Apr

18

What’s this noise about aluminum bats?

Posted by Greg | Filed Under News | 

cotuit-hat.JPGThe “bat spat,” as The New York Times has dubbed it, is over a Staten Island, NY, city councilman’s effort to ban aluminum bats because he (and many others) feel they are unsafe. The New York Sun has written that aluminum bats may go the way of trans fats — banned by cities nationwide.

CodBall has tried to surface all of the big issues this off-season, and so with just 50 or so days until opening day on the Cape, why not allow readers to blow of any pent up steam about the growing debate over wood v. aluminum. Should local governments ban aluminum bats for safety reasons?

The Times reports that Mike Mussina (Yankees) is for the ban. John Franco (Mets) is against the ban.

The argument goes something like this: aluminum bats in the hands of high school players and older have caused serious injuries. Critics say a ball flies off of an aluminum bat at speeds much greater than off of a wood bad. Several recent youth injuries have added urgency to these calls for a ban.

A spokesperson for the Louisville Slugger manufacturer says his firm believes in player choice, not bans (of course!).

The Cape Cod Baseball League introduced aluminum bats in 1975 and then banned aluminum bats in 1984, according to Steve Weissman’s timeline in Beach Chairs and Baseball Bats. This was primarily due to the league’s intent to better simulate professional baseball conditions.

I’ve never heard anyone say, “Ah, summertime. The smell of grass and the clink of an aluminum bat.”

Comments

One Response to “What’s this noise about aluminum bats?”

  1. crayshef on April 23rd, 2007 8:52 pm

    Re: Aluminum Bats

    These bats are too hot. Even with Little League players, a hard thrown ball hit by a strong 12 year old with one of these bats (anderson, demarini tpx etc…) gives a kid on the mound no chance to glove the ball. Remember in Little League the mound is 46 feet from the plate vs 60 feet for a regulation field. Why not go with wood all the way from little league to college? Then we can not only protect our kids but also really find out who can hit.

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