Beats:

Each week, in the Beats section of this blog, I will post my "Beats of the Week". For this segment of the blog, I will choose five songs, one from each genre of music: pop, rock, hip-hop, country, and jazz. I will give a brief synopsis and review of each song, hoping you might add it to your playlist!

Pop: "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" -- Beatles

Released in 1963, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles is a fizzy pop gem that launched Beatlemania into the stratosphere. John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s tight harmonies and giddy lyrics about innocent love—“I wanna hold your hand”—pair with a bouncy beat and George Harrison’s jangly guitar to create pure, radio-ready magic. It became their first U.S. No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, selling 1.8 million copies in weeks, sparking the British Invasion. Recorded in EMI Studios, its handclaps and “oohs” ooze youthful energy, blending pop polish with rock ‘n’ roll grit. Over 60 years later, it’s still a go-to for anyone craving a dose of ‘60s optimism.

Rock: "I Love Rock 'N Roll" -- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ 1981 hit "I Love Rock 'N Roll" is a snarling rock anthem that became a defining ‘80s banger. Originally by The Arrows, Jett’s cover—off her album of the same name—amps up the grit with her raspy vocals and a chugging guitar riff that screams rebellion. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in 1982, a rare feat for a female-led rock act, cementing Jett as a trailblazer. The song’s story—spotting a guy by a jukebox and owning the moment—spills confidence, backed by the Blackhearts’ raw energy. It’s been a karaoke staple ever since, with its “put another dime in the jukebox, baby” line echoing in rock history.

Hip-Hop: "In the Night" -- Childish Gambino ft. Jorja Smith and Amaarae

Dropped in 2024 as part of Childish Gambino’s Bando Stone & The New World, "In the Night" is a sultry hip-hop cut with global flair featuring British singer Jorja Smith and Ghanaian artist Amaarae. Donald Glover’s smooth bars glide over a dreamy, synth-heavy beat, weaving themes of late-night longing with a cinematic edge—fitting for the album’s sci-fi vibe. Smith’s soulful croon and Amaarae’s ethereal vocals add layers of seduction, making it a standout on the soundtrack. It peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, lauded for its genre-blending finesse. Fans call it a “vibe for late-night drives,” which I can confirm as true. This album as a whole cemented Glover’s knack for pushing hip-hop’s boundaries.

Country: "Something in the Orange" -- Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan’s "Something in the Orange," released in 2022 from American Heartbreak, is a haunting country ballad that cuts straight to the bone. Bryan’s gravelly voice aches with heartbreak, painting a sunset scene—orange skies mirroring his fading love—over sparse guitar and fiddle. Written in a Washington cabin, it captures raw loss, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and earning a Grammy nod. Its lo-fi authenticity resonated, racking up over 500 million Spotify streams by 2025. Many country fans have called it a modern country classic.

Jazz: "What a Wonderful World" -- Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong’s "What a Wonderful World," released in 1967, is a timeless jazz standard that radiates hope through his gravelly warmth. Written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss, it paints a dreamy picture—green trees, red roses, and friends shaking hands—over a gentle orchestral sway. Initially a slow burner in the U.S., it topped the UK charts in 1968, later soaring after its 1987 Good Morning, Vietnam feature. Armstrong, then 66, recorded it in one take, his voice a balm amid Vietnam War tensions. It’s since become a cultural touchstone, with over 1 billion streams by 2025, often cited as the ultimate feel-good jazz tune.

Bleachers:

Welcome to the "Bleachers"! Here, we will take a dive into the thrilling world of sports, bringing you anything from the latest highlights, game analyses, athletic achievements, and much more! Whether you're celebrating a big play or witnessing a nail-biting finish, the bleachers are where the magic of sports truly comes alive. MLB season is in full swing! However, one team in particular has been making the most headlines: The Yankees. Why? Some may say it's because of the "Torpedo Bat." What's that? Let's talk about it!

Yankees Stats So Far:

The Yankees have been making headlines since Opening Day. They opened the season with a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, outscoring them 36-14, showcasing an offensive explosion that’s rewriting record books. The Yankees’ batting stats are staggering. They’ve hit 17 home runs through these four games, breaking the MLB record for most homers in a team’s first four games, surpassing the 2006 Detroit Tigers’ mark of 16, as noted in MLB’s X posts. Their batting average sits at .333, with an OPS of 1.231 and a slugging percentage of .804—all leading the league. They’ve racked up 35 RBIs, also tops in MLB. Over a two-game span against the Brewers, they amassed 32 runs, 37 hits, 13 homers, and 12 walks, a feat unmatched in the modern era (since 1900). Aaron Judge has been a standout, belting 3 of the team’s franchise-record 9 homers in a single game on March 29.

The Torpedo Bat:

The "torpedo bat," a buzzworthy innovation in Major League Baseball as of April 2, 2025, is a redesigned baseball bat that’s been turning heads with its unconventional shape and its impact on the game. Developed by Aaron Leanhardt, a former MIT physicist turned Yankees analyst (now with the Miami Marlins), the bat emerged from a 2023 initiative to help hitters combat increasingly dominant pitching. Leanhardt, leveraging his physics background, worked with players, coaches, and MLB’s 41 approved bat manufacturers to create a bat that shifts more wood—and thus more mass—closer to the hitter’s hands, where many make contact most often. Officially dubbed the "bowling pin" bat (model numbers start with BP), it earned the catchier "torpedo" nickname for its tapered, elongated shape: a thicker sweet spot near the label that slims down toward the end, unlike the traditional bat’s evenly distributed barrel.

The torpedo bat’s design aims to boost performance by increasing the margin for error. By concentrating mass where hitters like the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe tend to strike the ball—often on the label rather than the barrel—it theoretically enhances exit velocity and bat speed. Yankees players using it, like Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and Austin Wells, saw bat-velocity gains (Volpe up 3 mph, Bellinger 2.5 mph), per ESPN. This contributed to the Yankees’ record-breaking start: 17 home runs in their first four games of the 2025 season, including a franchise-record nine in a single game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29. The bat’s legality isn’t in question—it complies with MLB Rule 3.02, which caps diameter at 2.61 inches and length at 42 inches—but its impact has sparked debate. Players like Elly De La Cruz of the Reds, who hit two homers and seven RBIs in his first game with it on March 31, swear by its feel, while others, like Aaron Judge (who hit four homers with a traditional bat), see no need to switch.

Not everyone’s sold, and the hype might be outpacing the reality. Critics, including Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill, called it “terrible” and “bush league,” while some executives predict MLB might ban it under the “best interests of baseball” clause if its offensive boost—like the Yankees’ .333 team batting average and 1.231 OPS—throws the game’s balance into chaos, echoing steroid-era concerns. Physics experts like Alan Nathan note it’s no magic fix: it may increase exit velocity near the label but could sacrifice power at the barrel’s end, making it a trade-off. Teams like the Cubs, Orioles, and Rays have experimented with it since 2023, and its use is spreading—Reds, Mets, and Padres players are jumping on board—but league-wide data is still thin. For now, the torpedo bat’s a polarizing experiment: a clever edge for some, a potential problem for others, and a reminder that in baseball, even a stick can stir up a storm.

What are your feelings on the "Torpedo Bat?" Let me know in the comments!

That's a wrap for this week's Beats & Bleachers! Thanks for tuning in! I hope you enjoyed my "Beats of the Week" as well as my overview of the "Torpedo Bat". Whether you were here for the music, the sports, or both, I appreciate you joining me. Stay tuned for more beats to move to and more games to cheer for. Until next time, keep the music playing and the spirit of the game alive!

Comments

Jack HoulihanApril 3, 2025 at 5:55 AM
I think torpedo bats are very interesting. It seems like the Yankees are mashing the baseball, but I don't think this is entirely because of the torpedo bat. Many people don't know the creator of the torpedo bat actually works for the Marlins now. I think torpedo bats are fine in the MLB and have obviously less of an impact than steroids.

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