Baseball doughnut

Iván Rodríguez warming up in the on-deck circle with a baseball doughnut in September, 2009.

A baseball doughnut is a weighted ring that fits over the end of a baseball bat, used for warming up during a baseball game. When the doughnut is taken off, the bat becomes lighter, allowing the batter to feel like it is easier to swing harder. This process is known as deceleration training. The donut was invented by catcher Elston Howard, in the early 1960s, and was originally called "Elston Howard's On-Deck bat weight".^[1] The weight was later dubbed the "doughnut" and the "iron doughnut".^[1]

In 2011 The Wall Street Journal reported a study from the University of Hawaii that showed using a baseball doughnut actually decreased a batter's speed at the plate after warming up with a baseball doughnut.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Dickson, Paul (February 15, 1999). The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary. Harvest Books. pp. 165. ISBN 0156005808. http://baseballdictionary.com/. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
2. ^ Maller, Ben. "The Bat Doughnut May Actually Slow Bat Speed". The Post Game. http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201108/mlb-tradition-hurts-hitters-bat-speed. Retrieved 3 August 2011.