I’ve had a Louisville Slugger TPX Pro Cup bat for maybe 25 years, at least since the late 90’s. I used it in my final few years playing ball before high school. I still use it occasionally at the batting cages when I take my son.

Last week the end cap broke and can’t be salvaged. I emailed Louisville Slugger and they report they don’t have parts like that available.

I really don’t want to trash this bat, but I’m also not keen to spend the $60 or whatnot to send it off for repair when it seems exceedingly easy to epoxy a new end cap in place… if I can find one. Some limited searching was not successful. Anybody know of a source for baseball bat end caps? I don’t care if it’s some generic, not original style, so long as it functions well enough for the batting cages.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: thumperfbc,

There are some on Ebay.

You're better off with a new one. Bats expire same as body armor and motorcycle helmets.

Also the late 90s is now 26 years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
You're better off with a new one. Bats expire same as body armor and motorcycle helmets.

Also the late 90s is now 26 years ago.

Yes, a typo. Thanks for catching that.

Oddly enough, I watch a lot of baseball bat reviews, specifically The Baseball Bat Bros. You’ll want to get that bat fixed.

Today’s bats are BBCOR bats. They have an internal ring in the sweet spot that takes a lot of the gusto out of the bat. Basically they purposely deaden the bat so it can’t hit as far.

I just watched a video a week or so ago where they had an Easton Reflex and it’s one of the hottest bats they have ever hit with.

In watching these videos I have realized that a bat from the 90’s will hit better than a brand new $500 BBCOR bat. The only one that compares is the Easton Dub. The Easton Hype Fire hit far, but it’s a weak bat that breaks rather easily. The Easton Dub was able to knock a lot out of the park and only had one small split.

They also use softer baseballs when using the new era of bats. If they use the hardest baseballs with the new era bats, they break far too quickly. You just don’t have that issue with the old aluminum bats from the 90’s.

Add to that, the bats of the 90’s were the pinnacle of bat technology, before they started dumbing down the bats. Anything after the 90’s, while the technology is better, it has been dumbed down, significantly.

If it were my bat, and I was smashing dingers with it everytime I go to bat I’d repair it before having to shell out $$$ for a new, weak, dumbed down bat.

You like the bat, apparently per Beancooker, it's a good model to keep,

$60 to have it professionally repaired sounds reasonable so something you want to keep.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:

Today’s bats are BBCOR bats.

And for the younger kids it's USA and USSSA bats

My two boys are required to use USA bats which are made more dead for safety. The older son played a team last spring in an all-star event who were allowed to use USSSA bats and they were smoking balls with those things.

In short to the OP things have changed...a lot

You could also check Sideline Swap possibly?