Wood Bats or Metal Stats:

I saw this very interesting piece regarding the safety of our youngsters and thought I would pass it on to you:

California’s North Coast Sectional baseball authority (NCS) has made it clear in their ruling Monday afternoon that their children’s stats are more important than the safety of their players. Performance at any cost is a pervasive mindset that had previously helped to justify the use of steroids, HGH and in some sectors, high tech aluminum bats. Some of these bats have names such as Voodoo, Stealth and are described in the latest popular baseball catalogue . . . “the ball just soars off this bat. It feels like you’re swinging a toothpick and looks sick”. The effect is clear to the professional and the layperson – anyone in attendance see’s and hears the difference. The professionals prefer wood at every level of the sport. Enhanced stats are no excuse to sacrifice the safety of our young players.

In reading the accounts of yesterday’s NCS meeting, it appears that the decision was also based upon not wanting to change the rules in the middle of the season. Why would this be an argument if there were no difference in performance, as many of the Directors so stated? There is also the issue of cost, although I have seen no discussion regarding the economics at yesterday’s session. My son, who is a teammate of the recently injured Marin Catholic player, states that at least for MC, the team may go through about 10 bats for the season.

A player may spend several hundred dollars on a metal bat, which could easily pay for 2-3 wooden versions. I know you can argue that a metal bat will last several seasons but that is not always the case, as the boys will often replace as newer and better models are released – or the old ones are damaged. One could also argue that a change would not be fair to anyone who made a recent purchase of a metal bat, then being denied the chance to use it.

My response to all this is that the additional costs and inconvenience in helping to reduce the risk is de minimis. One could also come up with numerous cost analogies, such as the cost of placing an airbag in a car or wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle. The risks and costs must be balanced.

Believe what you want, but there is a profound, documenatable and a statistical basis evidencing a significant reduction in batting average and overall performance when going from a metal bat to a wooden bat. The entire bat is a so-called sweet spot and the trampoline effect drives the ball faster and more frequently. I truly believe that is the driving force behind the opposition.

God bless high school student Gunnar Sandberg as he continues his recovery from a horrible head injury. Let us hope that the NSC will at some point reconsider its decision or that laws are implemented to force the protection of our players.

Allen Friedman – Concerned Father and San Rafael Resident

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