Torpedo Away: From Yankees to Blue Jays new bats are a hot topic all around baseball

Blue Jays manager John Schneider keeps his golf clubs in a corner of his Rogers Centre office, the bright new toy in the bag being his Qi35 driver, the latest big bombing technology unleashed by renowned manufacturer Taylormade.

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So yes, the Jays skipper is well-versed in the potential advantages technology can afford in sports.

And yes, like everyone else around the baseball world, Schneider was interested in all the fuss surrounding the “torpedo” bats that exploded onto the scene on the weekend thanks to the Bronx Bombers themselves, the New York Yankees.

“My impression on it is it’s interesting, for sure,” Schneider said prior to Monday’s first of three Jays contests against the Washington Nationals to finish a seven-game, season-opening homestand. “It looks weird. And I think anything that is new and looks weird is story worthy. So whether or not it’s a competitive advantage, I don’t really know. I guess we’ll see.”

At this point, the only Blue Jays player known to be in possession of the nifty new lumber is Davis Schneider, who wasn’t in the starting lineup on Monday, but was a popular figure in the Toronto clubhouse showing off the novelty piece of equipment.  Boys being boys, John Schneider expects that will increase soon.

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“Probably just because everyone wants a new toy,” Schneider said. “I know guys are talking about it. Some guys don’t like it. I haven’t really seen enough. I think some guys are definitely interested in it though.”

The bats exploded into the spotlight on Saturday after the Yankees put up 20 runs – and nine homers – in a blowout win over the Milwaukee Brewers. That eye-opening performance has created massive demand for the new bats designed by a former MIT physicist.

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The Yankees had five players with the new weapons in their hands in the Brewers series in which they hit a whopping 15 total homers in the series.

For now, everything is legal about the revolutionary equipment, both in substance (wood) and the regulated dimensions. The Torpedo bats have a shift in the sweet spot in that there appears to be added weight and width in that part of the bat. MLB has ruled there is no violation for those using them.

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“My understanding from the league is it’s just weight distribution and like anything, you’re trying to put where the ball hits the bat, you’re trying to make the sweet spot of the barrel a little bit more precise,” Schneider said. “You’re just widening the margin for error. I think that’s why some guys don’t like it. It’s geared towards certain swings.”

Just like that driver that he has in the bag and just like the equipment technology that revolutionizes so many sports.

“I think it’s so new so you don’t really know,” Schneider said of the fuss. “If the Yankees didn’t hit 15 homers, we wouldn’t be talking about it. Players, they’re pretty well-versed in how their tool feels. It’s like a glove. It’s just what you’re comfortable with.”

So is the manager keen to see his player wield baseball’s new hot thing?

“If they’re comfortable with it, then yeah, go for it,” Schneider said. “Torpedo away.”

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