When you have the third most expensive payroll in MLB — you need to produce runs. And if your lineup needs a spark — well then — you might just need a torpedo bat. This isn’t some flying mammal that silently swoops in the night. This is a newly configured bat that was on display from Alec Bohm in the home opener last week at Citizens Bank Park.
This customized piece of MLB lumber designed to pack a powerful punch by an MIT Professor is individualized in every way. The thickest part of the bat is moved to where the hitter is most likely to make contact. It makes the bats themselves look like a bowling pin or a torpedo. You might not be surprised to know that your ole’ Phillies franchise — started in 1883 — is no stranger to a little controversy.
It was a late September ballgame in 1900 when the Cincinnati Reds came to Philadelphia and the Baker Bowl. But the Reds noticed something interesting besides Phillies reserve catcher Morgan Murphy above Center Field in a box with a pair of binoculars taking careful notice of the visiting team’s catcher. Thanks to an intricate cabling system — Phillies infielder/third base coach Pearce Chiles was relaying stolen signs that would finally go to the batter. It was the Reds Tommy Corcoran who suspected something dug into the ground and found the wires. Groundskeeper Joseph Schroeder quickly found a policeman and headed for the box. By the time that they arrived — the Reds had uncovered the buzzer box. The game would continue.
It was one thing to get caught stealing signs the baseball games were on radio. One hundred and ten years later — just two years after the franchise’s second World Series — Phillies Bench Coach Mick Billmeyer was caught with a pair of binoculars during an away game against the Colorado focused on the Rockies’ catcher. At the same time — Phillies Outfielder Shane Victorino was on the dugout phone at exactly the same time — further raising suspicions.
Only time will tell if the “torpedo bat” will help the Phillies powerful lineup this season. Alec Bohm would get a hit in the Phillies Home Opener on Monday but would only be 1–4 even with the bat shaped like a torpedo. Perhaps — for one of the most expensive lineups in all of baseball — it will pay dividends for a season with sky-high expectations.
The post A Torpedo of Controversy — At the Start of the Season appeared first on Philadelphia Sports Nation.