"HOT" BATS, DO WE HAVE PROBLEM?

Technology will always continue to improve and change the game. (Look what has happened in golf). Just as soon as some type of bat or material is deemed illegal, a bat maunfacturer will come out with another bat design or material that will be called "hot", and those bats will fly off the shelf. Bat manufacturers do have R&D departments which are responsible for developing the next "hot" bat and are just waiting on the curent ones to be deemed illegal before putting new ones on the market.

In my opinion the solution is twofold. First, there must be universal bat standards that are constant and don't change every few years. Secondly and most importantly, player, coaches and parents must be made aware of the protection and safety equipment available on the market today, such as the Game Face. I'm not a proponent of making all this equipment mandatory, but we already require catchers to wear protection. Soon the NSA's and AAU's of ther world will be requiring face masks on batting helmets and mouthpieces for fielders, so why stop there? Maybe require them for pitchers, 1st and 3rd? If everyone is required to wear them, then the players wearing them wouldn't feel out of place or "weaker" than other players. (For these same reasons, football players didn't want to wear facemasks until the NFL required them).

However, if a player, parent or coach is concerned about injuries, then they should make a personal decsion to wear or require on of these protective devices. I promise you, once a player wearing one of the things is hit in the face and only suffers a minor injury or is not injured at all, then these protective devices will become the "hot" item on the market. I just pray it doesn 't take someone's daughter being seriously injured or killed before everyone decides something needs to be done.

 

HOT BATS DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM?
One word answer: NO!!!!!!!!

 

not quite the same danger in golf, as in fastpitch...welllll, unless i'm hitting the golfball.

 

but seriously, regardless of technology, players will slowly and constantly be getting bigger, stronger, and faster til the end of time.

so when safety issues arise, they need to be addressed and dealt with, just like in any sport, heck, just like in life. have football players always been as well padded? no.
have baseball players always worn helmets? no. and so on and so on...but the point being, when safety issues arise, you HAVE to take steps to protect players. No, you can't protect anyone 100%. but that's in anything you do. people that participate know that. but why not make things as safe as they can be? but also keep the competiveness in the game. you can't just say, "it's just they way it is, if you can't hang, don't play." remember, in the end, It is just a game.

 

Hot Bats

I think there is not a problem with the bats. Consider slow pitch softball and the big hitters there and the short distance for the pitcher. Softballs aren't no harder than baseballs.
I think the problem is with the pitching, don't get me wrong here. The batters have worked very hard to improve their bat swings and their strength.
Pitchers go to pitching coaches to enhance their skills to throw a variety of pitches in certain situations to avoid being put in the dangerous situation.
Alot of the High school coaches do not go with the pitchers to the pitching coach so do the high school coaches understand what pitch to throw in certain situations. If they have never been a pitcher or played fastpitch then the problem could be in communication between the pitcher and the coach. There are some coaches out there that do a real good job of this, but it only takes one instance. If the pitcher doesn't have command of her pitches then she will put herself in harms way. The coaches and the pitchers have to have an understanding of what to throw when.

 

not that it's right or wrong, i'm not argueing either way really. but one thing to consider in comparing slow-pitch to fast-pitch is that in slow-pitch, pitchers have time to prepare for the ball's return. I've played A LOT of slow-pitch softball, and the pitchers are just about always backing up after they pitch the ball, BECAUSE of the possible line shots coming back at them. you don't have the time to do this in fast-pitch.

 

now that i've got to thinking about it. in slow-pitch, aprox. 10-15 yrs ago, they moved the rubber back 3' because of that very same reason. someone can correct me if i'm wrong.

 

i think you are correct but not a good comparision made with slow pitch.....pitchers can run backwards all the way to second base before the ball is even hit.

 

well that was my thought too CF.

 

Moving the pitcher's rubber, changing the bat, changing the ball will only have a temporary effect. If players, parents, coaches and administrators are REALLY concened with potential serious injury, then they should require their daughters and players to wear protective equipment while pitching or possibly playing any infield position. Why wait on someone else to change a bat or pitching distance to protect players? I have heard but not verified that AAU is requiring all players to wear mouthpieces and that all batting helmets have facemasks beginning this June. AAU is also considering requiring pitchers to wear the the gameface protective mask next season. At least someone is doing more than just talking about something they feel is a danger in the sport. But I still believe it is the players and parents who should be the responsible ones who should on their own be proactive if they feel they or their daughter could be seriously injured.