a new level. I play with and against several C or better players that only play E. The mindset of moving up and getting better doesn't seem to exist any more. They don't want to practice either. I don't get it. That's why there are D/E tournaments almost every weekend here.

If you're in the Cincinnati area I can understand that, that seems to be one of the few areas of the country where there is some semblance of local upper ball. But everybody wants to be the big dog and play down, personally I'd rather play above my class until the end of the year.

The percentage of people that can hit at their level or higher, but can't field at that level is only getting worse. Until the bats and balls are reigned in the sandbagging will always be more justified. I pitched a c tournament in Tampa Florida in around 2010. I wasn't wearing a helmet yet, so I'm guessing the year. The balls being hit in d right now are about the same, and i have to dress like a goalie or worry about missing work to play. It's completely stupid.

Sandbagging is on the associations too. An e team can have 2 d players, and people appeal down all the time. It's totally dumb. You can play c, and the next year appeal down and play e. That makes no sense. This is a top down problem too. I've known one or two teams to get bumped to c and not break up, and both of them went out and got all new players to compete. The difference between c and d shouldn't require going our to pick up b players, but it does in today's game.

Absolutely agree with the first paragraph, how many guys spend hours in the cage every week all winter, then show up to the first game not having fielded a ground ball since the previous year?
You are allowed 3 D players on an E team, which in my mind is fine, but don't allow people to appeal back down to E. That's on both the association and moreso on the the state directors. We all know certain directors that pretty much rubber stamp appeals, I really shouldn't be seeing a guy at E worlds that was pitching in the Conference three years ago. I think there is a system out there that fixes the issues, but someone has to care enough to do it and enforce it.

I know. I've played at BLD in Houston and Vegas. Those things are tiny. I wish they'd have major tournies on larger fields. With Pro Ms it'll be HR derby.

Didn't turn out that way in Vegas last week. The 240's and Pro M's had over 100 fewer HRs than the 220's and Classic M's in 2019. From what I'm seeing at the dual there have been an awful lot of HRs left on the board so far this weekend.

 

[TWmccoy]

If you're in the Cincinnati area I can understand that, that seems to be one of the few areas of the country where there is some semblance of local upper ball. But everybody wants to be the big dog and play down, personally I'd rather play above my class until the end of the year.
Absolutely agree with the first paragraph, how many guys spend hours in the cage every week all winter, then show up to the first game not having fielded a ground ball since the previous year?
You are allowed 3 D players on an E team, which in my mind is fine, but don't allow people to appeal back down to E. That's on both the association and moreso on the the state directors. We all know certain directors that pretty much rubber stamp appeals, I really shouldn't be seeing a guy at E worlds that was pitching in the Conference three years ago. I think there is a system out there that fixes the issues, but someone has to care enough to do it and enforce it.

Didn't turn out that way in Vegas last week. The 240's and Pro M's had over 100 fewer HRs than the 220's and Classic M's in 2019. From what I'm seeing at the dual there have been an awful lot of HRs left on the board so far this weekend.

I can't really speak to the 240 bats (I've swung one once), but Viera can be a tossup. Depending on wind and heat, it can be very hard to hit HRs there.

On the big fields w/ stadium balls it isn't easy to hit HRs at all unless the wind is blowing out. I played down there a couple years ago on red Wilson, and I hit 4 HRs. I had to really lean on the ball to get it out.

The bats I swung in Viera last year at worlds were testing at 270, and the ball was coming off them fine.

Maybe it'll be hot enough in TX next month to deaden the Pro M a little.

 

[jbo911]

If you're in the Cincinnati area I can understand that, that seems to be one of the few areas of the country where there is some semblance of local upper ball. But everybody wants to be the big dog and play down, personally I'd rather play above my class until the end of the year.
Absolutely agree with the first paragraph, how many guys spend hours in the cage every week all winter, then show up to the first game not having fielded a ground ball since the previous year?
You are allowed 3 D players on an E team, which in my mind is fine, but don't allow people to appeal back down to E. That's on both the association and moreso on the the state directors. We all know certain directors that pretty much rubber stamp appeals, I really shouldn't be seeing a guy at E worlds that was pitching in the Conference three years ago. I think there is a system out there that fixes the issues, but someone has to care enough to do it and enforce it.

Didn't turn out that way in Vegas last week. The 240's and Pro M's had over 100 fewer HRs than the 220's and Classic M's in 2019. From what I'm seeing at the dual there have been an awful lot of HRs left on the board so far this weekend.

The other aspect we usually forget is the way people no longer want to split time anymore. People rarely move up because people are rarely mature enough to share time initially, or talented enough to move straight up and start. I know some stay up, but i play against a ton of people every year that try, just to drop back down, some of them mid season.