Posted on 10/23/2009 7:05:12 AM PDT by La Lydia
HELENA, Mont. — Fighting off a Helena Senators' fifth-inning rally, pitcher Brandon Patch checked the runner on first base. The 18-year-old Miles City Mavericks' southpaw then went into his windup, delivering what looked sure to be another strike. Instead, the Senators' hitter connected squarely, smacking the baseball so hard that it was nearly impossible to follow — until it ricocheted off Patch's head. The ball eventually fell behind first base after traveling, by some accounts, as high as 50 feet in the air.
Patch, pitching in what was to be one of his final games with his American Legion team, collapsed on the mound. He managed to speak briefly to his father and coaches, and to some of the teammates from the eastern Montana town of Miles City, who had rushed to help him. Minutes later, Patch went into convulsions as a horrified crowd watched on from the bleachers.
Within hours, Patch had died from head injuries suffered while playing the game he had loved since he'd been a small child.
"It was just so quick. Everything happened so fast," Mavericks' first baseman Kevin Roberts recalled more than six years later in a courtroom, where the bat's manufacturer is being sued by Patch's mother for allegedly producing an unreasonably dangerous product.
At issue in the trial that is expected to last at least until early next week is whether anyone could have known the danger that could come from using an aluminum baseball bat, and whether the manufacturer should be held liable for Patch's death.
"There is absolutely no warning anywhere ... that this bat can create a situation where a pitcher is defenseless," said Joe White, the Patchs' attorney....
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Has anyone watched major league baseball lately.
The bats are breaking and shards of wood are flung far and wide.
A tragedy certainly, but they are just going for the deep pockets.
Thats because they are using maple bats. Maple is harder but shatters when it breaks.
But who knew that a baseball going at 100mph was dangerous. seriously who woulda thought!!
Justice would be an aluminum baseball bat enema for Joe White. With no warning!
“Thats because they are using maple bats. Maple is harder but shatters when it breaks.”
Baseball is a game that has some risk to it. Aluminum bats are safer in my opinion. If wood bats were used, there’d be stories of players struck, and in some cases, skewerd with the sharp end of a bat. Any wood will break and leave a jagged end.
Won’t fly under the “Element of Risk” legal doctrine.
I can tell you never stood on a mound facing a 240lb batter waving a suped-up aluminum bat.
The debate is the ball comes off aluminum bats faster and goes farther. Thats why batters like them.
Certainly a tragedy that this kid died. I hope this suit gets tossed though. Just another case of lawyers out of control.
Maple is a freaking joke, and beyond dangerous to be making bats out of, whatever idiot decided to switch from ASH to MAPLE should be tarred and feathered.
However, this article is about aluminum and alloy bats, which is a totally different issue, the ball definately leaves the bat with a higher velocity off a metal bat than a wooden one.
Life’s full of choices. He could always choose not to be on the mound. I’m sure his teammates still use aluminum bats.
He accepted the risk by staying on the mound.
Poor choice of words. It was his final game.
“the ball definately leaves the bat with a higher velocity off a metal bat than a wooden one.”
and thats why baseball players love aluminum bats.
No way, metal bats are far more dangerous to the pitcher than any wooden bat, maple or ash. The velocity the ball leaves an alloy bat are far far higher.
Sure, wooden bats break, but they don’t go flying at players at the speeds balls do when squarely hit.
I think metal bats are fine for younger kids, because defensive players at young ages aren’t always paying attention, so a broken bat cause issues, but once you get to the age of about 15ish really they should be using wood.
“I can tell you never stood on a mound facing a 240lb batter waving a suped-up aluminum bat.”
Nope, didn’t have the arm. But I’d be willing to bet that the number of injuries from wood bats breaking would equal that of aluminum. I am well aware that aluminum bats make the ball jump. I’m also aware that the spun aluminum bats increase that.
It would make sense to ban the suped up bats, and stick with the basic aluminum bat.
Its also why pitchers are effectively cannon fodder if someone squarely connects with a fastball line drive at the mound.
I grew up using wooden bats and remember the switch to metal bats.
There’s no doubt that the ball comes off a metal bat faster (a lot faster.) Guys that could barely get the ball out of the infield were suddenly hitting long fly balls. Guys that hit balls that used to just dribble to the shortstop for an easy out were suddenly hitting blazing line drives that ziped throuh the infield.
And that’s the other problem I have with metal bats. Instead of learing to hit the ball to the gap, you just hit the thing as hard as you can. They’ve turned games into home run derbys.
The solution, of couse, is to tone down the ball. A slightly softer ball would RETURN the game to what it was meant to be and be safer (and allow you to keep using the less expesnive metal bats.)
The decline and fall of America started with the introduction of the aluminum bat and the DH, along with the demise of the front porch.
Now we have wimpy girly-men, slutty women, uneducated children, and Barack Obama.
Mmmm mmmm mmmm
thats why I played 3rd base
“I think metal bats are fine for younger kids, because defensive players at young ages aren’t always paying attention, so a broken bat cause issues, but once you get to the age of about 15ish really they should be using wood.”
I think gutsy makes a good point about the suped-up aluminum bats. I agree aluminum does make the ball jump, but the expensive spun aluminum bats are nuts. I’d be ok with a ban on them.
Heck, I kind of like wood bats, but I have seen a lot of people hit with pieces of them. Not to mention, you won’t eliminate the danger to the pitcher, but you will reduce it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.