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Online now: 2 members: Andrews39, TABLE SETTER 11; 76 anonymousDiscussion: To cheat or not to cheat...
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| Sept. 18, 2009 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | To cheat or not to cheat... First, there are way fewer bat cheaters in senior ball than some would have us believe. Marketeers and TD's who want us to use/sell us lower grade balls are telling us that cheating is rampant in Senior ball and I believe, they are wrong. Second, as/if we find cheaters we need to bust 'em and/or tell 'em as I have done on more than one occasion "Leave 'em in the bag". I'm serving notice now to any on my team or playing against me I will bust you for using a shaved or extra end loaded bat and you should be marked loudly and clearly as a cheater and suspended for life for using one. Even at the highest level of softball you find cheaters and then others justify their usage so as not to be taken advantage of. Well, if we can effectively stop guys from doing it no one will have to retaliate, will they. Bat cheating, any cheating will destroy us and our game, can severely injur a player and causes those who administrate and supply equipment for our games to trip out about how to universally and in one stroke, solve all our problems with shitty balls punishing everyone for the few. We need to police our game, support and enforce rules to catch and severely punish cheaters. We can use balance point tests which are simple to enforce and peer pressure to keep guys from wanting to take advantage of us. We have 1.2 bats which are as good or better than anyone could want. I swung a SuperFreak not long ago and couldn't believe the pop it had as it had gotten into the super nova stage of it's life. There's no reasonable grounds for cheating and I believe we have to step up to the plate, draft and enforce some simple standards and rules so we all can keep on enjoying the game we love to play. |
| Sept. 20, 2009 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | Good post Joe. We need to be reminded of this every couple of months. Remember you coaches and managers, you too can be suspended if your players are found using altered bats. I am happy with our 1.20 bpf. If our associations were to ban these and go with utrip or asa bats we would surely see more altered bats. |
| Sept. 20, 2009 BossBandit Men's 50 55 posts | OK Joe, you and I rarely agree but I need to step in here and join with you regarding the issue of cheaters. The only way that softball, in general, is going to be able to rid itself of the rampant bat cheating going on is for the players to actually apply peer pressure to the users and abusers that are out there today. If a teammate uses a shaved/altered/fixed/rolled/cheating bat and you don't say something, then you are as guilty as the active perpetrator. We, as players, have a responsibility to the game that we claim to enjoy so much. Give it up, guys. Boss Bandit, AKA Duane Jones, Beef O Bradys 60s, Florida Half Century. |
| Sept. 20, 2009 Al33 Men's 55 183 posts | Joe, I totally agree with you about fewer bat cheaters than people think there are. I for one don't understand why anyone would shave a Miken, Combat or any other true senior bat. They break easy enough as it is and unless one is indepndently wealthy, you'd be buying an awful lot of bats. Besides, just how far does one want to hit the ball? 310 or 350 it's still a home run. If the little guys are shaving to get some extra distance it turns out to be counter productive as it takes swings away from your true bombers. There's so much written about being able to use good bats and balls that anyone who cheats isn't only cheating themselves, but also the rest of us and the game that we love so dearly. Guys shouldn't jeopardize the game or give any organization, TD or manufacturer an excuse to handcuff us any more with uneeded rule changes or equipment modifications to change the game for the worse. There's no room in Senior softball for cheating. |
| Sept. 20, 2009 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | It's bat cheating we're talking about, guys but I personally don't have a problem with a rolled bat. I don't have or use a rolled bat but to my understanding it's the same thing as what happens when they're broken in and I don't have a problem with it. A/33. The big way guys cheat with Ultra 2's is either they're painted Greys or they take out the counter weight in them with makes them super endloaded and like the original Greys. No cheater bats. Leave 'em in the bag and we'll make sure they give us good balls to hit. Deal? Can a righteous brother get an Amen??? |
| Sept. 20, 2009 BruceinGa Men's 70 3233 posts | I'll give you an Amen! I agree that it's not shaving we need to worry about, it's endloading. |
| Sept. 20, 2009 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | Hey Bruce, I got a look at the Bracket for LV and it's loaded with talented teams. See you Vegas. |
| Sept. 20, 2009 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | Hypothetical: You have player X who can hit the ball well, lets say consistently to 275-285 on a 300 field. After 8 tournaments & say 300 at bats counting BP, like that, player X decides that's not good enough, goes out and has the same bat rolled. Next few tourneys he put a one over every now and then. So why the difference? Age catch up or something else, like the "break in" period just happened... Some guys will never even break in a bat on their own or even by allowing other players use it. I doubt it. One problem is that each assn has different views about each of the different things that could or do make a bat considered illegal or altered. And really, until they get on the same page for all of them there will be issues that come up. Some are simple some are not. All versions are a problem. |
