Tobias JunkerAs a father, a softball season is a cause for both excitement and trepidation. I look forward to setting up snack tables for my daughter and her teammates as I watch them practice, and cheering them on during their games. But I am not as eager when it comes to getting Sophie a new bat – DeMarini Bustos.
Now when Sophie started the sport last year, I thought that the only thing I had to worry about when it came time for bat selection was which one would go well with her yellow uniform. Little did I know that color should be the last thing on my mind – there are various other considerations to tackle first.
It’s important to note that I also had to check the regulations of Sophie’s league, as the range of bats that each approves of differs.
Now that I had the fundamentals down – Sophie, a tall, slender gal at 5’10”, 145 pounds, would require a fast pitch bat 33 inches long – it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty: choosing the right brand and model.
Sophie’s first bat was a make from Worth Storm, but it was barely mid-season when it started to break down on her. We experimented with several others – from Easton, Miken, Louisville – before finally finding one that fulfilled all of her needs: the DeMarini 2014 Bustos.
Now there are two things about the DeMarini brand that I absolutely adore: how it designs its bats, and how it prices them. No matter which model I get from its collection, I can rest assured that it will be crafted with the latest bat-making technology and come at a reasonable price. And its 2014 Bustos certainly didn’t break these expectations.
As the father of a player, a bat’s look and feel come second to its durability. I want a bat that doesn’t just let Sophie deliver consistent pops, but can keep up with her lifestyle, on and off the diamond. That’s why the DeMarini 2014 Bustos earns my stamp of approval: it’s a bat that’s sure to satisfy players and their fathers alike. For Sophie, its fiber-reinforced handle eliminated her post-swing wrist pain; its DX1TM technology gives power to all her line drives. For me, its aluminum alloy barrel ensures quality bat performance that spans beyond one season; its affordable price. lets me save my money for other things (like feeding hungry players.)
I would recommend this bat in particular for beginners, because it really grows with you. Sophie carries it nearly everywhere with her, in case she’s up for a quick practice. You’d think that her bat would be in a horrible state by now (I can’t even begin to count the number of training sessions, games, and bumpy travels it’s had to endure), but her DeMarini 2014 Bustos is still in great condition. Here’s how it compares to another model.
Sophie is always raving about its even, balanced feel, but I don’t need to take it for a test swing to confirm her claims: since buying this model for her, I’ve seen Sophie’s batting average improve, and I no longer hear about wrist problems or hand stings. So take the advice of someone who’s never even had to use the bat to experience its fantastic capabilities, and purchase your DeMarini 2014 Bustos today!
