Wood bat help

[marlins3]

has anyone used a Rawlings 350FM Performance Maple bat? I wa sjust trying to get some feedback on this as I am thinking about buying one. I am interested in a bat (preferably maple) with the oversized knob. I have a mizuno like this and love it. I was wondering how similar bats compare. I prefer balanced bats to end-loaded as well. Finally, does anyoneknow if Hoosier makes a woodforce bat with the oversized flared knob?

[marlins3]

I am looking for any feedback or advice for wood bats that have the oversized knob and are balanced.

[TG Coach]

has anyone used a Rawlings 350FM Performance Maple bat? I wa sjust trying to get some feedback on this as I am thinking about buying one. I am interested in a bat (preferably maple) with the oversized knob. I have a mizuno like this and love it. I was wondering how similar bats compare. I prefer balanced bats to end-loaded as well. Finally, does anyoneknow if Hoosier makes a woodforce bat with the oversized flared knob?

You can't buy a bat based on how someone else likes it. It's either a good bat for YOU or it isn't.

[Jake Patterson]

I am looking for any feedback or advice for wood bats that have the oversized knob and are balanced.

Marlins, there are a number of bat makers here, Freddy, BMH, BatSpinner, (I'm certain I missed some). You may want to take a look at what they produce. My son just went to a Zinger regular knob and loves it.

[CanadianKid]

I have a Rawlings big stick (ash) and RLC maple. I like how the rawlings is balanced, its barrel heavy but for the RLC, which is also top heavy I didn't like the knob so I taped it wide at the bottom. I'm wondering what the difference between a rawlings big stick professional model and rawlings big stick pro preffered are?

[aj9020]

Marlin,

I am one of the bat makers Jake wrote about.. But to answer your question. A teammate of mine has the 350 model and his is loaded as you described. The handle was about an 1" in diameter.. If you have strong wrists and hands, you have a lot of bat.

-A

[marlins3]

I don't care for the feel of end-loaded bats. I prefer bats that are balanced. There aren't many stores around me that carry wood bats and that is why I was asking for suggestions. The large knob is a must as well. I know rawlings describes the 350 as having a balanced feel.

any more suggestions for large-knobbed, balanced bats would be appreciated. I am looking at the rawlings 350fm but if you say it is end-heavy, I may look elsewhere

[CanadianKid]

I think the M9 has a flared knob.

[beisbolcrazy22]

http://www.promaplebats.com model 74 , http://www.nystixs.com model 2K1, X-bats, SamBats, Phoenix Bat Co..
There are several companies that make that model.

[freddy]

http://www.promaplebats.com model 74 , http://www.nystixs.com model 2K1, X-bats, SamBats, Phoenix Bat Co..
There are several companies that make that model.

Make the bats???? Do you know Xbats does not make there own bats??
and you mention all the above companies and forget mine SHAME onYou!!!!
Just for the records, MLB has 29 certified companies selling them, only 8 manufacture

[BatSpinner]

Make the bats???? Do you know Xbats does not make there own bats??
and you mention all the above companies and forget mine SHAME onYou!!!!
Just for the records, MLB has 29 certified companies selling them, only 8 manufacture


Yup OEM....


It is quite easy to put a large counter weight knob on any model.

[glovemedic]

Make the bats???? Do you know Xbats does not make there own bats??

Yes, I had heard that. That's why I believe you go right to the source and deal with the folks that have a hand in turning their own bats. Max bats is another popular brand that does not make their own either. I still think the X71 is one of the better interpretations of the C271 in the market. Your bat has a nice balanced feel to it, and a nice transition to the barrel. Good finish and tapered knob as well. I would stack it up with against any X bat or Sam bat for the price.

As I have posted before, Sam and X bats break like any other if you hit the pitch off the end of the bat. Guy on my team snapped another X bat this week in BP, that's 2 for the season or about $218 plus shipping and the 3 or 4beers he cried his eyes into.


My son is looking for a bamboo bat in 28 to 29". He just wants to experiment and feel the difference. Anyone know of a source? Oh yea, I know that bamboo is a grass and may not be considered legal in a AAU-USSSA wood bat tournament but he just wants to play with it anyway. We also let kids around here hit with the metal-wood bats too if that's where their comfort level is. Afterall what kids do on a small field has nothing to do with success on the large field, unless they are not having fun. Then they never will play on a big field.

Have fun and play hard!

[MadDog31]

Call me old school but I still use Louisville Sluggers.

[BallCoach06]

Make the bats???? Do you know Xbats does not make there own bats??
and you mention all the above companies and forget mine SHAME onYou!!!!
Just for the records, MLB has 29 certified companies selling them, only 8 manufacture

Who are the 8 that manufacture their own?

[BatSpinner]

Off the top of my head without thinking about it too much.

LS
Sam
Rawlings
DBat
Mariucci
OH
Carolina Clubs - I'm not 100% sure
Route 66 - I'm not 100% sure
Diablo


Someone will correct me....since I'm up to 9

[CanadianKid]

What about Mizuno?

[BMH]

CC turns thier own, they bought a CNC like ours except without the turret.

We used to turn Mizuno's...don't know who does it now.

[BallCoach06]

What about Superior Bat Company (A-Bat) ?

[freddy]

Off the top of my head without thinking about it too much.

LS
Sam
Rawlings
DBat
Mariucci
OH
Carolina Clubs - I'm not 100% sure
Route 66 - I'm not 100% sure
Diablo


Someone will correct me....since I'm up to 9

Im talking about MBL certified there are alot making bats out of the garage.
You forgot ZINGER!! Old Hickory, SSK,
Im not 100% but Carolina club, Route66 are not mfg. Where is BMH when u need him!!

[freddy]

Im not sure how all these companies are certified one of the rules MLB has is that u must sell 20dzn bats in the previous yr to stay certified. Has anyone seen Route 66 or Dbat or CC or ABat or half of the bat companies in the hands of the Pros. It's beyond me how any of the bat companies can make a living. Guess it's an Ego thing

[freddy]

BMH, these up starts have no idea what they are getting into Huh. I'm not here to discourage but.....Very tough way to make a living. Thank god I have a day job:laugh

[freddy]

Yes, I had heard that. That's why I believe you go right to the source and deal with the folks that have a hand in turning their own bats. Max bats is another popular brand that does not make their own either. I still think the X71 is one of the better interpretations of the C271 in the market. Your bat has a nice balanced feel to it, and a nice transition to the barrel. Good finish and tapered knob as well. I would stack it up with against any X bat or Sam bat for the price.

As I have posted before, Sam and X bats break like any other if you hit the pitch off the end of the bat. Guy on my team snapped another X bat this week in BP, that's 2 for the season or about $218 plus shipping and the 3 or 4beers he cried his eyes into.


My son is looking for a bamboo bat in 28 to 29". He just wants to experiment and feel the difference. Anyone know of a source? Oh yea, I know that bamboo is a grass and may not be considered legal in a AAU-USSSA wood bat tournament but he just wants to play with it anyway. We also let kids around here hit with the metal-wood bats too if that's where their comfort level is. Afterall what kids do on a small field has nothing to do with success on the large field, unless they are not having fun. Then they never will play on a big field.

Have fun and play hard!

Thanks for the complement Glove, That's one a the few rewards we get in this business.

[freddy]

Old School !!!

[aj9020]

These companies bats are out there.. CC is a good company and their bats are out there. CC makes their bats, and also have a sawmill drying billets. How about that for a, "Did you know?"

As far as making a living, they are.. There is a lot of baseball out there.. And I'm positive that there are many repeat customers.. Baseball is more than MLB. If your company is promoted correctly, you can make a great living..


As far as companies producing their own bats, I believe MAX bat makes their bats.. I meet the owner at a woodworking show, and bat making is a part of their overall business..

[beisbolcrazy22]

I agree with Andre....I am certain there are guys producing some nice bats that are not certified by MLB. Another thing is , it keeps the pricing lower I'm sure. If you make a quality bat, repeat customers and word of mouth can make you living.
By the way, anyone know what company batspinner is with? thanks.

[freddy]

These companies bats are out there.. CC is a good company and their bats are out there. CC makes their bats, and also have a sawmill drying billets. How about that for a, "Did you know?"

As far as making a living, they are.. There is a lot of baseball out there.. And I'm positive that there are many repeat customers.. Baseball is more than MLB. If your company is promoted correctly, you can make a great living..


As far as companies producing their own bats, I believe MAX bat makes their bats.. I meet the owner at a woodworking show, and bat making is a part of their overall business..


AJ I saw your video, you seem like a nice/smart guy. You've recognized that MLB is not a place to make money. You are keeping your overhead low and doing most of the work yourself. That's probably the only way to make a decent buck producing bats. Keep it simple.
On a larger scale without adding additional revenue streams it's very difficult to make money.
From the bottom of my heart I wish all the bat companies all the success in the world. GOOD LUCK & GOOD HEALTH The Bat Man.

[freddy]

These companies bats are out there.. CC is a good company and their bats are out there. CC makes their bats, and also have a sawmill drying billets. How about that for a, "Did you know?"

As far as making a living, they are.. There is a lot of baseball out there.. And I'm positive that there are many repeat customers.. Baseball is more than MLB. If your company is promoted correctly, you can make a great living..


As far as companies producing their own bats, I believe MAX bat makes their bats.. I meet the owner at a woodworking show, and bat making is a part of their overall business..

AJ I saw your video, you seem like a nice/smart guy. You've recognized that MLB is not a place to make money. You are keeping your overhead low and doing most of the work yourself. That's probably the only way to make a decent buck producing bats. Keep it simple.
On a larger scale without adding additional revenue streams it's very difficult to make money.
From the bottom of my heart I wish all the bat companies all the success in the world. GOOD LUCK & GOOD HEALTH The Bat Man.

[BatSpinner]

Im not sure how all these companies are certified one of the rules MLB has is that u must sell 20dzn bats in the previous yr to stay certified. Has anyone seen Route 66 or Dbat or CC or ABat or half of the bat companies in the hands of the Pros. It's beyond me how any of the bat companies can make a living. Guess it's an Ego thing


According to the 07 Regulations it is 15 dozen bats to MLB or MiLB.

Vlad was using R66 the other night so was Omar Vizquel.

[aj9020]

Then it should be cake to sell the required amount.. Glad they don't prejudice between the majors and minors.. You can make a living selling to minor league players..

[BatSpinner]

All you really need is 3-4 guys, or one guy with a real bad swing who breaks a tonne of bats.

[WoodButGood]

Then it should be cake to sell the required amount.. Glad they don't prejudice between the majors and minors.. You can make a living selling to minor league players..

You guys all ought to be able to make a living selling to everyone! I'd be very interested to learn who manufactures for whom. I am working on a list of all the bat companies I can find at Hitting with Wood (see "Support Your Local Bat Company") and that would be an interesting distinction. Am also hoping to come up with a list of all the MLB certified companies.

[beisbolcrazy22]

That would be an interesting list to see.

[glovemedic]

As far as companies producing their own bats, I believe MAX bat makes their bats.. I meet the owner at a woodworking show, and bat making is a part of their overall business..

I just based that on an article I read somewhere. The owner was quoted something along the line as " the demand for his bats has gotten so big that he has to send out to another source to fill his orders". Maybe they have taken some of the money an reinvested it in a bigger plant since then.

[BatSpinner]

Max does not make theirs.

What I find interesting on several 'different' companies is that all the laser engraving is identical (font/font size) on the barrel. XBat, Max, CTG.

[aj9020]

Spinner,

CTG is based outta the Bronx, owned by Medina... If what you are saying is true, which I think it is, I think the bats are being made in Jamestown, NY. Don't know who the company is that is turning them though.

Isn't more fun to make the bats yourself?

[sds416]

Max does not make theirs.

What I find interesting on several 'different' companies is that all the laser engraving is identical (font/font size) on the barrel. XBat, Max, CTG.

Spinner,

I've got a Max bat I bought and a CTG that was given to me by a minor league player. The engraving font on the barrel is definately not identical in terms of type or size on the CTG vs. the Max bats that I have. I know this CTG is relatively new in terms of manufacture date, and the Max I have is from last fall, something changed, I would assume CTG changed theirs?

If your curious, send me a PM with your email and I'll send you a pic of both (I'd rather not post them here out of deference to the person who I acquired the CTG from). Thanks.

[sds416]

Spinner,

CTG is based outta the Bronx, owned by Medina... If what you are saying is true, which I think it is, I think the bats are being made in Jamestown, NY. Don't know who the company is that is turning them though.

Isn't more fun to make the bats yourself?

If its Jamestown its Superior/A-Bat.

[aj9020]

Good nugget SDS.. They could always change the font for engraving.. I have a broken MAX I just copied.. Engraving definitely the same as X-bat.. CTG looks like same font, smaller though and different format.. Is the text slanted?

-A

[sds416]

Good nugget SDS.. They could always change the font for engraving.. I have a broken MAX I just copied.. Engraving definitely the same as X-bat.. CTG looks like same font, smaller though and different format.. Is the text slanted?

-A

A-

Just set the 2 side by side. The font on the CTG is a narrower font, and smaller than the font on the MAX. It is slanted, but not as much as the MAX.

I also noticed that the cupping is different. It appears to the untrained moron who just swings them, not makes them (that would be me) that the shape of the cupping on the end is very much different and I would have to believe that they came off of different machines for at least that part of the operation.

Just as a side note, did you see BMH's receipt of a bat from a certain Marlins player with the R161 barrel and a 110 handle? Put your thinking cap on.

-S

[freddy]

According to the 07 Regulations it is 15 dozen bats to MLB or MiLB.

Vlad was using R66 the other night so was Omar Vizquel.

15dzn i'm sorry I said 20 should have opened up my MLB manual before I spoke!!
Don't get mad at me please I just stated my opinion.
Avg bat Selling price 50.00 20players in MLB x (if exclusive)buys
50 bats/yr =1000bats X price 50.00 = 50,000 Cost to produce including overhead 40.00 x 1000 = 40,000 Gross profit 10,000 5k for mlb certificate 10k for insurance leaving a net profit of -5,000.00 All the above numbers are different for every manufacturer but im sure they are pretty close. Im sure if a company is making bats out of there Hut in the back yard the cost will decrease slightly and has no emplyees once again cheaper, however if the volume increases, no more hut, move to a building, hire employees, TAXES etc etc..... so it's just my opinion but once again I say it's a tough way to make a living.

[freddy]

Then it should be cake to sell the required amount.. Glad they don't prejudice between the majors and minors.. You can make a living selling to minor league players..

Have you checked what the minors are paying??????
LS and Rawlings set the price there, you ready to sell a bat at 25.00??
Unless you sell the players directly. Maybe you can get a bit more.
Like I said before, Good Luck.

[BallCoach06]

Im not sure how all these companies are certified one of the rules MLB has is that u must sell 20dzn bats in the previous yr to stay certified. Has anyone seen Route 66 or Dbat or CC or ABat or half of the bat companies in the hands of the Pros. It's beyond me how any of the bat companies can make a living. Guess it's an Ego thing

I see plenty of A-Bats around, especially in the minor leagues. Just the other night I saw Curtis Granderson and Cameron Maybin using them against the Indians.

[BatSpinner]

Spinner,

CTG is based outta the Bronx, owned by Medina... If what you are saying is true, which I think it is, I think the bats are being made in Jamestown, NY. Don't know who the company is that is turning them though.

Isn't more fun to make the bats yourself?

Total control. People call you, and they are speaking to the source. I might now make every bat, but I will touch and inspect everyone of them at some point.

Actually come to think of it Superior uses similar font.

I got approched to be an OEM supplier for a company and deciding if it is really worth it, if we want to do it, and if we really want to venture down that road.

[BallCoach06]

So, do Superior (A-Bat) and Max Bat make their own or does someone else make their bats?

[aj9020]

Total control. People call you, and they are speaking to the source. I might now make every bat, but I will touch and inspect everyone of them at some point.

Actually come to think of it Superior uses similar font.

I got approched to be an OEM supplier for a company and deciding if it is really worth it, if we want to do it, and if we really want to venture down that road.

Hey man,

Do that!!.. Is it just turn and sand? or complete bat? Are they buying wood?

-A

[BatSpinner]

A bit of both. We'll have to completely finish all bats. Some wood would be supplied, some we supply.

My only hang up is them taking most of the $ for only selling the bat.