Metal Bats vs Wood Bats Opinion

I think the metal bat changed the way the game is played.

The long ball sells tickets. The Rip into the outfield sells tickets. Not the Bunt! Very unfortunate. Very little of the short game left.

 

This may have been a rule violation.

If it was true, that the kid was swinging a 31 oz big barrel at 12 y/o in a little league game where the mound was 45' (should be 46'), then that was a significant rule violation. Big barrel bats are not supposed to be used at 46ft.

That being said I have seen some rockets off of the -10, -11, -12, etc youth bats just lay the pitcher out. Ive seen some of the bigger 12 y/o's hit with the youth bats and lay out fielders.

That sweet spot is a problem. Its enormous.

I for one advocate the elimination of metal/aluminum/composite bats in youth, middle school, and high school. There are fantastic wood bats out there. Kids can learn to hit correctly. Then when/if you get to college they can use the metal bats and sell tickets.

No need to use metal bats before college. It is not like there a tons of fans at these games where we are trying to sell tickets. Put the short game back into things.

 

I personally saw a 12 year old kid hit a ball 300' with the small barrell bat. Of course this kid was 5'10" 180 pounds, but could crush it nonetheless.

 

Hmmm, some fruit cake parents have put the use of chest protectors for infielders.

 

$$$

Little Leagues, AAU, and High Schools need to go to the wooden bat. Colleges would feel all alone using metal. One bat company boasts that it is the official bat of the College World Series. I did not see many of that brand at the CWS '07. Was the ad just targeting kids?

Baseballs had different cores since the beginning of baseball. Restricted flight balls are nothing new. Whatever the sanction is determines which ball gets stamped.

300 ft is nothing for a 12 year old. That is normal middle school distance. I have seen many 7th grade 12 year olds hit 300 ft. 10 years ago, a Florida twelve year old substitue player hit a 378 feet walk-off against NDurham LL in the regionals to advance to the LLWS. This was before the new high tech bats and it was a small barrel.

Metal bats were patented in 1924 and never used until 1970. 1971 Mark McGwire hit his first home run at the age of 8. His first official at bat while using a metal bat.

 

If you truely want to level the playing field...

... then go to all wood. "Johnny's" parents who spend $350-400 on the high priced aluminum bats will pay for wood too. Nowadays I dont see it as being cost prohibitive in high school as I haven't bought team bats in several years. The players want their own and mama and daddy buy them for their kids.

 

L screens

Did I here someone here say to use L-screens?

 

True Statement= USSSA bought cheaper balls last year that got softer as you used them. (Not like foam soft but you get the point) The ball came of the bat dramatically less. A couple of balls you though were out just, died. They have started using these balls at the smaller fields to decrease homeruns. If USSSA can make their own ball that meets requirements and is "flight restricted", to tell me highschool/college can't do the same thing, is being downright rediculous. Sure you might miss a few homeruns a season, but your gonna score about as many runs, picture this, 360 ft fence, ball hit with normal baseball not flight restricted goes 370. Flight restriced ball goes 355, still a double, makes the game just as exciting. Plus IMO a flight restricted ball will decrease the amount of "pop fly" homeruns the wind carried out. Had a tourney in South Charlotte few weeks past. About 5 fly balls that the center fielder took a step back, then another and another and another and boom, a wind blown out HR. Almost cost us that game.

So IMHO, you can go to a flight restricted ball, and the game will still be the same. Plus, if you hit a HR with a flight restricted ball, you know you really gotta hold of it, there's no BS about, the wind blew it out, or you hit it to the perfect part of the field.

 

Ok two points here I gota make...

First off, even though the mounds are 45 but when you calculate the stride its even shorter. Ok we seem to agree metal bats are dangerous but lets think about wood. Even though kids are bigger these days the wood bats they use would still be to heavy for most of them because their bodies aren't strong enough to swing them and this could discourage the kid that couldn't hit in LL to never play again. In the same sense if they do create wood bats that are light enough for kids to use with no problems them like someone else stated, what about the bat shattering? If a wood bats shatters and hurts/kills a kid because it went through his body what are we to do next, plastic balls and plastic bats? There is no great answer here because we could all say use metal or wood but there are arguements for both sides and using either or is dangerous for the pitcher.

Next point..

Yes being a pitcher IMO is the most dangerous spot on the field due to the half a second you have to react. Say if you put L screens in play, what about the game of baseball, how does it change the rules? If a line drive is hit off of it is it a single or what? If a kid hits one off of it and it deflects away causing the other team to lose, what are we to do about that? We could all give ideas for things but when it comes down to it you have to go out there and play the game and just pray that the pitcher doesn't get beamed. I have no problem with chest protectors especially with young players which I have never commented on chest protectors, so not sure how that came up in this convo? Here's another scenario, kid hits a ball off the L screen and the pitcher goes around the L screen and fields it and while throwing it his hand hits the L screen and breaks his hand, do we find something else or leave the L screen?

My point is that injuries are going to happen no matter how much protective equipment we put on the kids or how many screens we put out in the field. As a player they should know that things can happen that they cannot control but you go out there to play the game and grow as a person and athlete.

 

ummm...Lefty...what do you think LL'ers used before metal. I know that's difficult to believe, but one time long ago (after dinosaurs) LL'ers used wood bats and I never remember anyone getting close to being hurt....please...no screens. Let's don't change the game....just revert it.