Sammy Sosa and his corked bat...

[avbug]

What the heck is a corked bat (inebriated flying reptile)?

 

[Swass]

Actually it's a mammal .

Really, I don't see a whole lot of advantage of a corked bat, how much bat speed can be gained from the less weight? Does the cork offer much "spring"? The advantage of a corked bat may be greater for a smaller player, I wouldn't think a large power player would gain all that much. A homerun is a homerun, the distance is all a show.

 

[TurboS7]

The only advantage of a cork bat would be to be able to use it in BP hitting 30 balls and not get tired. As a power hitter you want to use as heavy as bat as possible and still maintain your maximum bat speed. Having all the muscles enables one to keep the bat speed and yet concentrate on hitting the sweet spot. It is pure physics. The reality is that a combined bat speed and ball speed of 120 MPH on the sweet spot will put the ball out 425 feet. A fast bat enables a hitter to muscle out a change up or slow curve. A moving fast ball is hard to hit, especially when it is touching the corners. It is done all the time but it takes an awesome amount of concentration to meet the ball at the right spot.

 

[Flying Illini]

If Sosa was actually sorry for what he did then he would not be appealing the 8 game suspension. The fact that he is appealing just proves that everything he has said so far is a front and he's not really sorry. He doesn't want to pay the penalty for cheating. Now he's just being a poor sport.

 

[Timebuilder]

The fact that he is appealing just proves that everything he has said so far is a front and he's not really sorry.

How does that follow?

It sounds as though he doesn't feel he should be punished in a way that would be consistent with intentionally using a corked bat. He contends it was an honest error, and I can see why he feels that the reaction is therefore too harsh.

 

[Swass]

Honest error or not, corked bats are against the rules. The managers should shoulder some of the blame as well (maybe not suspensions). The coaches and managers should also be responsible to see to it that no corked bats are on the premises at least a couple of hours prior to game time. Once a sport (or a professional player) loses credibility it is next to impossible to regain it. Every massive blast that goes over the fence you will be thinking to yourself, "I wonder if that bat is corked?"

It's all about integrity.

 

[vschip]

interesting articles about sammy and how much a corked bat helps the hitter:

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/columnists/skip_bayless/6018790.htm

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/05/SP279885.DTL

 

[52vincent]

Eight games out

Looks like the MLB has figured that One corked bat is equal to suspension of Eight Games for punishment.

Article

 

[TurboS7]

Mark Grace figured out how to cork his bat, at least the ump has the option of telling him he can't use it.