I have a question regarding bat warmers for the staff. This topic has been over discussed by the players so no need for any one but staff respond. There is a SSUSA sanctioned tournament coming up in March in Oregon called the Senior Icebreaker. It’s a given that the early games at least will be held in a cold environment. I understand that a bat warmer in a SSUSA sanctioned is not legal. However this tournament is a recreational tournament listed on your website and sanctioned by you but many of the players are not members or associated with SSUSA. How does this work? Can some players protect their bat by warming it and some not? One member of a team can use a warmer and another on the same team can’t? Please explain. Thank you.

You are referring to an event on the "Recreational" tournaments list ... Generally, the principal reason it's a "Recreational" event is for exactly what you mentioned: Roster flexibility ... Not all participants need to be eligible to play under the same criteria as one of our Qualifier or Championship events ...

However, in ordered to be an "SSUSA sanctioned event", the independent tournament director must agree, as a precondition to being allowed to promote it, that it be governed in compliance with SSUSA playing rules ... That would include rules relevant to altered bats ... There would also be potential insurance issues if he fails to do so ...

Thinking out loud here. Bat warmers would not be needed if playing in temperatures safe and recommended for the equipment we use. The work around was various methods to bring the bat to at least the minimum temperature the bat was designed to be used at. All SSUSA senior bat manufacturers have a warning to not hit with their bats below a certain temperature. Many SSUSA tournaments have games in temperatures below the limit. We can't swing non SSUSA stamped bats any longer which are a bit safer to hit in colder weather. What can we swing when there is a game below the minimum temperature required for our bats? Will the game times be delayed until the recommended bat temperature is reached? Say 65 degrees and up? All games lower than that get postponed? Will SSUSA change the bat standards for bat companies to make it safe and recommended to use the equipment as low as say 55, 50, 45 degrees?

Just some things that come to mind. I am fortunate enough to have a bat problem so when I break them I have a back-up ready. Many people I play with do not have that problem and have extended the life of their bat by keeping it at or above the recommended temperature.