ASA donuts on end of bats

[riotact]

No, you can not warm up with it. The on-deck batter must have either a legal softball bat, a legal warm-up bat, or any combination of the two.

A bat filled with sand is NOT a legal softball bat. How does the sand get in there and stay there? The bat is altered in some fashion (usually drilling and then plugging), and how are we to know that this alteration will hold up?

There's one team I know of that has taken an old metal bat, drilled a hole where the end cap would be, filled it with sand or concrete, then used a BOLT to plug the hole! And somehow, they fail to see how this is dangerous!

If I have a bat, that looks exactly like an old approved bat, your telling me the average umpire is going to tell me to put it away?? Your killing me. No ump in the world will catch that, when 50% of them don't even know the Synergy2 and Freak100 are banned in ASA.

There is no penalty for "warmup" devices anways, just a warning is my guess

 

[InACanoe]

can someone tell me why its illegal to put a donut on the end of a bat in asa?

ASA umps are a LOT like rental cops and mall security. Putting a Donut on the bat would distract him from calling balls and strikes... Especially the powdered ones.

 

[NCASAUmp]

Because I dont feel like switching my bats in and out of my bag every time I play? Thats a very good way to forget a bat. It was my roller bag, and the two bats were zipped up in the compartment. She unzipped the bag and pulled them out. Good thing she was nice, I almost told her to GTFO out of my bag and what I had in there was none of her business.

For playing in multiple leagues under different rulesets, I can understand this, which is why I don't push the issue much at all in leagues.

But in tourneys, it's a little different. There's a bit more at stake here, and I'd rather head trouble off at the pass before an honest mistake results in an ejection and, subsequently, someone's ineligibility for the remainder of the tournament. Let's all have fun out there.

 

[NCASAUmp]

If I have a bat, that looks exactly like an old approved bat, your telling me the average umpire is going to tell me to put it away?? Your killing me. No ump in the world will catch that, when 50% of them don't even know the Synergy2 and Freak100 are banned in ASA.

There is no penalty for "warmup" devices anways, just a warning is my guess

Hey, rules are rules, bro. Every association has similar requirements for what can or can't be in the on-deck circle. The penalty is that I stop the game and tell the player to put it away (thus, shining a big friggin' spotlight on the guy who didn't get the memo), and if he refuses, then he gets a one-way ticket to the parking lot.

They are idiots. I don't know them but doubt they are very good. I fail to see, safe or not, how it would help their game.

They're actually one of the better teams in the area, but I suspect there's, well... "More going on."

ASA umps are a LOT like rental cops and mall security. Putting a Donut on the bat would distract him from calling balls and strikes... Especially the powdered ones.

I prefer jelly doughnuts, thank you very much. Especially raspberry. Got any?

 

[GrandCherokee]

They're actually one of the better teams in the area, but I suspect there's, well... "More going on."

I guess I should quit assuming stuff.

 

[MONTARL]

lol can't tell if a guy is swing a heavy bat r u kidding me!

 

[NCASAUmp]

I guess I should quit assuming stuff.

Well, let's just say that they do have a lot of talent, but there are the typical rumors.

 

[bb666b77]

So this goes back a few years, 2002/2003 Anyways I pick up this "worth" bat sleeve weight.... basically a weight donut but it was rubber and would slide over your bat...

I had numerous Umps tell me it was illegal to use it on a bat, cuz it could fly off the bat.... well at first i'm like WTF it slides onto the bat and sticks tightly.... well someone happend to grab my bat one time and use it to warm up, before the game even started, and bam.... off goes the sleeve lol...... i guess after a few too many times of puttin it onto a bat and getting it past the "taper" the sleeve expanded and wouldnt fit tight anymore......

Now obviously its not a iron donut, but still i now see the reasoning behind it...

On the flip side, i havent had a umpire in ASA or NSA say anything about the Bat Donut i use......

Now for the guys who ask why do you need to use a weighted bat to warm up?????? I do it cuz I like to loosen up my body, yes i am 33 and i still need to "get" loose..... even on league nites I tend to take 2 or 3 rounds of bp before going to leagues..... And then I still stretch and swing my bats w/ donuts to loosen back up... And yes I do just swing a bat w/ bat donut while on deck....I do that so when i grab my gamer it feels lighter to me....

that sleeve was a legal bat weight,and yes i have seen mine go flying.it was real hot(close to a 100 degrees that day)and i think it just stretch out from the heat also.i now use the swing sock.

in response to the ones who don't need a warm up bat,guess your shoulders and such are always loose.i don't use it just before i bat tho,just swing my gamer.

 

[baseman]

Local umps tried to tell me it was becasue the donut style weights can scratch the bat and as such possibly break the bat. I laughed at him and put a peice of paper towel between the bat and weight and he said i was gtg.

 

[johnsonrod]

Or the point that many of these home-made bats are heavier than what many players can handle. What these guys don't get is that you cannot swing these things in the same manner as their regular bat and when someone tries it can be dangerous. And it only takes one injury out of the tens of thousands occurences a year for it to cost ASA, Bollinger and Markel millions of dollars

But I have to agree to one thing, I don't understand why these he-men need to "warm-up" to swing a toothpick.

cmon, you cannot be serious.

when i warmup before i lift, i "swing" 10 lb barbell weights in my arms, which are much much heavier than any warmup bat. no one has ever said this was too dangerous.

when doing some demo-ing, ive swung a sledge hammer, i dont recall the OSHA frowning upon this activity.

how is a bratt bat or dirx bat or whatever safer than swinging a piece of rebar?

if asa were truly concerned with preventing injuries, why would they not require helmets for players and face shields for pitchers???? how many ppl have died already this year from these seemingly preventable injuries?

as far as your final statement, so its perfectly acceptable for baseball players to swing warmup devices but not softball players? now youre just letting your personal biases get in the way of rational though

 

[NCASAUmp]

cmon, you cannot be serious.

when i warmup before i lift, i "swing" 10 lb barbell weights in my arms, which are much much heavier than any warmup bat. no one has ever said this was too dangerous.

when doing some demo-ing, ive swung a sledge hammer, i dont recall the OSHA frowning upon this activity.

how is a bratt bat or dirx bat or whatever safer than swinging a piece of rebar?

if asa were truly concerned with preventing injuries, why would they not require helmets for players and face shields for pitchers???? how many ppl have died already this year from these seemingly preventable injuries?

as far as your final statement, so its perfectly acceptable for baseball players to swing warmup devices but not softball players? now youre just letting your personal biases get in the way of rational though

He said "many," not "all."

And as for your 10 pound weights, have you ever taken physics? If so, do you recall lessons about torque?

 

[rlopezjr1977]

Use one of those swing socks they work just as well.

 

[BretMan]

how is a bratt bat or dirx bat or whatever safer than swinging a piece of rebar?

The warm-up bats have something that resembles a handle, knob and grip, don't they? All things required on regular bats to keep them from slipping out of a batter's hands.

A piece of rebar has...those little raised ridges, I guess?

as far as your final statement, so its perfectly acceptable for baseball players to swing warmup devices but not softball players? now youre just letting your personal biases get in the way of rational though

Most all amateur baseball rule codes prohibit what can be used for warming-up in the on-deck circle.

 

[Dutch Touch]

I was just in an Asa tourney this weekend and the guy told me to take it off because he though it might fly off but I thought how could this thing come off? We are allowed to use those sleeve weights but those don't do to much IMO.

 

[riotact]

Hey, rules are rules, bro. Every association has similar requirements for what can or can't be in the on-deck circle. The penalty is that I stop the game and tell the player to put it away (thus, shining a big friggin' spotlight on the guy who didn't get the memo), and if he refuses, then he gets a one-way ticket to the parking lot.

You wouldn't even know it wasn't approved, so I doubt you would be sending anyone anywhere. Be more concerned with the bats that are thinner and heavier at the end than they should be, not with some warmup bat someone custom made.

The rule is for guys out there swinging thundersticks, and things like that. Those things are spears....being swung. There is a reason lawn darts can not be bought anymore too. I totally understand that, but If i have an old ASA bat that I weight to 40 oz's to warmup with, I highly doubt you will even know it

 

[xLongBallx]

did someone say donuts?

 

[johnsonrod]

He said "many," not "all."

And as for your 10 pound weights, have you ever taken physics? If so, do you recall lessons about torque?

ill spare the brag post and just say i know more than my fair share of physics and im failing to get the reference here. T=F*r, ok so a 10 lb weight swinging in vertical circles with my arm as the fulcrum means what?????

my point is most ppl do way more "dangerous" stuff in their day to day activities than swinging a sand filled bat or a piece of rebar or a softball bat with a donut.

btw, every donut that had inside diameter specs online were either 2" or 2 1/8". how this is supposed to be able to come off a 2 1/4" bat is beyond me.

finally, one of my teammates has a wooden bat with the donut drilled on in 3 spots, how in the world is this more dangerous than someone swinging 2 softball bats.

instead of letting a little common sense come into the decision making process, it seems ASA just went with a decision that involves the least work.

 

[NCASAUmp]

You wouldn't even know it wasn't approved, so I doubt you would be sending anyone anywhere. Be more concerned with the bats that are thinner and heavier at the end than they should be, not with some warmup bat someone custom made.

The rule is for guys out there swinging thundersticks, and things like that. Those things are spears....being swung. There is a reason lawn darts can not be bought anymore too. I totally understand that, but If i have an old ASA bat that I weight to 40 oz's to warmup with, I highly doubt you will even know it

Actually, since I check every bat before the game, I have a pretty good idea as to which bats are legal and which ones aren't legal in each dugout. If I see you with a bat that I don't recognize, it catches my attention.

ill spare the brag post and just say i know more than my fair share of physics and im failing to get the reference here. T=F*r, ok so a 10 lb weight swinging in vertical circles with my arm as the fulcrum means what?????

I'm glad you know your physics. So now you know why a lighter weight at a longer length will have a similar effect to a 10 pound weight at less than half the length of the fulcrum.

my point is most ppl do way more "dangerous" stuff in their day to day activities than swinging a sand filled bat or a piece of rebar or a softball bat with a donut.

btw, every donut that had inside diameter specs online were either 2" or 2 1/8". how this is supposed to be able to come off a 2 1/4" bat is beyond me.

finally, one of my teammates has a wooden bat with the donut drilled on in 3 spots, how in the world is this more dangerous than someone swinging 2 softball bats.

instead of letting a little common sense come into the decision making process, it seems ASA just went with a decision that involves the least work.

As we've pointed out, ASA isn't the only association that has this rule. Now, I can't speak for the other organizations and how they handle their umpires, but if they're letting these things go, then they're not enforcing the rules as written. This means they're not doing their jobs. At that point, why even have a rule book?

 

[irishmafia]

ill spare the brag post and just say i know more than my fair share of physics and im failing to get the reference here. T=F*r, ok so a 10 lb weight swinging in vertical circles with my arm as the fulcrum means what?????

my point is most ppl do way more "dangerous" stuff in their day to day activities than swinging a sand filled bat or a piece of rebar or a softball bat with a donut.

btw, every donut that had inside diameter specs online were either 2" or 2 1/8". how this is supposed to be able to come off a 2 1/4" bat is beyond me.

finally, one of my teammates has a wooden bat with the donut drilled on in 3 spots, how in the world is this more dangerous than someone swinging 2 softball bats.

instead of letting a little common sense come into the decision making process, it seems ASA just went with a decision that involves the least work.

Common sense, obviously something for which you don't have the formula, would dictate that a player purchase a piece of legal equipment to use in their sport. All the money players waste on goofy looking uniforms and illegal bats and ostentatious equipment bags, but skimp on something so simple.

Back when men played the game, most didn't swing anything lighter than 32oz bat, and quite a few as heavy as 38oz. Swinging that a few times will loosen you up plenty. Then again, if you are still trying to "get loose" at that point in the game, you aren't ready to play.

 

[NCASAUmp]

Common sense, obviously something for which you don't have the formula, would dictate that a player purchase a piece of legal equipment to use in their sport. All the money players waste on goofy looking uniforms and illegal bats and ostentatious equipment bags, but skimp on something so simple.

Back when men played the game, most didn't swing anything lighter than 32oz bat, and quite a few as heavy as 38oz. Swinging that a few times will loosen you up plenty. Then again, if you are still trying to "get loose" at that point in the game, you aren't ready to play.

Hell, when I was 12, I used to swing a 34 ounce bat. Gave the ball a good knock, too.

 

[johnsonrod]

Common sense, obviously something for which you don't have the formula, would dictate that a player purchase a piece of legal equipment to use in their sport. All the money players waste on goofy looking uniforms and illegal bats and ostentatious equipment bags, but skimp on something so simple.

Back when men played the game, most didn't swing anything lighter than 32oz bat, and quite a few as heavy as 38oz. Swinging that a few times will loosen you up plenty. Then again, if you are still trying to "get loose" at that point in the game, you aren't ready to play.

but when the legal equipment is so narrowly defined and also very stupidly defined then its an "issue"

is a donut drilled onto a wooden baseball bat more dangerous than a swinging 2 softball bats?

if youre answer is yes, then you must live in a bubble and never venture out into the dangerous world (sarcasm)

if youre answer is no, then you must have a problem, however small and inconsequential, with the way the warm up rule is written.

 

[BC23]

haven't read up on it....but are weighted sleeves illegal if a donut is illegal?

 

[irishmafia]

but when the legal equipment is so narrowly defined and also very stupidly defined then its an "issue"

The only thing narrow around here is your vision. There are more than a sufficient number of legal warm-up bats or attachments.

is a donut drilled onto a wooden baseball bat more dangerous than a swinging 2 softball bats?

if youre answer is yes, then you must live in a bubble and never venture out into the dangerous world (sarcasm)

if youre answer is no, then you must have a problem, however small and inconsequential, with the way the warm up rule is written.

Are you the same whiney little brat on the field that you are here? Do you pout every time you don't get your way?

Maybe we should just let put a license on any vehicle with four wheels and point them toward the interstate. Brakes? Who needs ****ing brakes, they'll just slow you down.

Do all the intelligent people a favor and just don't play ASA since they don't suck your **** like you prefer.

Where's that ignore button?

 

[freakazoid]

You can swing a sand filled bat to warmup with. Heck, you can use a painted ultra, you just can't step in the box with it.

not true... ive been told more than once by different umps that even your warmup bat must be asa approved. no donuts only sleeve weights.

 

[irishmafia]

not true... ive been told more than once by different umps that even your warmup bat must be asa approved. no donuts only sleeve weights.

Not approved, but marked as a warm-up bat which means that any piece of equipment manufactured to be a warm-up bat is allowed. The only ASA requirement other than the marking is that if there is not a grip on the handle it must be taped the same as a regular bat.

 

[NCASAUmp]

Not approved, but marked as a warm-up bat which means that any piece of equipment manufactured to be a warm-up bat is allowed. The only ASA requirement other than the marking is that if there is not a grip on the handle it must be taped the same as a regular bat.

I'm sorry, Irish, but my understanding of 7-1-B is otherwise.

 

[irishmafia]

I'm sorry, Irish, but my understanding of 7-1-B is otherwise.

Actually, I concede that issue, but based on 3.2.

Yes, there is a list, but let me ask you this: When was the last time you have had an umpire take a list of approved warm up bats into the dugout and checked for an ASA stamp?

And I think you will find it difficult to find a manufactured warm up bat that isn't approved by ASA.

 

[johnsonrod]

The only thing narrow around here is your vision. There are more than a sufficient number of legal warm-up bats or attachments.

Are you the same whiney little brat on the field that you are here? Do you pout every time you don't get your way?

Maybe we should just let put a license on any vehicle with four wheels and point them toward the interstate. Brakes? Who needs ****ing brakes, they'll just slow you down.

Do all the intelligent people a favor and just don't play ASA since they don't suck your **** like you prefer.

Where's that ignore button?

thats a funny way of saying that an ASA rule doesnt seem to be the most optimally written.

and nope, no whining on the field.

 

[johnsonrod]

I'm glad you know your physics. So now you know why a lighter weight at a longer length will have a similar effect to a 10 pound weight at less than half the length of the fulcrum.

i understand what you are trying to say, but angular velocity would be the most appropriate principle. torque would be best used to describe the turning of a bolt, or the moment of a cantilever.

 

[NCASAUmp]

Actually, I concede that issue, but based on 3.2.

Yes, there is a list, but let me ask you this: When was the last time you have had an umpire take a list of approved warm up bats into the dugout and checked for an ASA stamp?

And I think you will find it difficult to find a manufactured warm up bat that isn't approved by ASA.

I very rarely find an actual warm-up bat in dugouts. Most players just swing whatever sticks they've brought.