Metal bats in high school baseball

[SonomaCat]

It really seems like the long-term endpoint of all of this is a return to wood bats at the high school level ... which I'm starting to believe would probably be a good idea:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1CJOT6.DTL

[Old Skool Cat]

I am fully 100% supportive for a return to wooden bats in youth baseball/softball. And this comes from someone who grew up playing Little League baseball to Legion baseball to college baseball, and who now is a coach for youth fastpitch softball. I support a ban on metal bats for a couple reasons:

1) The safety issue. A hit ball travels much faster & much further off a metal bat than a wooden bat. And you don't need science to prove that. I played; I saw it firsthand. In college and Legion, we use to dink around with wooden bats in practice for fun. As a third baseman, my reaction time was always faster on a ball hit from a wooden bat. After my college playing days were over, I went on to playing slowpitch softball. As the years went by, the aluminum technology became greater and greater, so much so to the point where I couldn't even react at third base to a ground ball (sure maybe age had something to do with it as well ). But all you would hear is a "ping" and then see a little cloud of dust where the ball hit the ground before traveling to the outfield.

2) The talent issue. A metal bat can take a mediocre hitter and make them good, and make a good hitter great. All you have to do is look at college players versus pros. College baseball averages, home runs, and extra base hit number are all inflated because of the metal bat. These numbers dramatically fall when these guys reach the pros. Granted, some of that also has to with big-league pitching as well, but the metal bat is very forgiving for bad swings and mis-hits. Much like the modern golf driver. I watch the College World Series religiously every year. You see guys who maybe weigh 175 pounds dripping wet take monster swings with metal bats, and you think to yourself, "Well, that's a can of corn." But then the damn ball just keeps sailing until it's out of the park. Another case in point as to proof why the metal bat provides more pop than the wooden bat is you local softball leagues. I'm sure many of you on this board play. Watch the bats being used. DeMarianis, Mikken "Freaks", etc. $300.00 bats. Then try to take those bats out of those guys' hands. I tried every year to get a wood-bat slowpitch tourney started in Helena. We finally got one organized, and less than 10 teams participated. Nobody wanted to play.

Listen, chicks dig the long-ball. Turn on Baseball Tonight on ESPN, and it's all about the taters. Homers are the sexy thing in baseball. The metal bat makes everyone look like A-Rod. It truly has taken away the pure art of hitting.

End rant.

[wbtfg]

Good points OSC. I remember playing in a coed tournament in Seattle where there was a 50+ year old lady pitching for a guy who, the year previous, was starting for Oregon State's national championship bball team. If he would have tagged one right at her, I'm not sure there's any way she could have reacted...especially if she had a few beers leading up to the game, which was pretty common.

[catamaran]

ive called a game like the one you described and when that guy tags the girl its about one of the scariest feelings you can have

[GrizinWashington]

The safety issue is huge. I've stated before that I used to play in the top softball leagues in the area. I finally gave it up when, while I was playing third, a 6'5" guy with arms that would make Popeye jealous ripped a ball past my head that I heard, but never saw.


Another issue in baseball is that pitchers no longer learn to pitch inside, because there is no benefit. Even if they jam a guy, he still hits the ball hard with an aluminum bat.

[Old Skool Cat]

The safety issue is huge. I've stated before that I used to play in the top softball leagues in the area. I finally gave it up when, while I was playing third, a 6'5" guy with arms that would make Popeye jealous ripped a ball past my head that I heard, but never saw.


Another issue in baseball is that pitchers no longer learn to pitch inside, because there is no benefit. Even if they jam a guy, he still hits the ball hard with an aluminum bat.

GinWa, I hear ya! I quit playing the game I love the most because of the danger. Third base was my home; I didn't want to play anywhere else. But when you can't even make a play on most ground balls, it's ridiculous. Add to that, here in Helena, Field 4 plays right into the evening sun defensively. When you're playing third or SS, you can't even see the ball on a dribbler, let alone a frozen rope. I'm not kidding - I feared for my safety during those early evening games on that field. All you hear is "ping" and you hope to God the ball hits your mitt. Some pitchers locally have started wearing helmets on the mound. A lot of other guys really razz them about it, but I can't say it's something I wouldn't do if I were pitching.

[GrizinWashington]

Some pitchers locally have started wearing helmets on the mound.

I'd go out there in complete catcher's gear.

[TomCat88]

It really seems like the long-term endpoint of all of this is a return to wood bats at the high school level ... which I'm starting to believe would probably be a good idea:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1CJOT6.DTL

A friend sent this to me today. Heartbreaking to say the least. I cannot imagine the pain a parent feels when seeing their pride and joy, who they encouraged and worked with to acheive their dream of playing organized ball at any level, go through something like this from an incident on the field of play.

[Billings_Griz]

Less than 1% of coaches in this country probably don't teach how to defend your position as a pitcher. Sad, really.

[TomCat88]

Less than 1% of coaches in this country probably don't teach how to defend your position as a pitcher. Sad, really.

At least. Probably less than 1% of 1%.

[canyoncat]

I agree, ban those damn things! Same thing happened to me here in Helena playing third base. Ball was hit directly at me. I didn't even have time to get my glove up all the way to catch it. I did get it high enough to deflect it enough where it skipped off the top of my head though. Just ask RMD, he was there when it happened. They all thought it was pretty funny. At the time it was pretty scary, but now I just laugh about it.

I was talking to one of the umpires a few years ago and he told me that he went down to California to umpire a softball tournament. He said the pitcher and third baseman wore catchers gear. If you have to start wearing catchers gear in the infield, its time to ban those things.

[Billings_Griz]

We should put our kids in a bubble and pop it on their 18th b-day--free to do whatever they want.

[AlphaGriz1]

Why do you hate children?

[DCC2MSU]

Less than 1% of coaches in this country probably don't teach how to defend your position as a pitcher. Sad, really.

At least. Probably less than 1% of 1%.

I would honestly doubt that. Fielding your position is a big part of it and the pitchers I played with were very capable. Though at college that did seem to cause a bigger adjustment for some of them. I played for a very fundamentally sound coach though, so that probably had a lot to do with it.

[TomCat88]

I was reading that as only 1% don't teach fielding the position, not 1% do teach fielding the position. I think most coaches tell their players to follow through on their pitching motion right into a position to field the ball. Not just to defend themselves from line drives, but to be able to chase bunts and grounders in the short infield and get over to first base to field throws. It's a routine drill.

[DCC2MSU]

I was reading that as only 1% don't teach fielding the position, not 1% do teach fielding the position. I think most coaches tell their players to follow through on their pitching motion right into a position to field the ball. Not just to defend themselves from line drives, but to be able to chase bunts and grounders in the short infield and get over to first base to field throws. It's a routine drill.

Sorry, I misread that as 1% do teach fielding your position.

[SonomaCat]

No change statewide in CA. From reading this, I wonder if the topic will be raised again next year ... or if they truly don't think aluminum bats are any more dangerous.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... .DTL&tsp=1