Bat Certification - Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR)

By Wiley Channell

BESR Ball Exit Speed Ratio is a rule which applies to all non-wood bats used by all high schools who are members of the National Federation High School Associations.

All non-wood bats used must bear the BESR certification mark.

The Ball Exit Speed Ratio mark ensures a maximum exit speed of 97 miles per hour. The rules also a part of the BESR standard, have the following requirement a maximum of 2 5/8 inches diameter bat barrel and a minus-3 differential between the length and weight. (i.e.,a 33-inch-long bat cannot weigh less than 30 ounces).

Folks all of the above criteria and certification is dedicated to safety for our high school baseball players.

Good people first off let me admit some ignorance on this dedicated to safety part of this BESR certification. I originally thought the safety thing was referring to the bat staying in one piece and not flying apart when some over strength lad really laced into little white baseball.

That is not the safety bit at all it is the safety of those lads out there in the infield trying to corral the well hit ball. It seems the elasticity of materials used in a metallic bat will cause a baseball to leave the bat so fast and with such velocity it is or could be a dangerous missile.

Would you want your kid waiting patiently down there at third base trying to stop a baseball coming off a metal bat travelling like a shot from a 30 ought 6 rifle? Never ! so the BESR certification establishes that the flexibility or elasticity if that metal bat has been tempered to a control point so that the ball will not be leaving the bat at more than the specified 97 miles per hour.

So much for science and physics in the matter all we can hope for is that the manufacturing and production process is up to snuff and have it right all the time when the BESR mark is put on every metal bat.

Maybe the rules committee failed to certify or place a mark for size of the boy or muscle strength allowed to use a bat.

Collegiate use of non-wood bats might want to consider this Exit Speed Ratio thing to consider the safety net. A bat with a Ball Exit Speed Ratio maximum above 97 miles per hour might ruin the College home run records and statistics.

Since professional or major league baseball has placed non-wood bats off limits this BESR thing is of no consequence in professional baseball as of today.

I seriously doubt professional baseball leagues will ever adopt the use of non-wood bats. The sweet sound of that wood on the baseball has a sound so unique an experienced player can by the sound alone tell if the ball is well hit and heading to the far reaches of the ball park.

The sound of the metallic bats meeting the ball has a pinging sound and reminds one of the sound of a hub cap coming off the wheel of a car. The professional and sandlot players have yet to become attuned to judging the travel probability of a ball leaving these modern day metallic bats.

Major league teams still have to contend with the "Tar Baby Bat" because George just might knock the tar out of that hosshide.

Batter Up---Let's Play Ball...

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