The member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Fergie Jenkins, joined the ongoing discussion this week about the use of torpedo bats that has taken the major leagues assault after the strong departure of the New York Yankees during the opening weekend.
During an appearance in “The Ricky Cobb Show” by Outkick, Jenkins, 82, discussed how Torpedo Bats have become the latest innovation in sport and could favor batters.
“Well, when you look back in the game when I played in the 60s, the 70s and 80s, the pitcher was practically dominant, and now we are like second -class citizens. Everything has been done for the batter. As you say, you say that the clock is larger, you have a brightness that gives you 3 to 7 to additional inches sliding in the bag ahead of the bag,” the bases say.
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The member of the Fame Fame Jenkins greets after being presented during the induction ceremony of the 2016 MLB Hall of Fame at the Clark Sports Center on July 24, 2016. (Gregory J. Fisher/USA Today Sports)
In addition to the changes in the rule that favor batters, Jenkins said that Torpedo bats are the latest in baseball that will help them.
“There is more a batting surface for the batter, and I think it could increase the batting average, but you will get a better piece of wood in the ball and the ball may travel a little more,” he said.
“Who knows? An additional base successes, and now a batter sees one of his teammates use it. Now, he wants to use it. I can believe that before the All-Star break each ball club will have half a dozen hitters using that bage of torpedo.”
Torpedo bats have taken MLB by assault; What are they?
Chicago’s former puppies launcher Fergie Jenkins launches the first ceremonial launch before a game between the Cincinnati puppies in the Field of Dreams baseball field in Dyersville, Iowa, August 11, 2022. (IMAGN)
While the general batting surface does not increase with the bat torpedo, the bat of bat moves to a different location. The goal of changing the barrel is to move the thickest part of the bat to where the player makes the greatest contact.
Jenkins said players who use the torpedo bat could see an increase in their numbers.
“I think the average batting, it may see perhaps 20 additional points in each player’s batting. Instead they hit .255, .260, it could be .280,” Jenkins said.
Fergie Jenkins catches the first ceremonial launch before game 2 of the 2023 World Series at Globe Life Field on October 28, 2023, between the Texas Rangers and the Diamondbacks of Arizona. (Kevin Jairaj/USA Today Sports)
While the bat has taken baseball by surprise this season, the New York Yankees designated the batter Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo, even in the postseason, when seven homers pure in 14 games.
Jenkins, who launched from 1965 to 1983, did not have to deal with any of the new rules in his days. He launched for the Chicago puppies, the Texas Rangers, the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Philis in their 19 years of career.
Jenkins won the NL Cy Young of 1971 with the puppies and was appointed All-Star three times.
