Softball bats

[Secksi]

Guy up at work asked if I wanted to join a mens league and co-ed team he'd putting together. Having only played video games and worked in the 10 years since I finished high school I of course decided I'm more than capable to play some ball.

No one on the teams have played in forever and all we have are terrible old bats, so I'm going to step up to the plate and buy a team bat to make sure we have something decent to hit with.

Anyone have any suggestions on what bats I should look into? I'm willing to pay $100-$200. I also plan to check out the local play it again sports to hopefully find a deal, but I really don't know what to look for.

Thanks.

[Tyche]

Whichever you get, make sure it's legal. Some of the DeMarini and Mikken bats are illegal in a lot of leagues.

[Fryte]

Find a used Freak so it's already broken in and has a larger sweet spot. Good luck.

[Byrd]

Whichever you get, make sure it's legal. Some of the DeMarini and Mikken bats are illegal in a lot of leagues.

This. I bought a $200 bat a few years ago, only to find out if was banned in my league at the start of the next season. You should be able to contact whoever it is that runs the league (i.e. Parks & Rec) to obtain a list of banned bats. Take that with you when you go bat shopping.
I also wouldn't recommend buying anything online unless you know exactly what you're after; some bats will just feel good in your hand, and others won't. No matter how much it costs, if it doesn't feel right in your hand, you won't be comfortable using it. And worrying about your bat is the last thing you should be thinking about when you step up to the plate.

[Secksi]

Thanks for the advice so far.

I'll have to find out if/what might be banned. Do certain bats get banned because the ball simply rockets off them and it's to protect the pitcher? I know the pitchers in this league have to stand behind a net and anything that hits it is a dead ball out, so if that's the case I'm not sure why anything would be banned.

Would greatly appreciate it if anyone has a top 3 or top 5 list around $200 bucks they could post up.

[Demosthenes11]

its not the pitcher you need to protect in those leagues, its the 3rd baseman. I play right field in a softball league and I will run through stop signs at third so I don't have to stand on that bag with some of the people that hit behind me

[Tyche]

I used to pitch men's league softball, it's usually not bad unless the batter is gunning for you. When that happens, it sucks, we didn't have a net. I've gotten a concussion pitching before.

[Ddz]

I don't have anything useful to say as far as bat shopping goes. I just wanted to say that as a pitcher, catching a line-drive that would have hit you in the face feels really, really cool though.

[Byrd]

I just wanted to say that as a pitcher, catching a line-drive that would have hit you in the face feels really, really cool though. .

This. Turning a double play off of it is even better. I've been a slow pitch pitcher for over 15 years, the only part of me that's ever gotten hit is my mitt. I understand the danger, but still... I didn't have any idea that there were actually leagues where you'd have protective nets. I've gotten hurt running the bases and missing a thrown ball that hit me in the face, but never off a bat.

[Tagus]

I was in the same boat as you. Coming back to softball after a few years off is not nearly as easy as you'd hope. It's not so much the hitting (assuming at some point you were a good hitter), but the running and quick movements. When you're 17 that shit seems so easy! Anyway, for starters make sure you wear high top spikes and ankle supports, I fucked up my ankle rounding third last May and I can still feel it. I also slid and got a nasty staph infection in an open wound in my leg from that peat gravel shit they use on some of the crappier fields, so make sure you wear those under armor socks. I used to slide every summer for 10 years, and coming back to the game I suddenly get infections and shit now, and I've got myself a nasty scar running the length of my shin. Good times!

As far as bats go, this one seemed to be the one the hard-core guys thought was the best one:

2012 Miken Freak FX700 Supermax ASA: SPFXMA Slow Pitch

Anything Easton is going to treat you right, in my experience. Like the other guys said though, there's always a guy who can't use a bat he just spent a shitload of money on, so make sure if it's an ASA league that it's ASA approved, etc!!!

Good luck, it's so much fun.

Edit: I suppose I should add, don't be afraid not to buy a bat. I accidentally took the donut off some guy's shitty warm-up bat last year and had one of my most solid hits of the year with it.