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April 4, 2013 the wood	Topic: Bats Discussion: The "P413" is nearly ready Ed, Did you previously state your affiliation with GBC? If you did I missed it. When you posted on March 13 I got the distinct impression, correctly or incorrectly, that you were offering your input as an impartial observer. I commented at the time that this 'doubled' your credibility. I do not recall your correcting me. I did think that it was odd for you to just 'happen to be in the area' when you toured the SC factory. So just exactly how are you connected to GBC? If you will be selling their bats (or working for them in any capacity) the 'impartial' tag is no longer appropriate. Bear in mind that I do not have a dog in this fight... I never gave them any front money nor have I been waiting for this 'miracle' to come to life. For what it's worth, I did watch some guys hitting one of GBC's products last July in San Clemente, CA (Steed Park). The CEO of GBC was there 'measuring' the distance that the bp balls were going and verbalizing them to the other 2-3 guys. Let's just say that my interpretation of 380' and his differ greatly. I watched them for 10-15 minutes from both ends... near McKinley and near the hitter. The bat looked like nothing that I had seen before (color, graphics, etc.) as it looked pretty plain. The hitter was not hitting from home plate but from the right field corner. The wind was blowing in from that direction. Was this why he hit from there? I do not know as there could be other reasons. Was this one of the GBC senior prototypes? I cannot say since I never spoke with anyone there nor did I inspect the bat. Could have been some other bat. BW
April 4, 2013 the wood	Topic: Bats Discussion: Tuff Shield It's a thin rubber sleeve that costs less than $15. Assuming you don't tear the seam, it should last a real long time but I can only bear witness for the past 5-6 years... it did not come with an extended warranty. I just felt that it was financial risk worth taking. BW
April 3, 2013 the wood	Topic: Bats Discussion: Tuff Shield Taits: Before you call the suicide hotline, walk into a big box sporting goods store and buy one off the rack. I did so 5-6 years ago. The reason that I use it is to protect game bats on colder mornings (pre-game BP). Make sure that it is made for a softball bat though. Big box = chain stores such as Sports Authority, Sports Chalet, Dick's, Big 5, etc. Or... if you don't want to leave the friendly confines of your home/office go on Mike Kelly's web site. 'Perhaps there is just enough protection from the material used that it dampers the hit enough to keep from further damage for a short time'... I believe that this statement qualifies you for the 'keen eye for the obvious' category. BW
March 15, 2013 the wood	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: NEW COMBAT DIRTY No 'hitting the middle to friends' should leave it wide open for you... :-)
March 13, 2013 the wood	Topic: Bats Discussion: Gods Sports Company FACTS Ed, I trust you... I trusted you even before meeting you in BHC. I can put a face to the name with you. Your endorsement has meaning, IMO. You are a straight shooter and you're a Reebok rep... so your input has double credibility in my book. Perhaps after it's approved, the durability factor is known and all previous buyers are made whole (GBC's promise) this bat will get more acceptance. Until then it's just a bunch of unfulfilled vows. But your involvement should provide hope to those who have already paid into it. BW
March 12, 2013 the wood	Topic: Bats Discussion: Monsta Athletics Senior Bats As long as it works (Ultra II) why change? I only agree with Taits 50% of the time but he seems to be right on top of this one, IMO. I think that he's saying that GSC has not delivered yet, regardless of its name or who its CEo might be. I'd also say that he's been relentless in his pursuit of the truth. I cannot fault a man for this. BW
March 12, 2013 the wood	Topic: Bats Discussion: Monsta Athletics Senior Bats Omar: The bat that you describe has been made, tested, analyzed, approved, used and raved about. This occured 6 1/2 years ago and they usually sell for $150-200 w/o a warranty. Personally speaking, I prefer to spend less and have no warranty because I've never had to replace one in the 1st year. They are made in Canada at a real location. No one pays before they are 'on the market' and they aren't several months/years late on market arrival. Very well known people test them and give their feedback on them. These bats are made by Combat. Good luck to the guys who're expecting more. BW
March 3, 2013 the wood	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: 1-1 or 0-0 Gary, That's sort of like a republican asking a democrat to 'win him/her over' after the Nov 2012 election. As you stated, you 'are a strong advocate'... you're not likely to change your views. The difference in voter percentage was roughly 10% (55 to 45, or so)and clearly the proponents of the 1-1 count didn't make as good a case for it as they felt. IMO, this is because the Victor Vagues and Nebulous Neds offered little more than anecdotal dialogue. It takes more than passion. As SSUSA has pointed out, the difference in voter position has changed less than 1% since the previous vote. Why was Mitt Romney defeated? Wasn't it because the GOP's campaign did not reach enough voter niches? What is the GOP planniong to do differently for 2016? I don't know exactly but I'll bet the farm that it will change its underlying position. If I were you (or any of the other 1-1 proponents) I'd look for ways to make it more salient. Being critical of the opponents hasn't worked. BW
March 2, 2013 the wood	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: 1-1 or 0-0 Harold Stassen? Wow! Not that's one for the ages. :-) BW
Feb. 28, 2013 the wood	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: WHAT IS A MAJOR PLUS PLAYER? Tim, I am aware that you have worked with a lot of the senior guys in Nor Cal. But that is only one team and one part of the country. I will say though that Omen's pitcher, John Dorsett, has been pretty effective pitcher for several years... with Omen, MTC and perhaps with the Old A's. If you really want me to respond to your question you might stop changing the parameters. First you say 50 M and then change it 50 M+. Do I know someone Joe's age that pitches for a 50 team? No. Do I know of several guys playing 65s that can do what Joe does on the mound and/or at the plate? Yes, I do. Again, this is not meant ot be in any way demeaning to Joe. He definitely has some good skill sets. My point is that Joe isn't the only 65 player that does those things. But I've never been a big proponent of skills, tools or the like in of themselves. I've always been more moved by players that win. Aside from camaradarie this is why we play. To name a few would be detrimental to many but I'll name a couple that I've played with over the past few years, have won national events with us (multiple times), happen to be 65, have Joe's power and are on our current roster. Ron Danoski and Conway Waddy come to mind. Both play other positions as does Joe. Conway plays all 10 positions. We also have a couple of other pitchers who have been very instrumental for us but neither have Joe's power. You seem to be infatuated with power so I confined it Ron and Conway. Joe knows both of them. By the way, how old is Joe today? It has been a rough week for him... 63 on Monday, almost 66 on Wednesday. :-) BW
Feb. 28, 2013 the wood	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: WHAT IS A MAJOR PLUS PLAYER? RB, a M+ player is, IMO, anyone that can play at that level successfully. It isn't defined by power and this becomes more true with each ascending age group. It isn't defined by the number of 'alledged tools'. Granted, there are those with many tools and those with power. Turn Two has been one of the most dominant M+ teams over the past 8 years. Not all of their players are multi tool guys (3-5 tools) and not all have power. But every one of them know how to play at the M+ level and know how to win. Their team success isn't because of just 2-3 guys. Marv: I'll respond to your challenge of Feb 19. I did not run a tourney using the 3-2 count but I did play in one. We played in Palm Springs at the same time your tourney was going on. We played 5 games. Three went 7, 1 went 6 and 1 went 8. If we throw out the 8 inning game and just focus on the other 4 it's fair to say that we went 7 innings 75% of the time. Btw, we were allowed either 3 or 6 HRs (and then an out) as opposed to '1 up' and still played full games. So is 75% greater than 65%(hypothetical)? For what it's worth, no one hit HRs for an out (to my knowledge). You might say that our 5 games is a small sampling compared to the 64 that you mentioned. I'll concede this. But I can provide the SSUSA figures in LV (last fall) which includes a much bigger grouping. They used the 3-2 count, many more HRs (and then walks) and still had a higher percentage of 7 inning games. I do not personally believe that 65% is a figure that ought to generate pride... 1/3 of the time the games went less than 7. RB, I apologize for getting off the point of from your original post. BW
Feb. 28, 2013 the wood	Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: WHAT IS A MAJOR PLUS PLAYER? Tim, Have you even seen 65 teams play? There are a lot of guys that can pitch and hit in all parts of the order. This is not to take anything away from Joe. BW
Feb. 27, 2013 the wood	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Spring Worlds in Mesquite SSUSA STAFF: Better late than never... thanks for taking the time to weigh in on the issue of the baseball fields in Mesquite. While you list all 4 complexes for use in the Spring World, only 2 complexes will be in use for Session # 1 Men. Correct me if this is wrong... neither Old Mill Nor the St George fields will be used for the mens' games (SESSION 1). Pioneer Park - you 'anticipate that this will not be a problem to install'. Does this mean that they will do so or does it mean that if they were inclined to do so they could do it without a problem? Have they not had this ability over the past 4 years and, if they have, when did they install them? Hunter Park - 'there is no guarantee with the inability to drill into the artificial turf'. No guarantee? How do other facilities resolve this problem (those with turf)? As an example, how is it done in Woodland, CA? With all due respect, it doesn't sound as if there is real commitment on anyone's part to install temp fences. From our end, it's a certainty that we'd pay a $525 entry fee and drive an average of 500 miles to get there (each way). I am skeptical because we've been down this road before... we do the long distance traveling, pay the qualifier entry fee and arrive to find no temp fences on our field. I am sure that the facility had the ability to install them on the turf fields because they did so on the other two, which were turf. Some teams may only care a little bit about this, some may care a lot... but ALL of them deserve to know what is truly guaranteed and what isn't BEFORE THEY COMMIT TO IT... no more, no less. It should be a two way street. BW
Feb. 26, 2013 the wood	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Spring Worlds in Mesquite d45: There is another facility in Mesquite which is used for men's games (Hunter Park). I forget exactly where it is in relation to the other fields but it also has 3 fields. They are turf and two of them seem to be nice. The 3rd one is a baseball field with a 340-350' fence in center field and disruptive dirt cutouts at the bases, the mound and home plate. At least this is how it was when I was last there (2009). There are 6 men's fields in Mesquite, 2 of them need Park Rangers. BW
Feb. 25, 2013 the wood	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Spring Worlds in Mesquite d45: I think that you are correct when you say that they are not likely to do so. Even though the entry fees are $525 and it's labeled as the 'Spring World' (a TOC qualifier), SSUSA apparently feels neither need the need to put the temp fences up OR offer any type of explanation as to why not... a bit disconcerting. We have played on the 2 larger fields as well, which is why I brought it up. It changes the game too much. BW
Feb. 24, 2013 the wood	Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Spring Worlds in Mesquite Since this is the Spring World, an important qualifier, can we expect SSUSA to erect temporary fences on the 2 Yukon territory-size fields in mesquite? BW
Feb. 21, 2013 the wood	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Bats ? I think that the 're-packaging' is just a common strategy of all types of goods (cell phones, computers, cars, etc.), a way of selling more goods to the same folks. If you become content w/ your bat & if it is durable you won't buy as often as others. There are enough real improvements to keep the 'latest & greatest' dream alive. Throw in the 'exclusive rights' element whereby only certain reps can offer certain products, you get different names for similar bats. If you like your gray combats you're ahead of the pack, so to speak. That was me for 4-5 yrs, until I tried the white centenarian. I buy into ALL of the things that kevin has said about it. For what it's worth, I like the EL Melee, too. Though I do worry about it's life expectancy, right or wrong. I hate breaking them in MORE than buying a new one. They were available a year + before I bought one. The white combat can b had for less than $150 and you can get it now. But you might want to try someone else's first. BW
Feb. 21, 2013 the wood	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Bats PMF & ?: "From my limited observation and relying on the comments of others, this bat swings like the original grey combat." This was stated by one of the guys that actually did swing a test model. Again, you might start with a gray Combat. See if it feels good at all to you. If it does maybe you order a Dirty or perhaps one of your friends/teammates will have one that you can try (by that time). Or... you buy one now and if you don't like you might sell/give it to someone else that it looking for the 'latest & greatest'. If this is the case you could then look at the new Miken or Reebok. Or... you can always send a check to the GBC folks. It seems to me that you have lots of options. BW
Feb. 21, 2013 the wood	Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Bats ? - What difference does it make if another 'latest & greatest' comes along? If you've found the bat that works best for you why do you need a different one? As for trying the 'Dirty'... hit a gray Combat that conforms to your needs (EL or bal, proper weight) and go from there. Tattooball is probably the most learned guy on here when it comes to bats. He understand the physics of bats, he's been involved in the design and testing of them and he knows how to use them. The parts of his post about end loaded bats was/is enlightening for many people. But his comment that you copied is very rudimentary (everyone has a perfect bat)... I remember hearing that 30+ years ago. But it's a statement that needs repeating. If you want some insight into which type of bat may work best for you call Kevin (Tattooball) @ 845 532-2668. We've been working with him for 6 years and he has always given freely of his time and his insight. I am assuming that you do not already have the 'right bat'. If you do, my input is useless. If you don't, I'd first consider whether I want to replace it every 300-500 swings or I want one that will last at least an entire season. Combats have shown that they are, far and away, the most durable senior bats. I am not a bat sales person and am not being remunerated in any way. This is just free advice that might just be worth what you paid for it. :-) BW
Feb. 14, 2013 the wood	Topic: Bats Discussion: Centenarians review, 13" and 10" Both are very good bats... great durability, excellent pop. I've been using Combats for more than 6 years and feel strongly about them. The Centenarians are in line with their previous models in terms of quality, IMO. I also have a Reebok Melee and a Combat Ambush. I feel that the Melee is a great bat, too, but I don't know how durable it will be. I've heard others say that it's fragile and others still say that Reebok has improved them. My experience with this bat is limited but I do like what I've seen thus far (only 350 swings on it, all BP). The Ambush? I'm not as impressed with it as I have been with all of my other Combats. It sort of reminds me of the hype with the many new Mikens. But again, this is just my personal experience. I do know of others who really like the Ambush. If I needed a bat right now that was both durable and hot, I'd opt for either of the Centenarians... or a gray Combat. Bob Woodroof

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