SAN DIEGO — It took the Giants nearly a month to get their first torpedo bats from backed-up vendors. Over a span of three pitches Tuesday night, they lost them both.
Second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald was the first Giant to get a shipment, receiving two from Louisville Slugger on the last homestand. Fitzgerald gave one to catcher Patrick Bailey, who was awaiting his own shipment, but Bailey’s borrowed bat broke on a single to right in the top of the fifth inning. Fitzgerald then dumped a single onto the grass in left, also breaking his bat.
"I break a lot of bats in the first place, so I knew it wasn't going to last long," Fitzgerald said. "But it got him a hit, and it got me a hit. And then he's on second and I'm on first and we're just laughing.
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SIGN UP HERE More than half of the team’s position players have ordered the new bats, which redistribute wood and weight to the barrel so that there’s a bit more thump when players make contact on their personal sweet spot. But because the bats were so popular after a huge opening weekend for the New York Yankees' lineup, there’s a long wait to get shipments. Fitzgerald has ordered six more, but it’ll take another three or four weeks to get them, he thinks.
The early returns were positive, though, and he can’t wait for the next half-dozen to arrive. Fitzgerald was particularly encouraged that he hit a slider off the end of the bat -- which is now skinnier -- and there was enough there to get him a hit.
"I loved it," Fitzgerald said. "I mean, I didn't perform all that great with it, but just the feel of it felt really good. I'm going to keep using it. Pat thought the same thing. I just thought it was really whippy."
Bailey first used one over the weekend and nearly homered Sunday. Like Fitzgerald, he said he likes the feel of the torpedo.
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It’s not unusual for players to break bats in the same game, but it certainly stood out when there were two cracks back-to-back. Fitzgerald is back to his old model Wednesday, but he's not giving that much thought.
"I switch bats a lot," Fitzgerald said. "Sometimes you'll see me with an unfinished and then later in that game you'll see me with a black bat. I switch bats a lot, it's not a big deal."