Taking a swing at aluminum bats (IL may ban them for youth)

St. Louis Post Dispatch ^ | Feb. 27, 2008 | Kevin McDermott

[kc8ukw]

It's been three decades now since the ping of aluminum started drowning out the crack of a wooden bat on youth baseball fields across America.

But that older sound of summer is making a comeback on some grassy diamonds these days — not for nostalgia, but safety. Some Illinois lawmakers, in fact, want to ban metal bats from youth baseball.

[Sir_Ed]

I hope they outlaw sharp pencils, too. And footballs, they’re hard, and they can hurt you!

Ed

[Scotswife]

yeah...my own son took out my thumb with a hit at a summer game. Still doesn’t feel quite right.

I do remember some tourneys at the LL level with wooden bats - and the kids kept breaking them.

[Ron in Acreage]

http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats-new/alumwood.html

Both sides are examined. No difference.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Ping

not to anybody; it's just what I hate most about the damn things. Can't stand the

PING!!!!

[Ironfocus]

I coach 10yo little league, and my own son broke my big toe hitting a ball back at me during batting practice. If that came at my head something else would have ended up broken. The ball sure does fly off those bats.

I just wonder how much difference there is between the timing needed to smack it hard with wood or metal. The metal bats seem to be more balanced towards the handle and a bit easier to swing than a same size wooden bat. That does not necessarily teach good swing mechanics.

[mommya]

The kid mentioned in the article as having been hit by a fast ball and injured was 16 - but they want to ban them for kids under 13? Aren’t they talking about the benefits of aluminum bats for younger hitters but the dangers for adults (thus no aluminum in the big leagues.) Why do they want to ban them for the young then? I don’t get it. Stupid Illinois.

What about the weight of a wooden bat being swung? What I’ve seen happen more often is a kid swinging a bat and making contact with another kid.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

nor are they susceptible to “fatigue” at an early age.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

"There is a Pennsylvania-based company that has been making bats from maple for a number of years."

But, are they made from the tree that was struck by the lightning bolt that killed Roy's paw?

[edpc]

I’ll call the Pirates front office to go sign him immediately.

Why bother? They'll just trade him and end up sucking again, anyway.....

[oldbill]

Aluminum bats started the decline in American society. Quickly to follow were reality TV, soccer, the Clinton administration, Chris Matthews, $3.00 gasoline, cell phones in restaurants, illegal aliens, and global warming.

It all started with aluminum baseball bats.

[mommya]

That’s funny and sad. I help out with youth stuff aplenty in my town and it always irks me how some parents want everyone to receive a trophy or medal, etc... My son has so many of these things they have become meaningless. Stupid. Our Scout Pack planning committee got into it one night because some thought our den, because it had 14 boys and was by far the largest den, should receive trophies all the way down to 5th or 6th place instead of the traditional 3rd place. Since there was more competition there should be more prizes to make more boys feel good. They said it was sad that most boys wouldn’t win anything. I said it was more sad that we have a den with only 3 boys and that they were all getting trophies no matter what. We really go back and forth on this issue in scouts because scouts are supposed to be being taught traditional values, survival skills, personal resposibility, etc... we want to make strong young men out of them not coddle them - at least that’s my take on it.

[Vigilanteman]

You are correct. Aluminum bats are a safety hazzard. There's a reason they are not used in Major League Baseball.

The economies of aluminum do not justify the added risk. Kids may not be able to acheive the bat speed necessary to maximize the risks of aluminum bats, but bat speed is less a factor than the rebound effect from the material.

[rickomatic]

I fought the bat battle 10 years ago along with the NCAA, and you’d be amazed to see the lengths that aluminum bat manufacturers will go to “head these initiatives off at the pass”. It’s pretty disturbing stuff. Aluminum bats are great ... unless your kid is a pitcher!

I hear ya. My son wasn't a pitcher, but as a former coach, I know what you're talking about. I still remember the day our 15 yr old boys select team was playing and our (big for his age) 6' 200# pitcher was hit in the chest by a line drive. He went down like a sack of potatoes. Luckily he was ok, other than the wind knocked out of him, and a nice bruise complete with ball stitching marks. We did, however call the aid car in the interim. It's those first 100' or so off the batt, where the aluminum batts have the greatest increase in velocity.
I'm not sure about nationwide, but I do know that Community Collge baseball here in Washington state uses wood batts, and has for a while. It's also understandable why the batt companies want to keep them. When I was a kid, back in the Jurassic era, our Little League teams had an assortment of wooden batts in the gear bag that would last from season to season until breakage required that they be replaced. Nowadays, every kid buys his own batt..or two...or three...each year. Follow the money.

All that having been said, I agree. This is no place for government intrusion.

[the lastbestlady]

I was just commenting on the emerging nanny-state mindset of IL. (i.e. gun bans, smoking bans ....aluminum bat bans etc..)

[elpadre]

Wooden bats are all we had in my day and they are great. All the wood came from the US - nothing exotic.

I don’t think the government should have any say so, but the various leagues, IMHO, should disallow the aluminum bat - it’s un-American. Let’s hear it for the Louisville Slugger!!!

[diogenes ghost]

"........BUT NOT YOUTH BASEBALL."

Sorry, but that's where they are most dangerous. I coached 14 & under LL when my son was younger & was only coach in 8 team league that would not let my kids use aluminum. We lost one game all year one season, so aluminum doesn't guarantee success.

But in a 8-14 YO league, there are GREAT disparaties in size, strength, quickness, experience, and attention. Not just pitchers are at risk, it doesn't take much longer to get to a shortened infielder.

I was injured in HS by a batted ball, last thing I wanted was to see it happen to a kid if it could be avoided by not using aluminum.

[TexasCajun]

Professional baseball doesn’t use aluminum bats, so why use them in Little Leagues, schools and colleges?..........

#1. Save the trees of course.

#2. Save some pitcher's pearly whites.

[TexasCajun]

Professional baseball doesn’t use aluminum bats, so why use them in Little Leagues, schools and colleges?..........

#1. Save the trees of course.

#2. Save some pitcher's pearly whites.

[Night Hides Not]

I think they should ban aluminum bats, and ugly girls.

...and the designated hitter.

[schu]

Especially when you use one of the really “hot” illegal bats. The ball can come off those bats at over 125 MPH, the pitcher just does not have time to react.

But when you hit one with those bats it feels like you are Willie Stargell!

schu