Big Ten Summer Baseball - Being Studied

Baseball does not belong being played in the early spring. The NCAA needs to go to wooden bats and play later into the summer. By changing to wooden bats it eliminates the need for all these summer leagues and makes them more ready to compete in the minor leagues. If this happened I think you would see schools in the B1G take off and be more competitive.
 
ssckelley said:
Baseball does not belong being played in the early spring. The NCAA needs to go to wooden bats and play later into the summer. By changing to wooden bats it eliminates the need for all these summer leagues and makes them more ready to compete in the minor leagues. If this happened I think you would see schools in the B1G take off and be more competitive.
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The Big 10 going to summer by themselves is not a good idea. They are just going to concede each year that no one is going to the CWS. At least there is a carrot that it is possible to get there for the kids. They have had some teams that have been very close to getting there in the past 10 years, things just didn't fall there way.

The NCAA playing in the summer is not going to help the players be ready for minor league baseball more, they will be less ready because they will get to play about 1/2 the amount of games not having a summer league schedule. The bats already function like wooden bats (without the hassle of breaking them).
 
One reason the Big Ten will go to summer ball, the BTN. Programming for the summer months. Look for more summer sports seasons; softball, tennis, golf.
 
HawkI101 said:
The NCAA playing in the summer is not going to help the players be ready for minor league baseball more, they will be less ready because they will get to play about 1/2 the amount of games not having a summer league schedule. The bats already function like wooden bats (without the hassle of breaking them).
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I disagree, the ball comes off the bat way different off metal than it does wood. The fact that High School & College use metal bats is the reason why they need these summer leagues and low minors. Until they play in these leagues they do not have a sure way to evaluate hitters. If the NCAA went to wooden bats I think there would be more interest in college baseball and they could put the season further into the summer.

eyekwah said:
One reason the Big Ten will go to summer ball, the BTN. Programming for the summer months. Look for more summer sports seasons; softball, tennis, golf.
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I agree, the BTN desperately needs summer programming. Screw the college WS, these midwest teams are not competing at that level anyway. The B1G could really set themselves apart from the rest of college baseball by doing this.
 
Couple things to consider:

First regarding the bats, since the NCAA implemented the BBCOR bats last year the home runs dropped nearly 50%. That is a huge number. So the bats aren't nearly as hot as they used to be and hit a lot more like wood, not saying exactly but a lot closer. Main difference being you don't snap it if you hit it under the label. Also keep in mind the $$ involved with these bats. The manufacturers use the college teams to market these bats to the high schoolers and little leagues accross the country. The bat companies I'm sure have their hand in it some way or another, whether giving $$ to the NCAA or something. They don't want to go to wood because they can't market the wood to the younger kids unless all the high schools and little leagues go to wood. When seeing a CWS team using a model of metal, the sales skyrocket. Rawlings never hardly sold a metal bat until S. Carolina used them and won it, now they have sold a ton of that model.

About the schedule, one thing to keep in mind is the MLB draft is early June. They want these guys in their system right after the draft. If the colleges played summer ball, the kids would either A) have to leave school to sign or B) have to wait all the way till the following year to play pro ball. The MLB teams won't go for this, no way they want their future investment playing college ball and risking injury. It is the same reason you see Iowa High School players that have gotten drafted high not play their Senior Season of High School, because their agent won't let them so they don't risk injury before signing and also the team that drafted them wants them in the minors asap if they are paying them.
Just not really a perfect system. About the only thing I can think of is changing the MLB draft to postseason like all the other sports. I don't believe any other major sports have their draft during the middle of their actual season. Change the MLB draft to November, then have them signed and ready by spring training???

Just my two cents.
 
bogey, you will never convince me about the bat thing. I could care less how close they are to wood, make them play with wooden bats.

But the draft can stay where it is. MLB is taking very little to no risk drafting college players and letting them continue to play college ball, IF they are using wooden bats. When MLB drafts players after they sign them they usually go play rookie ball anyway. The B1G going to wooden bats and scheduling more games in the summer would almost make them like a minor league.
 
ssckelley said:
bogey, you will never convince me about the bat thing. I could care less how close they are to wood, make them play with wooden bats.

But the draft can stay where it is. MLB is taking very little to no risk drafting college players and letting them continue to play college ball, IF they are using wooden bats. When MLB drafts players after they sign them they usually go play rookie ball anyway. The B1G going to wooden bats and scheduling more games in the summer would almost make them like a minor league.
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Not trying to convince you of anything. Just stating the facts, 50% drop is pretty dramatic.

So are you stating that the bats is the risk the MLB teams have right now of a draftee playing college ball? I remember Tyler Colvin getting a punctured lung by a wood bat 2 years ago. Name any employer who will pay a person a $1-2 million but tell them to go ahead and work somewhere else for awhile? Not going to happen. Rookie ball is still playing for the team that drafted you, just a low level. Many do go right to A ball to though.

I'm in no way against wood bats, I sell them myself. They just aren't the cause of really many issues right now.

Another thought, if guys have already signed, but are still playing college ball they really can't be considered an amateur anymore right? Not to mention class is done. Just not much "student" in the student athlete if no class and you've already signed.
 
ssckelley said:
bogey, you will never convince me about the bat thing. I could care less how close they are to wood, make them play with wooden bats.

But the draft can stay where it is. MLB is taking very little to no risk drafting college players and letting them continue to play college ball, IF they are using wooden bats. When MLB drafts players after they sign them they usually go play rookie ball anyway. The B1G going to wooden bats and scheduling more games in the summer would almost make them like a minor league.
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That costs money that the league doesn't have from what I understand.
 
ssckelley said:
bogey, you will never convince me about the bat thing. I could care less how close they are to wood, make them play with wooden bats.

But the draft can stay where it is. MLB is taking very little to no risk drafting college players and letting them continue to play college ball, IF they are using wooden bats. When MLB drafts players after they sign them they usually go play rookie ball anyway. The B1G going to wooden bats and scheduling more games in the summer would almost make them like a minor league.
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The new bats are made so they have the same "pop", or ball exit speed as the best wooden bat that is made. Serious question, why do you think should they play with wood?
 
bogeyman said:
Not trying to convince you of anything. Just stating the facts, 50% drop is pretty dramatic.

So are you stating that the bats is the risk the MLB teams have right now of a draftee playing college ball? I remember Tyler Colvin getting a punctured lung by a wood bat 2 years ago. Name any employer who will pay a person a $1-2 million but tell them to go ahead and work somewhere else for awhile? Not going to happen. Rookie ball is still playing for the team that drafted you, just a low level. Many do go right to A ball to though.
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That was a fluke, but I will say I have seen more shattered bats over the past couple of years than ever in history and hopefully that is getting fixed. But a ball hit off a wooden bat versus a metal bat is completely different and can be dangerous. People have died as a result of a batted ball. This can be a whole topic by itself.

Bottom line is if B1G is going to look at changing their schedule to play more games in the summer then they need to make themselves more of a minor league and this includes to looking at using wooden bats for conference games. OOC games they should still use the metal bats as it puts them at a competitive disadvantage not using them. Not many players are getting drafted very high out of the B1G right now and those that do would have a decision to make to either finish the season at their school or sign right away and go to the minors. These players that are getting drafted in the later rounds most MLB teams probably will not mind waiting to sign them as they do not have much invested.
 
ssckelley said:
That was a fluke, but I will say I have seen more shattered bats over the past couple of years than ever in history and hopefully that is getting fixed. But a ball hit off a wooden bat versus a metal bat is completely different and can be dangerous. People have died as a result of a batted ball. This can be a whole topic by itself.

Bottom line is if B1G is going to look at changing their schedule to play more games in the summer then they need to make themselves more of a minor league and this includes to looking at using wooden bats for conference games. OOC games they should still use the metal bats as it puts them at a competitive disadvantage not using them. Not many players are getting drafted very high out of the B1G right now and those that do would have a decision to make to either finish the season at their school or sign right away and go to the minors. These players that are getting drafted in the later rounds most MLB teams probably will not mind waiting to sign them as they do not have much invested.
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50% is not a fluke. 10-15% would be a fluke. I coach baseball, I have seen guys hit with the new vs. the old. Just trust me, the 50% is a legit sign the bats are far less explosive. That and my players hate the new ones because they have no pop.
Again though, MLB teams aren't concerned with this. They are concerned with their new draft pick having a coach that throws a guy 155 pitches or something dumb.
 
No the injury to Colvin was a fluke. I believe you on the numbers of the new metal bats but for me it still is not good enough. If they are more comparable to wooden bats then just make the switch and be done with it. You will always have metal bats for softball and that is where they belong.
 
ssckelley said:
I disagree, the ball comes off the bat way different off metal than it does wood. The fact that High School & College use metal bats is the reason why they need these summer leagues and low minors. Until they play in these leagues they do not have a sure way to evaluate hitters. If the NCAA went to wooden bats I think there would be more interest in college baseball and they could put the season further into the summer.



I agree, the BTN desperately needs summer programming. Screw the college WS, these midwest teams are not competing at that level anyway. The B1G could really set themselves apart from the rest of college baseball by doing this.
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The new BBCOR bats actually do hit an awful lot like wood. Not exactly, but pretty damn close.
 
ssckelley said:
No the injury to Colvin was a fluke. I believe you on the numbers of the new metal bats but for me it still is not good enough. If they are more comparable to wooden bats then just make the switch and be done with it. You will always have metal bats for softball and that is where they belong.
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Bat companies won't likely go along with college switching to wood. There simply isn't enough wood to go around to cover that.
 
tm3308 said:
Bat companies won't likely go along with college switching to wood. There simply isn't enough wood to go around to cover that.
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Yes this is another issue too.

And Kelly I am old school too, I love wood bats and like I said even sell them and would be happy to get you a few ;) The $$ and just practicality of it all just isn't gonna make it happen is all I'm saying. The new BBCORs is a pretty good compromise, however I am waiting to see how this High School season goes to see if the High School game is affected negatively by them and pitching just dominates too much. The big strong D1 athletes definitely needed a change as it was dangerous and numbers skewed.
 
tm3308 said:
Bat companies won't likely go along with college switching to wood. There simply isn't enough wood to go around to cover that.
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You have more info on this? Not that I do not believe you as I do. Something is going on with the wood or the quality of it as these bats shattering have been getting worse and worse and is dangerous.
 
ssckelley said:
You have more info on this? Not that I do not believe you as I do. Something is going on with the wood or the quality of it as these bats shattering have been getting worse and worse and is dangerous.
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Not nearly as many bats are being made with ash anymore because of the emerald ash borer. Also, the players also want smaller handles with more weight in the barrels, which make them less durable. Those are two big reasons for the rise in the number of shattered bats.
 
ssckelley said:
You have more info on this? Not that I do not believe you as I do. Something is going on with the wood or the quality of it as these bats shattering have been getting worse and worse and is dangerous.
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I don't have a link for it, but I remember one of the bat companies saying last year that there wasn't enough wood (that is good enough for bats) to handle a switch to wood exclusively by colleges. And as you said, bats are shattering more and more, but the major leagues will always get first dibs on the high quality stuff. BBCOR is about as close as it gets.
 
99topdawg said:
Not nearly as many bats are being made with ash anymore because of the emerald ash borer. Also, the players also want smaller handles with more weight in the barrels, which make them less durable. Those are two big reasons for the rise in the number of shattered bats.
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That, and the quality of most ash bats aren't your father's ash bats. Those were legit bats. Maple is now usually the best way to go, especially at the high school level. The ash bats you most commonly find now are cheaply made.
 
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