Banning metal bats?

OK, a kid swinging an alluminum bat that is 33 inches 30 ounces is not going to swing it any faster than he is a wooden bat of same length and weight with same handle and barrel thickness, and the ball is still going to go farther because metal is more rigid than wood.

Here's another thought: I'm less sold on the environmental impact of using wood bats than I was a few years ago. The reason: Wood is a renewable resource. We can't go grow more metal. I'm not saying there would be no environmental impact by switching to all wooden bats. I'm just saying there is an environmental impact either way, and in some ways it's worse with metal.

 

Men's amateur ball in my state went to wood bats this year.
It's made for much better baseball.

I've talked to the guys in town here, and a few years back, when they were top dogs in the state and they played the second-best team -- both full of college mashers -- at a field that's 290 down the line at best, they played a 32-28 game.

I shit you not.

 

A Miles City, Mont., legion pitcher died about 3 years ago when he was hit in the head by a line drive off a metal bat. The team now refuses to play teams who use metal bats. They did forfeit two games a couple weeks ago b/c the opposing team refused to use wood bats.

 

I was just going to reference the Montana team. However, I'm on the side of regulating metal bats at lower levels.

Threre's an inherent danger in the sport, whether the bat is wood or metal. Fact is, the ball can hit someone, and if it hits hard enough, could kill them.

The question is how fast is too fast. Certainly at lower levels you ought to be banning the most high-tech metal bats that allow Tweedmeister to smack 300-foot home runs. The bat companies want to sell more product, but they can't be doing it at the expense of player safety. If you get some of their bats banned, they'll stop making the high-end ones because nobody's buying them.

At higher levels wood becomes a smarter choice, not only because of limited ball speed but also because that's what they play with in the bigs. I've never understood why U.S. colleges never went this way, because heck, aren't the guys there looking to go to the next level? I guess it's cost, but that seems like a cop-out.

But when do you switch over to wood? I can see high school being the best time for that, and maybe some rep teams at younger ages. But as one person mentioned, you shouldn't price the game beyond its demographic.

 

Yeah, but I would think the metal bat manufacturers could put some sort of standard seal which would be difficult (nothing is impossible) to counterfit.

 

When I first saw the title of this thread, I read it literally and thought "Banning metal bats?"

I took my SAT at Banning High in LA.

Then I realized the thread's title, the actual banning of metal bats.

And no, I didn't do well on my SAT.

 

Where I'm at, HS kids can use wood bats if they prefer. Kids who will get serious looks from MLB teams use them and hate to touch metal. But it's because they provide the bat. The rest of the team uses metal.

For girls softball, this is not an issue it seems.

But, if we want to get rid of steroid use in baseball, give them metal bats instead of wood.

 

Gomer, I think the danger is just as great, if not greater, at the Little League level. The pitcher being 45 feet away from the hitter ... if you have a physically mature 12-year-old swinging a 28-ounce stick (and it's the weight of the bat that has the greatest affect on bat speed), that kid on the mound just isn't going to have a chance against a line drive coming back at him. Not to mention that said pitcher probably doesn't have the protection instincts at that age, i.e., getting his glove up to slap the ball away.

I'm amazed we don't have more tragedies at the Little League level with liners up the middle.

Now, a lot of people ARE going to argue the cost, because a) they don't follow the math that eight $40 wooden bats = one $320 metal bat; and b) they don't WANT to change, because they want the edge. And there is a definite edge.

 

The Great Lakes Valley Conference, a Division II collegiate conference that has a school in my city, has gone to using wood and composite bats for all conference games.

It has produced better baseball.

 

most little leaguers aren't swinging $320 bats

 

Oh, my. You're telling me kids aren't spoiled where you are? Must be nice...

You check the bat collection in the dugout at any Little League tournament around here, and it's as impressive as any college team.

 

MOST Litlle Leaguers aren't swinging $320 bats