Why use a cork bat for batting practice?

[RealityChuck]

*Originally posted by Spartydog *
**There is an obvious difference. Cash was never caught using a corked bat in a game. Had he been he would have been suspended. The only knowledge of the situation came years later when he made the admission.

Just because a guy admits later that he cheated doesn’t change the outcome. That’s sports. You have to get caught in the act which is what happened to Sosa. **

Granted, but that’s what some people are insinuating – that Sosa’s batting achievements are somehow tainted because he cheated.

Again, no one thinks Gaylord Perry’s 300 wins are tainted because he used a spitball. Remember, Perry was suspended for it once or twice when he got caught. He served his suspension and no one made a big deal over it.

All ballplayers look for an edge. Some cheat. It’s not a big revelation or disappointment to learn Sosa used a corked bat, and even if he had used one all these years, his record is still phenominal. Even with a corked bat, you need to be a great baseball player to do what he did.

[Blunt]

Another potential reason for Sosa using the corked bat in BP was to build confidence. Basically saying hitting monster homers in BP would carry over to the game. I think I heard it from one of the Baseball Tonight guys, but I’m not totally sure. Either way, I don’t really buy it, but I guess it kind of makes a little sense.

As far as the question about BP being for practice or not, I agree with what Nametag said. It definitely isn’t practice in the sense like you are going to learn to hit there, but on the other hand it isn’t for fun or really for show either. Well, it is a little bit for fun a times, and maybe even a little more for the fans at times, but in general it is for the players benefit to help them in the game. It is mostly a warmup.

[doctordoowop]

Nametag-yes I know about the death threats, racial insults etc., but no bashing by the media. Hey, Aaron’s HR/ab was about half Ruth’s- Aaron could have been attacked about career longevity, lively ball, lowered mound, no legal spitball, watered down pitching etc. etc. i don’t recall any of that.

[Marley23]

I’m sorry to dump this in here, but the other Sosa thread is locked. To respond to NYR’s question to me (“Are you serious about the “tooth” excuse?”), the answer is yes. This is taken from an msn page (I search for Sosa tooth):

Sportswriters have looked warily at Sosa for years now, ever since he put on 65 pounds and started murdering the ball. In his first nine seasons, he never topped 40 home runs; in the last five, he has hit 66, 63, 50, 64, and 49. Of course, the writers suspected Sosa of using steroids, not corking bats. Sosa replied that if the league ever mandated regular urine tests, he would be the “first in line” to take one.

Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly took him up on the offer last June, handing him the address of a Chicago lab before a game. Sosa replied: “You’re not my father! Why do you tell me what to do? Are you trying to get me in trouble?” Sosa later explained he had a tender wisdom tooth during his first few seasons, which made it hard for him to eat and gain weight.

He may or may not have used anything besides the Creatine. But it sure sounds like a dumb-ass excuse.

[county]

Corking the bat reduces weight thereby increasing the speed of the swing - hitting the ball further. This is also why more ball players these days work out to increase arm/upper body strength.

At least those are the theories.

[aahala]

I don’t believe anyone has addressed the OP question, could ML ban the bats in batting practice etc. I imagine they could but it would be a bit odd, making an equipment rule outside the play of the game and possibly hard to enforce.

The funny bat prohibition has been one of those “wink-wink” deals. AFAIK, the league has never randomly tested the bats or anything to insure compliance. It had been several years since the last cork bat incident–it’s safe to assume illegal bats have been used in games many times in that period.