I very rarely talk about companies that I will stick to because there so amazing all around that I’ll always bring my business to them. Rarely now a days it’s hard to find a great product, at a great price, and have amazing customer service. I don’t know if that is asking a lot but that is what I look for when you want my customer loyalty. After a while I lost hope looking out for companies that had that all around qualities. Until I had bought my first Softball Bat from Demarini.
2009 Demarini White Steel
This bat pictured is my second bat from Demarini which is the 2009 Demarini White Steel and will get to the story involving that purchase and history in a second. My first bat was purchased for $190 named the 2008 Demarini White Steel. It was the first year this bat was in production and I took a big gamble on buying a bat that wasn’t a proven monster. It looked really attractive and was mysterious in its looks and feel. It felt somewhat balanced in weight but end loaded, which is difficult to find in a two piece bat. Two piece meaning the barrel and the handle are manufactured separately then put together for the final product. Every time you hold it in your hands you feel so comfortable that it meets all your needs to put the ball where you need to put it and drive it with power.
2008 Demarini White Steel
The gamble paid off and since the purchase everyone who has hit with the bat and myself have become a believer in the Demarini White Steel and its all around versatility to all hitters of power AND contact. They say its not the bat .. its the hitter, but when your confident you have the best piece of equipment to get the job done in your hands it only builds your confidence in yourself to produce the needed outcome whether it be a home run or a single up the middle. I have won 3 championships and been in a total of 4 Championship series where all those teams utilized the bat as a majority. That is a lot of swings for one bat, in which most bats start to break down after about 500 hits thereafter. This bat has put up well over 500 hits and still hits pretty well. Only after 2 years of straight up knocking the stuffing out of the ball has it blurred the graphics on the bat, been re-gripped and has one VERY MINOR chip in the paint job. Most people will tell you that is un-heard of with a bat. This only solidifies my trust in Demarini for future bat purchases, in which in October 2008 I purchased the 2009 model of the White Steel.
The price for the 2009 White Steel was basically the same amount as 2008 model but with a different paint job to make the barrel look as if it was truly steel. Another minor change in detail was now the handle is white with a graphite look at certain parts. Automatically it started hitting like its predecessor, and the pure giddiness to step up to the plate and take some swings with it came out in everyone who handled it. I used the bat for a Fall league from October to early November. The weather never really dipped below 60 degrees during use but at the end of the season I noticed a small dent starting to form when I hand checked the barrel. You could not distinguish a dent visually but you could feel it somewhat in your hands. That is when I called Demarini’s customer service to notify them of my issue.
Upon calling them I explained my story and immediately they told me to send the bat in for a replacement. I was surprised that I didn’t have to jump through hoops to get my problem fixed. The customer service gave me a reference number and told me to ship the bat to there address with the receipt and all would be taken care of. The bat was shipped then received by them within about 3-4 days, when in turn they sent a replacement brand new bat to me same model and weight in a very timely manner. The bat arrived at my doorstep via UPS no more then two weeks after I had initially sent my bat to them. That is amazing turn around time to me for a company that resides in Oregon. Tonight we finally get to put the bat back to work again along side the 2007 model and I am confident it will live up to the companies name and quality they provide.
2009 Demarini White Steel in my possession
It sounds like this is a paid review from Demarini but I assure you there has been no money exchanged and no favors done other then living up to there end of there One Year replacement policy if anything goes wrong with the bat. This is stuff you don’t see from many companies of ANYTHING now a days. With how everything took place it warrented a write up on the site with backing and approval from the Dirty Dalerz softball team and all other teams I play on as well as myself. Demarini I thank you for your outstanding products and customer service. I recommend Demarini for your softball bat needs. You can find amazing prices at closeoutbats.com where I purchase all of my Demarini bats and products with quick shipping and service as well.
Submitted by Brian
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I’ll just jump right into the topic and finish the sentence ‘Something you never wish to see in softball is someone get hurt off a line drive or a ball that takes a bad hop’. Now I play on 4 different softball teams and I never step foot defensively on the infield, for good reason. I cannot deal with screaming line drives coming at my face or hard hit ground balls that take a bad hop and come up on you. That is a big reason for me not playing the infield. I pride myself in being a great outfielder who can cover a lot of ground and get the ball in real quick to make plays on runners. Put me in the infield and I promise you I will not be going after 50% of the balls hit at me due to not wanting my teeth knocked out. I have told my friends who play infield that I respect them so much because of the fact they are having LASERS fired at there heads constantly. I’ll dive, hustle, and risk getting hurt somewhat to get to a ball and make an out but to put myself in front of a line drive or bad hop is not really appealing to me.
I play on two Sunday teams and saw two instances that made me back my decision a hundred times over to stick to the outfield. On one instance it was a day game at a very nice field located right by Nassau Coliseum, Mitchell Field where a kid on my team hit a ball so hard back at the pitcher he had no choice but TRY and I stress TRY to get out of the way of the rocket line drive back at him. He could not move out in time and got hit right in the mid-ab section towards the middle of his stomach. The batter reached first which then soon after time out was called to see if the pitcher was ok. He had gotten the wind knocked out of him and was down on his knees for a minute or so not before getting back up to try to walk it off. The batter who now is on first comes over and apologizes for hitting up the middle or in softball slang ‘shooting the box’ in which the pitcher assured it was ok. After the inning the pitcher showed where he had been hit to his teammates when I got a glimpse of it I wasn’t surprised. There was an exact circle in a diameter of a softball that was red on the outside and black and blue on the inside, which was no longer then 5 minutes after it had happened. This is why I do not pitch at all, there are certain balls you can get a glove on and then there are balls that are hit that you pray to god he isn’t sending you to the hospital today.
Click HERE to see video
I don’t know about most people but I can hit all over the field and sometimes for great power and accuracy. Sometimes I do shoot the box, not aiming for the pitcher of course but you do at times hit them. If a pitcher gets hit I will 99% of the time not try to get an extra base out of it but reach first and turn and ask for a timeout. Immediately I will apologize to the pitcher for shooting the box and check if he is ok. Of course, there are the times where the ball gets by the pitcher and goes into the outfield, now depending on what base I am on after time has been called I will again apologize to the pitcher just out of pure courtesy and so I don’t want his team shooting the box trying to kill my pitcher. That is just how softball is played, but then again it only takes one asshole to say “Good” or “I meant to do that” to where it becomes a brawl soon following. Moral of this one instance, Just be courteous and spit out the words “sorry pitcher” to prevent retaliation. No one wants to see anyone get hurt and no one REALLY wants to pitch due to the fact of your life flashing before your eyes a couple of times a season due to screaming line drives.
The second instance you never want to see on a softball field is a ball taking a bad hop/bounce and hurting a guy. Well like I said I saw two things in one Sunday I hope not to see for the rest of the season but is bound to happen. A ball was hit (I forget who was on base) hard to the first baseman where it took two maybe three short normal hops then took a EXTREMELY BAD hop up at the first baseman’s head. In this case the first baseman was well over 6’4″ and the ball hit him right where the cheek meets the nose. Instantly everyone screamed “OH NO/SHIT!!”, and once the batter reached first which had happened quickly after time out was called and everyone came to see if the first baseman was all right. IMMEDIATELY the eye was swollen shut with a black and blue and blood was gushing out of his nose. Play stopped and the teams tended to there benches while the player was helped. The hitter of course apologized but Its not really his fault but out of courtesy offered his apology. In which the first baseman replied “its all apart of the game, its ok man” which was very nice of the guy hence his face being smashed up. Another thing he said was “thank god it didnt’ hit me in the mouth” which ultimately would probably be worse. Regardless, he could not finish the game and his team now had to play with nine and receive an out every time he was supposed to bat. No one really wants to accept that cheap out from a guy who just put his body on the line for a ground ball, it’s cheap but its how the game goes. I hope the guy is ok, because a hospital trip was definitely in the cards for him that night.
Click HERE to see video
Those are two reasons why I do not play the infield in softball. Call me a pussy but with my speed and skill set I’m a better outfielder anyways but I have to say one thing you have to have some balls to play the infield with those balls coming off the bat so fast and bad hops being a chance you have to take. I have had bad hops in the outfield but mostly they just lead to the ball getting by me and me hustling to not have it turn into a home run, rarely do I have to worry about injury other then diving or running into an object in the outfield (light pole and fence). I salute you pitchers and infielders you have more gusto then I do when it comes to taking the really hard hit balls and turning them into plays to help your team. I just hope that I don’t see anything close to these plays that happened on one Sunday happen again this whole season and seasons to come.
Submitted by Brian
DirtyDalerz Softball is Back in season! The 2008 campaign was quite an impressive one for the organization, capturing there first (definitely not last) Wesco Sports LTD. Softball Championship. We would like to thank all the fans and supporters who came out this year. Not only did they win but they absolutely steam rolled there competition in the playoffs just firing off on all cylinders.
However, with that seasons amazing ending there is however a sour note in the off season, and that note is the departure of Adam Kruger from the team. Adam decided he was going to hang up his cleats and retire his jersey. (His Terrell Owens, Philadelphia Eagles Jersey will be sent to the Softball Hall of Hero’s). Adam was a great player in our organization for many years, starting up from the minors at third and subbing in as a relief pitcher and then made the official move to pitcher last year as pops retired before the ’08 season. Adam led the team in K’s and was a major factor for our success last season with his great pitching exploits. Adam also led the DirtyDalerz in motorcycle crashes in his tenure with the team averaging about 2 bike crashes a year. Adam you will be missed.
Another big change to the team comes on the managerial side of the team were John Cinelli has decided to step down as General Manager due to fatherhood. However, John hands the reigns over to a longtime Daler Tommy Cinelli. John went on to say, “Tommy has a real connection with the players and the fans simply love the guy, in my opinion it was a no brain’er to endorse him to keep this team at its dominant level.” However, in a rare move Tommy Cinelli requested that John stay on as his Assistant Manager and Bench Coach and John agreed without hesitation. This move reminds other of all the years Don Zimmer managed until he decided to be bench coach next to Joe Torre. With all that over and done with lets get on to the player Bio’s for this upcoming 2009 season.
Dennis Treubig (2B)- Dennis is the motor that ignites this team on the defensive side. Dennis is electrifying with his uncanny range and never ending energy, he is the lead off batter for the team and is as close to a guarantee that there is to get on every time. Dennis has a pension for great base running and can be a one-man scoring machine at times. Dennis electrifies the crowd every game with his leaps and dives to stop the ball. Dennis also doubles as the team’s athletic trainer.
Tommy Cinelli (SS)- You know this guy will perform year in and year out. After battling through health issues (diabetes) this player has refined his body and tuned it to have his best season with the Dalerz. Tommy led the team in RBI’s last year and was an intricate part of the team’s success. Tommy also led the team in AVG. Tommy however is equally as impressive at the Shortstop position with his flashy back hand stabs and arm strength. Battling through arm issues will be a big step this year. We expect yet another magnificent season from the new GENERAL MANAGER.
Kenny Kruger (OF)- Kenny came in last season fully healthy for the first time. Kenny managed to lead the team in HR’s. Kenny is a tremendous bat in the lineup and is as clutch as they come. His outfield play is solid and shores up any questions to that back line. The organization is really high on what this guy can do for them.
John Cinelli (1B)- John is the “powerhouse” on this potent lineup. John on any at bat can take the ball and tear the cover off of it. He has great contact ability as well and can drive runs in at reckless abandon. Johnny also has a very stout mitt at first and rarely lets a ball beat him down in the dirt. John is the emotional leader on this team.
Rob Frank (OF)- Crank had a very impressive Rookie season last year, and only get better and better as the season progressed. Rob at times showed extreme power to the gaps and has great home run potential. Rob emerged as one of the best outfielders on the DirtyDalerz roster and expectations are only getting bigger and bigger on this guy. The organization expects great things from him for years to come.
Brian Harris (3B)- B.Harris was very impressive last year at the hot corner and is so solid . You really don’t give him enough credit playing that position, the balls come at you so fast and he does a great job corralling in some pretty mean shots. Brian also gets it done on the offensive side with a smooth stroke to all fields.
Chris “Nacho” Caraballo (OF)- Nacho is a very consistent hitter in the lineup and seems to always keep the ball in play. His smooth strokes to the outfield and fast legs make for a very high OBP. Nacho is a good outfielder who should keep on being consistent all season long.
Glenn Cinelli (C/OF)- The youngest player on the roster but plays well beyond his age. Glenn has one of, if not the strongest arm on the team, An absolute HOSE. After putting his rookie season in the books and taking some lumps early on. The organization expects him to come into his own on the offensive side! Glenn is simply a pure athletic specimen and will be great this season.
Charlie Spahr (OF)- Charlie is so consistent with his hitting and is year in and year out one of the most consistent offensive threats for the DirtyDalerz. Charlie hits to all fields and gets on base. Flat out he is a producer. He primarily plays in the outfield and is solid but when Brian Harris shows up wasted to games Charlie steps in and doesn’t miss a beat at third base.
Chris Harris (P/OF)- C.Harris will be called upon to step in and take the hill for the DirtyDalerz. After showing some skill with the pill he will get the full time duties due to the departure of Adam. However, the club is fully endorsing Harris as the pitcher and Harris can get it done on the offensive side of the ball and is a great clutch hitter and drives in runs.
Brian “BC” Cinelli (OF)- BC is the most solid outfielder out of any on the roster. He has great range and a laser rocket arm. However, injuries seem to plague BC but Brian is an Iron Man and is always there for the team. BC gets it done offensively and gives a great option for a 2nd lead off hitter. With great speed Brian constantly leads the team in Runs. If Brian can put it together for a full season the stat line on him could be eye popping. Another emotional leader of the Dalerz we call him “General Custard,” because of his high intensity and will to win.
Rob Getch (3B/OF/Util.)- Robby is the new addition to this year’s roster . Rob is expected to come in and give another middle of the lineup threat on the offense. Robby will be used primarily in the outfield rotation but will be called upon as a utility player. Coming into his rookie season he is expected to bring some excitement to this team and the team is very happy to have him. The sky is the limit for this kid!
Overall, we as a team are very excited for this season and expect to repeat on the magic of last season. Please come down and support us if you can, and keep track of the player/team stats all year long in the softball section of DirtyDalerz.com
Submitted by Tommy C
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Well we have officially made the playoffs. There has been a lot of help along the way from basically all the Dirty Dalerz. Even the girls who cheer’d us on .. even though they barely came to any games last year cause we sucked .. but it’s ok we turned it around this year.
We finished the season 24-6, which is an amazing turn around from 2-18 of last year. The difference this year? A strong batting order and some stand up defense, something we lacked last year. The only thing that really chaps my ass is that the guy who runs the league ‘Bruce’ kind of fucked over the number one team ‘the undertakers’ and put the second place team ‘jayhawks’ in first place and gave them a bye. Now we finished third in the division, yea I know with a record of 24-6 how could you finish 3rd .. we just did. Now we have to play a team called the ‘hillside hurricanes’ and I’m guessing there from queens. There from a division above us but they finished in 4th at 14-13 .. barely over .500. Now I’m not going into the game underestimateing them .. but we just came off two wins against ‘the undertakers’ which is a great way to finish the season. Now we just have to forget we don’t have our star pitcher ‘pops’ for the playoffs .. which is impossible .. averageing 3 strikeouts a game towards the end of the season. Hopefully his son will fill the gap and lead us to victory. We just need to hit like we did the last two games and we can make a pretty good run in the playoffs. Here is the schedule if anyone wants to root us on:
Tuesday August 23nd @ Mitchel Field #2 8:45 vs. Hillside Hurricanes
If we Win
Tuesday August 23nd @ Mitchel Field #2 9:45 vs. JayHawks
If we Lose
Wednesday August 24rd @ Mitchel Field #2 7:30 vs. ???
Submitted by Brian
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