USA today/High scholl sports
Would switching to wood bats benefit high school baseball?
By Jake Furr, Telegraph-Forum May 26, 201
http://tinyurl.com/zskzh2u
以下快速翻译
In case you have not noticed, the bats in high school baseball are not what
they used to be.
高中棒球的球棒变了
In 2011, a rule change prohibited any and all aluminum bats that did not have
a “BBCOR” stamp on it. Why is that stamp so important? BBCOR stands for
“Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution” and the idea behind the bats is to
minimize the trampoline effect of a ball jumping off of a bat.
2011规定所有没有弹性系数合格标章的铝棒通通不准用
In theory, it would cut down on the risk of a batted ball screaming back at a
pitcher’s head, and would give the pitchers and infielders a little more of a
reaction time on line drives. Ohio High School Athletic Association Assistant
Commissioner Jerry Snodgrass says the BBCOR term basically means to reduce the
speed of a ball off the bat.
弹性系数限制使的打出去的球没那么危险
“(BBCOR is a) fancy term but basically a measurement of the speed of a ball
coming off a bat. And, as you may know, BBCOR bats are significantly less
‘live’ than the old BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) bats.”
BBCOR的规定比旧的BESR来的严格
In 2012, high schools had to also make the switch to BBCOR stamped bats only.
What the manufacturers do is basically deaden the bat to make it as close to
wooden-bat power as possible. Snodgrass explained the process high school
baseball had to go through.
2012高中必须全面换BBCOR的球棒,跟木棒有差不多弹性
“The BBCOR bat standard went into the college ranks a few years before high
school and the implementation for high school was over a 2- or 3-year period
… simply to give schools time to purchase and incorporate bats into their
inventory (though most players today have their own expensive bats),”
Snodgrass said.
BBCOR规定在几年前就在大学使用,让高中有时间跟钱买新球棒,虽然大部份球员自己有
一只贵死人球棒
Going through tests
But, how much different is the BBCOR bat from a wooden bat? B. Elliot Hopkins,
director of sports, sanctioning and student services for the National
Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), recognizes research shows
wood and BBCOR are very similar.
B. Elliot Hopkin(高中棒协高官) 说木棒跟BBCOR棒差不了太多
So it begs the question, why not just make the switch to wooden bats?
那干嘛换?
The biggest difference is the BBCOR bats will not break on inside pitches.
But, would education and the strength of high school aged players help reduce
the number of broken wood bats if a change was made?
铝棒不容易从里面断,但是好好教学生的话,木棒也是不太会断的喔
Change is not always easy. Even though wood bats are allowed for high school,
the NFHS does not mandate them.
高中球队要拿木棒打也行喔
States and teams can make the decision to change to wood bats, but a
nationwide switch would have to come from the NFHS. And they are happy with
results they have found from research.
以州或球队为单位可以自行决定换木棒,但全国需要高中棒协许可,而且他们觉得目前研究
结果说木棒跟BBCOR棒差不多
“Wood bats are allowed for high school baseball. We do not mandate them.
It is up to each individual school and state. We are comfortable with the
BBCOR standard currently. If science is able to provide a different or better
standard, then we would investigate that scientific research,” Hopkins said.
高官说:木棒,可以喔.
不过我们觉得BBCOR棒就很舒服了,如果有人说要有其他标准,那我们也会变喔
Any change would most likely come from the college level down. Snodgrass
knows the research put into rule changes is important and should be done to
the fullest extent. The NCAA has the best research and the NFHS relies on a
lot of its findings, Snodgrass said..
要变会从大学往下变,因为他们有钱研究木棒跟BBCOR棒,高中没钱
“The NFHS does not maintain testing facilities — especially due to the
complexity of it, so they rely on the same tests used by the NCAA which has
the financial resources to conduct elaborate tests.”
高中棒协都听大学的,他们没考虑我们的经济问题
Cost-benefit analysis
But there may be a bigger difference; price. It could get expensive for high
schools to keep buying wooden bats every year instead of just three BBCOR bats.
However, you can buy a performance grade Hard Maple C271 wooden bat from
Louisville Slugger for $49.99. Or, you could buy three Louisville Slugger
Prime 915 BBCOR bats for $399.99 a piece (most high schools buy three bats
for three different lengths).
一只同等级的BBCOR棒是木棒的八倍喔,而且球队会买三只不同长度
That’s $1,200 for just three bats; instead of 24 wooden bats for the same
price. Each of those wooden bats will have about the same power as the BBCOR
bat.
三只BBCOR棒$1200美金可以买24只一样等级的木棒喔
Crestline head coach Steve Garberich sees the price as a major influence in
weather a change would even be considered.
高中教练Steve Garberich说铝棒价钱要看天气
“I think if they break a lot then there will be a big cost. We use these
BBCOR bats for a couple years unless they change the specs. If the price was
right on and everyone was on the same playing field, then I am for it. I just
see a lot of broken bats especially with the cold springs that we have. We got
one new bat this year and got a good deal on it. If the wooden bat’s price is
right and we could get eight to 10 of them for the price of one BBCOR then it
could be something worth looking into,” Garberich said.
Steve Garberich说断越多花越多,如果大家球场一样,那BBCOR棒没关系,我们今年(网拍?)
买到很便宜的BBCOR棒,可是一样等级如果可以买10只木棒那我们可以考虑喔
Some relief could come from the players themselves. Most parents buy bats and
high schools normally do not have an overwhelming expense for them.
球员都自己买棒子,用木棒可以省钱
If parents are willing to pay $400 for a BBCOR bat, would they be willing to
spend the same amount for eight wood bats?
爸妈愿意花$400买一只BBCOR棒的话,愿意买八只木棒吗
Snodgrass knows a lot of players have their own bats, but believes the simple
fact the bats could break would put the schools’ expenses in a tough
situation.
Snodgrass说他们大部份球员都有自己的棒子,大家都有先入为主的想法说断棒会造成
学校财政困难
“On the expense side of things, no doubt it is significant today. However,
since most kids have their own bats, the majority of schools today do not
really experience that much in the way of expenses. And, given the breakage
possibility of a wooden bat, when it is all said and done, might be a wash
for a school,” Snodgrass said.
以花费来说是很重要的课题啦,只是小朋友自己都有棒子,更何况考虑断棒率,
木棒跟铝棒可能差不了太多,Snodgrass这样说
Finding the Sweet Spot
One major complaint is the wood bats have a smaller “sweet spot” than the
BBCOR. As the years progress and the research continues, BBCOR bats will likely
shift to approximately the same size sweet spot as wood.
大家抱怨木棒有比较小的甜蜜点,不过BBCOR未来的取向也是将甜蜜点缩到跟木棒一样
In theory, high school baseball players will be swinging a bat made of
composite aluminum that will contain the same benefits as swinging a wood bat.
The only difference is, parents and high schools will be paying $350 more per
bat. The cost is just one reason why Colonel Crawford head coach Joe
Swartzmiller is in favor of the wood bats along with many others.
复合材料棒跟木棒打起来效果一样喔,不过家长要一只多花$350,教练Swartzmiller
跟其他教练一样比较想打木棒
“I am all for wood bats. Personally I like them better than the bats we use
now. As far as financially, the cost can be cheaper with more bats. The bats
we use are really expensive just for one bat. So, the overall cost can lower
at the same time buying more bats. Another thing would be the weather. If it
gets down to a certain temperature it can ruin these BBCOR bats. That’s a lot
of money being ruined. I just wish we went back to the old BESR bats and call
it a season,” Swartzmiller said.
我要木棒!BBCOR棒太贵了,改为以前BESR棒可以吗?Swartzmiller这样说
Speaking of Weather
Spring sports in Ohio deal with the famously unpredictable weather conditions.
The makeup of the BBCOR bat does not fare well in the cold and the use of the
bats could lead to the possibility of never being able to use them again.
Manufacturers recommend that composite BBCOR bats not be used in sub 55-degree
weather.
厂商说BBCOR棒不建议13度c以下使用喔
North Dakota has dealt with the weather factor. In a 2007 USA Today article,
an interview with Shanely High School coach Joel Swanson stated, “Two years
ago we played 29 games in temperatures below 45 degrees. We paid $2,100 for
seven (metal) bats, and a month into the season, six had broken. We’re working
with small budgets in a lot of small schools. Every penny counts.”
Shanely High School is located in Fargo, North Dakota, where weather is always
a factor.
北达科他州的教练怒吼:2005我们花了$2100买七支m-pro,打不到一个月就断六支了!!
我们这里天气常常不到七度c
Learning Curve
If the switch is made, a need for education on using wooden bats would be
essential. It could be the first time for a majority of players using a wood
bat. And there would be a learning curve. Wynford head coach Joe Staab knows
there is a huge difference in a player’s approach with a BBCOR bat in their
hands compared to a wood bat. He has even provided his players an opportunity
to get a few swings in with a wood bat in the school’s batting cages.
从BBCOR棒换木棒需要时间学习
“We have a couple in the cage and the kids really do notice a difference.
If a change like this ever happens, the coaches would have to teach the kids
how to hit with wood bats,” Staab said. “The inside pitches need to be hit
further out in front instead of letting it in on your hands. Another thing to
look at is player safety. Broken bats could add a potential hazard. An inside
pitch on the BBCOR bats is a slow roller and the bat is still usable.”
教练Staab说我们要教小朋友完整的挥棒来适应木棒,木棒的断棒也是有受伤风险
Many think a change would never happen for that reason alone.
Broken bats may lead to a bigger safety risk than line drives at a pitchers.
In 2008, Major League Baseball saw its worst season with broken bats. According
to a report by Quinn Roberts of MLB.com, that year saw a broken bat rate of
one per game.
平飞断棒对投手是很大的风险,2008时MLB每场比赛断一根
Since, MLB has made efforts to reduce that number through programs and
regulations. In recent years, the rate has dropped to just a half a bat per
game. Regulations have contributed to the drop.
MLB对木棒做出更严格的规范降低断棒机率
Major League Baseball is also trying to sway players from using low-density
bats that have big barrels with hallowed-up cups at the end.
MLB说低密度跟大头深沟棒不能用了喔
With the same education, high schools would see an even bigger drop in broken
bats per game. Due to differences in strength, a lot of the bats would not
break in high school in the same situations as Major League Baseball. While
most players would say that it was the wood’s fault that the bats break,
most of the time, the players hit the ball on the wrong part of the bat to
cause the break.
用同样的规范高中也会大幅降低断棒喔,更何况高中生没MLB有力(Stanton:真的吗?)
Before a decision is made, one thing is certain: more research and plenty of
time will pass before a switch can be made.
在做出决定前还有更多研究要做捏