Vin Scully, on Big Bats

Roberto Clemente, Matty Alou, Willie Stargell and Manny Mota.

Vin Scully, from last night's game:

Before the game, I was talking to Ryan Braun, along with coach John Shelby, about Braun's bat. And it caught my eye, sitting up here. It seemed to be a longer bat than usual used by other players.

A throw to first and Morgan back on the bag.

And so I asked Ryan, Just how long is your bat? And he said, Thirty-five inches. Which is a little bit longer than the average. The average bat's thirty-four, maybe a rare thirty-four and a half.

But I knew I had seen bigger bats.

The first pitch is swung on, hit in the air to right field. Ethier going back to the bullpen gate, at the box seat, it is gone! A long bat and a long home run the other way, and just like that, the Brewers lead, two to nothing.

Ryan Braun, the MVP last year, hits his fourteenth home run. It gives him thirty-six runs batted in, as he takes young Eovaldi to right field.

Anyway, in talking about bats, I decided I know Matty Alou from years ago had a long bat. He played with the Pirates. So I called Manny Mota — as we watch the home run go out on replay — and Manny said, Oh, yes. He said, We had several guys on the club, thirty-seven-inch bats.

The first pitch is swung on by Ramirez, popped up on the right side. Loney will back off and let De Jesus make the catch, and we have two down.

So anyway, in talking to Manny Mota, we found out that Roberto Clemente used the thirty-seven-inch bat. So did Manny Sanguillen, the catcher, Matty Alou, Jose Pagan.

But what's really interesting, in talking about bats: Manny Mota said, One time we were going up against Bob Gibson, who was a flamethrower. And would you believe, Matty Alou, who was the smallest of the three Alous, had a thirty-seven-inch, forty-ounce bat. And he used it against Bob Gibson.

Anyway, that's the story on bats. Here's Taylor Green, hitting two twenty-two....