A group of baseball enthusiasts, known as the Baseball Bat Bros, gathered in Victor, Colorado to attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the longest distance hit with a baseball bat. The record to beat was 574 feet. The group set up markers at various distances, including 400 feet, 500 feet, and 582 feet, which was the distance of a previous unverified record attempt. The participants took turns hitting balls, using high-performance bats and sanctioned Major League Baseballs. Despite strong winds and a hail storm, several participants hit balls beyond the 500-foot mark, with the leader reaching a distance of 534 feet. While they did not break the official record, the group had a successful event and plan to return with better conditions to attempt the record again.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Baseball Bat Bros are attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the longest baseball hit.
2. They are located in Victor, Colorado, at an elevation of around 10,000 feet.
3. The current record they are trying to beat is 574 feet.
4. They have over 200 baseballs, a hitting mat, a net, and various bats.
5. The event is being held at the Gold Bowl in Victor, Colorado, which is one of the oldest official baseball fields in America.
6. The field has a grandstand and is surrounded by markers indicating distances of up to 350 feet.
7. The Baseball Bat Bros have set up additional markers at 400, 500, and 582 feet.
8. Guinness requires the use of sanctioned baseballs for official attempts.
9. The team has 64 official Major League Baseballs for the attempts.
10. They also have a large number of pitching machine balls for practice swings.
11. Several participants, including Pete Kraska, Drew Burris, Baby Diaz, Jeremy Nowak, Thorson Christopher, and Bradley Jones, are introduced and share their goals for the event.
12. The wind is blowing straight in, making it more difficult to hit the ball far.
13. The team uses various bats, including a 1997 Easton Reflex, several Zens, and a Marucci Cat X.
14. Eric Sam, aka the "King of JUCO," is participating and aims to hit the ball 580 feet.
15. The team measures the distance of each hit using a surveyor.
16. The current leader hits the ball 534 feet.
17. The event is interrupted by hail, and the team waits for favorable wind conditions.
18. The final results show that a hit of 534 feet is tied for second place, and another hit of 531 feet is also achieved.
19. The team reports that over 1,000 dollars' worth of baseballs were hit during the event.