My son also is a pitcher. He is currently playing with some of his HS team in a summer league. I would also like to see the wood bats in place of the metal. Recently he wanted/needed a new bat. His choice surprised me----WOOD. He also has a metal Vexxum. During the summer league he has been using wood- and gets some ribbing from team mates. However he seems to be hitting the ball much better. He is the only kid on the team that is using wood. During our varsity season we had one pitcher hit three times(throughout the year). All hits were from the stomach down, but also had a couple fly by his head that he barely saw. And yet he uses a metal bat this summer. The players also need to make the request for the change--what better way to get the process started than having players also step up to the plate with the wood--when possible.
Well,
As for wood bats, Im all for it. My brother is playing American Legion Ball this summer and over the 4th of July weekend they were in a big tourny here in the midwest that brought alot of big teams in, We were 3-0 and ended up playing Millard North which they are rated something like #3 or 4 in the country High School and they also were 3-0 going into this game for the tourney. Actually they were something like 35-1 with this years Varsity High School record but anyway the kids can smack the heck out of the ball. I was sitting behind homeplate to get a good seat and in the first inning it was 1-1 with Millard North hitting and one of the players hit a fastball right back to the pitcher and it hit him directly in the forehead and he fell to the mound. All I can say is I almost got sick from this and I never ever want to see it happen again. The ambulance was called and came quick and he was taken to the hospital. He ended up being ok because the ball caught part of his cap, but seeing it happen live, he didnt even have a chance to move or put his glove up to block the ball. And its all because of the metal bats. Seeing that happen almost made me not want to watch baseball games that use metal bats. But everyone knows there is way to much money involved especially with the NCAA(politics) to not use metal bats. But just my thought.
As for wood bats, Im all for it. My brother is playing American Legion Ball this summer and over the 4th of July weekend they were in a big tourny here in the midwest that brought alot of big teams in, We were 3-0 and ended up playing Millard North which they are rated something like #3 or 4 in the country High School and they also were 3-0 going into this game for the tourney. Actually they were something like 35-1 with this years Varsity High School record but anyway the kids can smack the heck out of the ball. I was sitting behind homeplate to get a good seat and in the first inning it was 1-1 with Millard North hitting and one of the players hit a fastball right back to the pitcher and it hit him directly in the forehead and he fell to the mound. All I can say is I almost got sick from this and I never ever want to see it happen again. The ambulance was called and came quick and he was taken to the hospital. He ended up being ok because the ball caught part of his cap, but seeing it happen live, he didnt even have a chance to move or put his glove up to block the ball. And its all because of the metal bats. Seeing that happen almost made me not want to watch baseball games that use metal bats. But everyone knows there is way to much money involved especially with the NCAA(politics) to not use metal bats. But just my thought.
Don't know whether the NCAA ever polled DI/II/III schools regarding bat preference but is it safe to say the vast majority of college coaches would opt for wood.
My sons summer amateur league went wood this year. It has really been great! The game is fantastic to watch and to hear. I haven't seen a huge difference in the stats. The good hitters are still good hitters. Yes, they've broken some bats. My son manages a team and he asked them to provide one bat of their own. The team purchased a few composite Baum bats for everyone to use, or when they break theirs. I noticed he was using the Baum over his wood wrapped bamboo, he said the baum was ligher on the end.
One of our local NAIA leagues went wood last year and I read that North Dakota high schools will switch in 2 years. I think once a few start switching the rest will follow.
One of our local NAIA leagues went wood last year and I read that North Dakota high schools will switch in 2 years. I think once a few start switching the rest will follow.
This is just amazing..........what does it take to get this changed? Last week I saw a pitcher duck just in time before he would have taken a hard one up the middle. The result if he hadn't ducked would have been TRAGIC......Then again last night that same pitcher took one in the hand from a metal bat during HS summer season.
I don't get it,,,,,,,how many injuries/deaths does it take? It seems to me that if a child's toy causes 1 child to choke or an accidental death there seems to be a recall. Look at all the toys/equipment that we had as young children that no longer exsist or have changed drastically because they are now considered or proven to be a safety hazard.
Didn't Little League start making players wear chest protectors after a player was killed after a hit to the heart?
What about the women who burnt her hand on a cup of coffee from McDonalds? Look how that changed the way they now sell coffee?
Look at all the safety gear that has come along in sports to protect the athlete: Boxing and Hockey now wear protection on their heads, football has instituted multiple additions of protection for the player throughout the years, Cyclist have protective gear for head injuries, we give our batters protective head gear to protect them from the pitch but we have the pitcher standing on a mound directly in front of a batter that is about to hit a ball, at what 90mph, straight at them and they have nothing to protect them?
What is it, we institute rules like sliding into homeplate so that it protects the catcher, there are break away bases to protect the runner, the pitcher is left to do his job and just hope that he has quick enough reaction time to avoid injury?
A simple change of equipment would make all the difference.
Does it take class action suits against all the bat companies to force a change?
Back in the early 80's I was one of the survivors of Toxic Shock Syndrome and was asked to be in a class action suit, I didn't do it because my parents insurance covered my care and I survived without any injury....the suit was successful, people made millions but most importantly major changes were made to see that this doesn't happen again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Now, today given that chance again, to be part of the class action suit, I would follow through not because I would want the money but to see that change was made so that others would not suffer or die, what changed my thinking,,,,,,,,,,,,it changed just now as I was typing this and thinking about this issue of the metal bats and safety.........if we don't get the word out, demand change and take legal action then change will not happen.......the dollar speaks,,,,,,,,profit is gread and financial fines make change.
My son is a pitcher and I used to cringe when he walked to the mound wondering how he would perform, now I cringe with each line drive hoping that it doesn't go up the middle.............the cringing needs to stop!
I hope that those that have been affected, by or witness to these injuries/deaths band together and seek changes. History shows that it takes those that have been directly affected have the chance to make the biggest change.
I don't get it,,,,,,,how many injuries/deaths does it take? It seems to me that if a child's toy causes 1 child to choke or an accidental death there seems to be a recall. Look at all the toys/equipment that we had as young children that no longer exsist or have changed drastically because they are now considered or proven to be a safety hazard.
Didn't Little League start making players wear chest protectors after a player was killed after a hit to the heart?
What about the women who burnt her hand on a cup of coffee from McDonalds? Look how that changed the way they now sell coffee?
Look at all the safety gear that has come along in sports to protect the athlete: Boxing and Hockey now wear protection on their heads, football has instituted multiple additions of protection for the player throughout the years, Cyclist have protective gear for head injuries, we give our batters protective head gear to protect them from the pitch but we have the pitcher standing on a mound directly in front of a batter that is about to hit a ball, at what 90mph, straight at them and they have nothing to protect them?
What is it, we institute rules like sliding into homeplate so that it protects the catcher, there are break away bases to protect the runner, the pitcher is left to do his job and just hope that he has quick enough reaction time to avoid injury?
A simple change of equipment would make all the difference.
Does it take class action suits against all the bat companies to force a change?
Back in the early 80's I was one of the survivors of Toxic Shock Syndrome and was asked to be in a class action suit, I didn't do it because my parents insurance covered my care and I survived without any injury....the suit was successful, people made millions but most importantly major changes were made to see that this doesn't happen again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Now, today given that chance again, to be part of the class action suit, I would follow through not because I would want the money but to see that change was made so that others would not suffer or die, what changed my thinking,,,,,,,,,,,,it changed just now as I was typing this and thinking about this issue of the metal bats and safety.........if we don't get the word out, demand change and take legal action then change will not happen.......the dollar speaks,,,,,,,,profit is gread and financial fines make change.
My son is a pitcher and I used to cringe when he walked to the mound wondering how he would perform, now I cringe with each line drive hoping that it doesn't go up the middle.............the cringing needs to stop!
I hope that those that have been affected, by or witness to these injuries/deaths band together and seek changes. History shows that it takes those that have been directly affected have the chance to make the biggest change.
I want everyone to go to wood …but… for sake of discussion let’s say I am a manufacturer that makes millions of dollars on aluminum bat sales. One of the main advertising tool I use are colleges baseball teams. I do this by supplying them with everything from batting gloves, helmets to the dangerous aluminum bats...for free. By using these products they are endorsing their use. Kids and parents see the college players using these products and they in turn buy those products. As a manufacturer I would insist the baseball coach not do anything to damage how the consumers view my product. Major colleges have too much at stake to lead this parade against the aluminum bat.
Some say go to a composite? This is a temporary fix. If you go to a composite you are getting right back into a manufactured high tech bat that someday will emulate the aluminum bat. Like someone said...“Our’s goes farther” is a huge selling point. If I were the father of a high school hitter using a composite bat I would want it to be the best available. I’ll spend $300.00 for a particular composite bat if it will hit farther.
The consumer is key here and we parents say one thing and do another. I’ve heard parents praise the RIF (reduced injury factor) baseball and then go spend $200.00 on a high tech aluminum bat so their kid can hit it harder than everyone else.
Fungo
Some say go to a composite? This is a temporary fix. If you go to a composite you are getting right back into a manufactured high tech bat that someday will emulate the aluminum bat. Like someone said...“Our’s goes farther” is a huge selling point. If I were the father of a high school hitter using a composite bat I would want it to be the best available. I’ll spend $300.00 for a particular composite bat if it will hit farther.
The consumer is key here and we parents say one thing and do another. I’ve heard parents praise the RIF (reduced injury factor) baseball and then go spend $200.00 on a high tech aluminum bat so their kid can hit it harder than everyone else.
Fungo
I must say that I actually prefer the aluminum bats and the sound they make, especially compared to maple, which thuds far more than it cracks. As for the danger, the injuries and the threat of lawsuits, there always is the option to simply not play.
Jemaz,
You make a good point. I have encouraged both of my sons to seek out wood bat play wherever possible - and avoid aluminum wherever and whenever possible.
So far - it has gone pretty well.
You make a good point. I have encouraged both of my sons to seek out wood bat play wherever possible - and avoid aluminum wherever and whenever possible.
So far - it has gone pretty well.
There is always an option not to play.......there is always an option not to wear a seatbelt or a helmet on a motorcycle, but they are made and mandated for safety reasons and in most cases by law.............
The game has changed it's roots were with wood then it changed to metal and now we see the result of the change and is this change good or bad. Since it has become a safety issue wouldn't it be wise to say,,,,,,,,,go back to the way it was this way is too dangerous.
My son has yet to have an opportunity to play in a wood bat tourney/league and I hope he does,,,,I hear it makes for a better game for the pitcher and the offense.............and of course,,,,,,,SAFER.
Lest not forget, one step was made with the BESR rating but injuries continue..............
The game has changed it's roots were with wood then it changed to metal and now we see the result of the change and is this change good or bad. Since it has become a safety issue wouldn't it be wise to say,,,,,,,,,go back to the way it was this way is too dangerous.
My son has yet to have an opportunity to play in a wood bat tourney/league and I hope he does,,,,I hear it makes for a better game for the pitcher and the offense.............and of course,,,,,,,SAFER.
Lest not forget, one step was made with the BESR rating but injuries continue..............
quote:there is always an option not to wear a seatbelt or a helmet on a motorcycle, but they are made and mandated for safety reasons and in most cases by law...
What makes me crazy is that if I were to get pulled over with 3 minors in the car that did not have a seat belt on (which I would not allow) I would get ticketed for every one not wearing his/her belt. Motorcyclists on the other hand are not mandated to wear helmets in the same state. Hello! What are they drinking in Tallahassee?
Big,
BUSH beer?
BUSH beer?
Just thought again about the statement:
"they can opt not to play"
Now that is crazy,,,,,,,,,so my son should choose not to pitch because the game has become more dangerous for him???? Yet if he goes out and rides a bike or a razor scooter (my younger son) he has to wear a helmet by law to protect his head??????????????
Who is protecting the pitcher? The answer is to Not Play??????????????????
What sense is that?
And one last thing: I pray for all of our member's sons that pitch that they stay out of harm's way..........it would just kill me to read another post on this type of injury...
"they can opt not to play"
Now that is crazy,,,,,,,,,so my son should choose not to pitch because the game has become more dangerous for him???? Yet if he goes out and rides a bike or a razor scooter (my younger son) he has to wear a helmet by law to protect his head??????????????
Who is protecting the pitcher? The answer is to Not Play??????????????????
What sense is that?
And one last thing: I pray for all of our member's sons that pitch that they stay out of harm's way..........it would just kill me to read another post on this type of injury...
Wood Bats;
There are many reasons to use wood. In 1987, I started the wood bat Area Code games for high school players with the 1st AC games in Lodi and the pro scouts appreciated this opportunity to evaluate the hitter and I might add the pitcher [can he and will he throw inside].
We received offers from the metal bat company's to use their product. There is not enough money in the world to use a metal bat.
In the 1987 Goodwill Series [1983-2006], against the Japan National Team, three of our infielders were injured with dislocated thumbs, because they could not place their glove quickly to the hard hit ground ball.
The three infielders played in the ML.
We have used wood for five years with our American Teams to Australia.
The Australian State and National Teams have now used wood for the 3 years. This is a competitive Goodwill Series. "An opportunity to learn". This year, we have one of the best catching instructors in America as a coach/teacher.
We will use wood against teams with metal bats and in most instances will defeat the team. IBA uses wood for preparation for the Olympic Games. Safety is a very critical issue. Please keep posting your positive opinions, maybe write your congressman.
Bob Williams
There are many reasons to use wood. In 1987, I started the wood bat Area Code games for high school players with the 1st AC games in Lodi and the pro scouts appreciated this opportunity to evaluate the hitter and I might add the pitcher [can he and will he throw inside].
We received offers from the metal bat company's to use their product. There is not enough money in the world to use a metal bat.
In the 1987 Goodwill Series [1983-2006], against the Japan National Team, three of our infielders were injured with dislocated thumbs, because they could not place their glove quickly to the hard hit ground ball.
The three infielders played in the ML.
We have used wood for five years with our American Teams to Australia.
The Australian State and National Teams have now used wood for the 3 years. This is a competitive Goodwill Series. "An opportunity to learn". This year, we have one of the best catching instructors in America as a coach/teacher.
We will use wood against teams with metal bats and in most instances will defeat the team. IBA uses wood for preparation for the Olympic Games. Safety is a very critical issue. Please keep posting your positive opinions, maybe write your congressman.
Bob Williams
Consultant
Hurray for companies/people like you taking a stand for the safety of your players.
Hurray for companies/people like you taking a stand for the safety of your players.
This hit me as I follow this debate and just finish watching a DVD about my other son's sport, hockey.
The DVD was a bio/feature on Gretzky. And it talked about the things that could be done to make the game better. He talked about wanting the red line saved, and that the changes should be to the size of goalie equipment (making pads smaller).
Personally, i would prefer to see the game played with wood at all levels. I'm old school. But, what about pressuring that rules be changed to make the barrels of the metal bats smaller? The barrels on the metal bats are huge, far larger than most any wood bat I've ever seen. Keep the minus-3 with a smaller barrel, for example.
Tennis isn't going to go back to wood rackets any time soon. But they've talked for years about making the hitting areas smaller. The golf ball the golf club seem to evolve on an annual basis, but the pros have rules that way that don't impact you and me.
Perhaps we've been fighting the battle of the bat in the wrong arena, so to speak.
The DVD was a bio/feature on Gretzky. And it talked about the things that could be done to make the game better. He talked about wanting the red line saved, and that the changes should be to the size of goalie equipment (making pads smaller).
Personally, i would prefer to see the game played with wood at all levels. I'm old school. But, what about pressuring that rules be changed to make the barrels of the metal bats smaller? The barrels on the metal bats are huge, far larger than most any wood bat I've ever seen. Keep the minus-3 with a smaller barrel, for example.
Tennis isn't going to go back to wood rackets any time soon. But they've talked for years about making the hitting areas smaller. The golf ball the golf club seem to evolve on an annual basis, but the pros have rules that way that don't impact you and me.
Perhaps we've been fighting the battle of the bat in the wrong arena, so to speak.
The bottom line: money, specifically, money earned by equipment manufacturers.
Until there is unfortunately a very well-publicized tragedy, the death of a pitcher, things won't change. That's what it will take.
The same is true of football. The game has gotten beyond the ability of the equipment to protect the players. We have guys that are 275 pounds of sculpted muscle, running the 40 in 4.5, with a full head of steam, hitting a stationary quarterback with a rock hard helmet. Until a very public tragedy occurs, nothing will get done.
I have two sons that pitch, and one is also a QB. I pray the tragedies I've described don't happen to us or anyone else, but also feel it is only a matter of when it will happen, not if it will happen.
Until there is unfortunately a very well-publicized tragedy, the death of a pitcher, things won't change. That's what it will take.
The same is true of football. The game has gotten beyond the ability of the equipment to protect the players. We have guys that are 275 pounds of sculpted muscle, running the 40 in 4.5, with a full head of steam, hitting a stationary quarterback with a rock hard helmet. Until a very public tragedy occurs, nothing will get done.
I have two sons that pitch, and one is also a QB. I pray the tragedies I've described don't happen to us or anyone else, but also feel it is only a matter of when it will happen, not if it will happen.
It seems that every 6 months or so this topic arises
A few things that have to be kept in mind
01-- Players are bigger and stronger today
02-- the ball is wound tighter
03-- I think if you look hard enough you can find as many pitchers hurt by "comebackers" hit with wood as you do with aluminum-- I have seen at least two MLB pitchers hit this year alone
Bottom line is that everything is bigger stronger and faster in the game of baseball
As I have noted previously we play wood as much as is possible with out travel team, in fact out tournament this year is going to wood not becuase of safety concerns but because we like to play the game the way it was meant to be played, with wood.
Another aspect of wood is that makes you a better manager on the field--there is more you can do in terms of strategy both offensively and defensively
One last thing: the next time you watch HS kids play with wood after playing with aluminum watch how the fielders react---due to the fact that the ball comes off the wood bat differently the fielders need time to adjust and balls drop in that would not normally drop in.
A few things that have to be kept in mind
01-- Players are bigger and stronger today
02-- the ball is wound tighter
03-- I think if you look hard enough you can find as many pitchers hurt by "comebackers" hit with wood as you do with aluminum-- I have seen at least two MLB pitchers hit this year alone
Bottom line is that everything is bigger stronger and faster in the game of baseball
As I have noted previously we play wood as much as is possible with out travel team, in fact out tournament this year is going to wood not becuase of safety concerns but because we like to play the game the way it was meant to be played, with wood.
Another aspect of wood is that makes you a better manager on the field--there is more you can do in terms of strategy both offensively and defensively
One last thing: the next time you watch HS kids play with wood after playing with aluminum watch how the fielders react---due to the fact that the ball comes off the wood bat differently the fielders need time to adjust and balls drop in that would not normally drop in.
Bear...as a coach of a team that uses wood, I absolutely loved it! However, I have heard many college coaches express frustration with watching teams who play with wood. The argument is, and I agree, that wood and aluminum hitting styles are completely different. Colleges use aluminum...and it is tough for a college coach to translate wood bat results to aluminum bat. This is the argument I heard, not my own argument.
Larry
I have been told the same thing--most college coaches want to see aluminum--in our events we use aluminum in the games and wood in BP--this way the kids get seen using both
Our tournament is wood simply because we like "real " baseball--we also take part in a number of wood bat events and it a lot more fun to coach
I have been told the same thing--most college coaches want to see aluminum--in our events we use aluminum in the games and wood in BP--this way the kids get seen using both
Our tournament is wood simply because we like "real " baseball--we also take part in a number of wood bat events and it a lot more fun to coach
I think what it boils down to is, if you can hit a baseball with a metal bat you should also be able to hit a baseball with a wood bat. I feel sorry for alot of the college players using metal bats and batting .400 and then when they get into the minors or MLB find out that the metal bat they used all those years padded their Batting averages by 100 to 150 points.
TR...that is the same approach we used until our league turned completely wood bat.
Nate...don't feel sorry for the 1% that makes it to Pro ball. The other 99% need the advantage of using aluminum bats. And trust me, scouts don't look at numbers all that much. What is the saying about lies, darn lies, and statistics?
Nate...don't feel sorry for the 1% that makes it to Pro ball. The other 99% need the advantage of using aluminum bats. And trust me, scouts don't look at numbers all that much. What is the saying about lies, darn lies, and statistics?
Somebody sent me this!
Bat men
By IZZY GOULD
Published July 22, 2005
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/22/Sports/Bat_men.shtml
ZEPHYRHILLS - The baseball field draws barely a glance from anyone in the air-conditioned cars zipping past Zephyrhills High. They dismiss this game as they would another passing motorist.
They shouldn't.
This high school field is filled with college players intent on impressing one man.
The hand holding the radar gun behind home plate this day belongs to a Boston Red Sox scout.
He and others stand beneath a sun hot enough to fire mercury through the tip of a thermometer.
All - scouts and players alike - are drawn to the Florida Collegiate Summer League for the same reason: This is one of nine collegiate wood bat leagues nationwide - the only one in Florida - monitored and partially funded by Major League Baseball.
The league represents a reverse trend, which began in 1985 when the Cape Cod Baseball League became the first sanctioned by the NCAA to scrap metal for wood.
The Cape league is considered the model for summer leagues, boasting more than 1,000 alumni in professional baseball. One hundred-sixty nine were drafted in 2005.
FLCS president Sara Whiting knows her nonprofit league, in its second season with just six teams and 130 players, needs time to grow. She hopes Floridians ultimately see it as a comparable option, keeping Florida baseball talent home while chasing professional careers.
"A lot of them are doing this so they can go to the next level," Whiting said. "To do that, the scouts need to see them play with a wood bat."
Supporting the trend, a Pasco County wooden bat summer league, made up mostly of high school juniors and seniors, just completed its third season.
Players know wood bats are the key to entering professional ballparks. They assume at least one scout is watching each time they hit with wood.
Many baseball minds believe metal bats inflate statistics. NCAA statistics show batting averages increased steadily from 1970 to 1974 - when aluminum bats were introduced - then leveled off in the mid 1980s. Home runs followed a similar trend.
Scouts learned to carry wood bats in their cars while traveling to different towns, only to learn the disappointing truth about the next "Ruth."
The demand for a wood stage fueled the Cape league and prompted others to change along the way. Wood bats also sparked programs such as Perfect Game USA and World Wood Bat Association, both led by president Jerry Ford, a former scout for the Minnesota Twins.
"A lot of times you can get misled a little bit with people always swinging metal bats," Ford said. "There are guys who hit with metal, but for whatever reason don't seem to be able to hit with wood."
There are an abundance of tournaments, showcase leagues and instructional schools nationwide using wood today.
Ford said he has offered his fish bowl of prospects and scouts for 13 years. His largest showcase is held annually in Jupiter, where he expects between 600 and 700 scouts.
"We started doing everything we could do - instruction, tournaments or leagues - using only wood bats," Ford said. "That's what you use in professional baseball. Next thing you know, colleges were starting to hit with wood in the fall."
Wood bats lost the popular vote in the 1970s when leagues, particularly the NCAA, adopted metal bats as standard equipment.
Replacement cost of wood bats was often cited as a major reason for the switch. Coaches could buy three or four metal bats that would last a season instead of running through dozens of wood ones.
Wood bats range in price from $20-$150, metal bats from $40-$300.
But metal bats began to lose some of their luster in the 1980s.
Safety became a concern. Metal bats have been blamed for deaths, some researchers say, because the exit speed of a ball off a metal bat is often greater than off wood. Some metal bats have an exit speed close to 100 mph.
Metal bats also have been the scapegoat for high school games that last more than three hours, and college games such as the 1998 World Series final in which Southern California defeated Arizona State 21-14.
Zephyrhills Snappers pitcher Paul Cinder, who will be a junior at St. Petersburg College, echoed those thoughts.
"I'm throwing in college against a bloomin' onion," he said. "If you misplace your ball just a little bit, an aluminum bat will knock it out of the infield. It dies right off of a wood bat. (Throwing against wood) allows me to throw at the plate. If I miss my spot it won't hurt as bad."
Beyond the thrill of entertaining major-league scouts, some Snappers believe there are benefits of playing wood-bat baseball, including a shift to a more defensive game.
Designated hitter Lee Cruz, who also plays for the University of Tampa, has seen his statistics climb with a wood bat. He was batting .444 before Wednesday's doubleheader, up from his junior season at UT when he hit .326.
"I think I hit better with a wood bat," Cruz said. "That's just how I feel. I like wood a whole lot better. It makes you work more."
But teammate Orlando Rosales, another UT teammate, hasn't enjoyed the same success. Rosales led UT with a .361 batting average but is hitting just .338 for the Snappers.
His home run production also has suffered. After hitting six home runs for UT, Rosales had just one before Wednesday's games.
"Hitting with wood is a lot harder," he said.
That's what Pasco County high school coaches were thinking when they formed a wooden bat league three years ago.
Mitchell coach Phil Bell helped create a league that essentially became an extension of the high school season. He said Pasco County athletes used to play in other summer leagues that required extensive travel.
"Parents and kids wanted more baseball," Bell said. "The first two years of the Mitchell (High's) baseball program, our kids played American Legion baseball. It was a great experience, but an awful lot of travel and a lot of rainouts. At the time, we were trying to keep raising the bar within our county."
Bell said the wood bats, which players usually provide, were added as a wrinkle and had little to do with coddling fantasies of one day playing at Tropicana Field.
"We said let's take the aluminum bat out of it and find out who can really hit," Bell said. "The coaches in this county really ran with it."
Izzy Gould can be reached at 352 521-6517 or <a href="mailto:igould@sptimes.com">igould@sptimes.com</a>
Wood vs. metal bats
Aluminum bats have a number of advantages over wood bats. The balance point of a hollow metal bat is closer to the handle, meaning it can be swung faster, generating ball-exit speeds of nearly 100 mph. Metal bats have a "trampoline effect" when hitting a ball, and have a wider sweet spot than wood bats. But metal bats have been criticized for being dangerous, and some in baseball blame metal bats for inflated statistics. The biggest disadvantage for a potential pro prospect using an aluminum bat? Major-league baseball allows only wood.
© Copyright 2002-2005, St. Petersburg Times
Bat men
By IZZY GOULD
Published July 22, 2005
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/22/Sports/Bat_men.shtml
ZEPHYRHILLS - The baseball field draws barely a glance from anyone in the air-conditioned cars zipping past Zephyrhills High. They dismiss this game as they would another passing motorist.
They shouldn't.
This high school field is filled with college players intent on impressing one man.
The hand holding the radar gun behind home plate this day belongs to a Boston Red Sox scout.
He and others stand beneath a sun hot enough to fire mercury through the tip of a thermometer.
All - scouts and players alike - are drawn to the Florida Collegiate Summer League for the same reason: This is one of nine collegiate wood bat leagues nationwide - the only one in Florida - monitored and partially funded by Major League Baseball.
The league represents a reverse trend, which began in 1985 when the Cape Cod Baseball League became the first sanctioned by the NCAA to scrap metal for wood.
The Cape league is considered the model for summer leagues, boasting more than 1,000 alumni in professional baseball. One hundred-sixty nine were drafted in 2005.
FLCS president Sara Whiting knows her nonprofit league, in its second season with just six teams and 130 players, needs time to grow. She hopes Floridians ultimately see it as a comparable option, keeping Florida baseball talent home while chasing professional careers.
"A lot of them are doing this so they can go to the next level," Whiting said. "To do that, the scouts need to see them play with a wood bat."
Supporting the trend, a Pasco County wooden bat summer league, made up mostly of high school juniors and seniors, just completed its third season.
Players know wood bats are the key to entering professional ballparks. They assume at least one scout is watching each time they hit with wood.
Many baseball minds believe metal bats inflate statistics. NCAA statistics show batting averages increased steadily from 1970 to 1974 - when aluminum bats were introduced - then leveled off in the mid 1980s. Home runs followed a similar trend.
Scouts learned to carry wood bats in their cars while traveling to different towns, only to learn the disappointing truth about the next "Ruth."
The demand for a wood stage fueled the Cape league and prompted others to change along the way. Wood bats also sparked programs such as Perfect Game USA and World Wood Bat Association, both led by president Jerry Ford, a former scout for the Minnesota Twins.
"A lot of times you can get misled a little bit with people always swinging metal bats," Ford said. "There are guys who hit with metal, but for whatever reason don't seem to be able to hit with wood."
There are an abundance of tournaments, showcase leagues and instructional schools nationwide using wood today.
Ford said he has offered his fish bowl of prospects and scouts for 13 years. His largest showcase is held annually in Jupiter, where he expects between 600 and 700 scouts.
"We started doing everything we could do - instruction, tournaments or leagues - using only wood bats," Ford said. "That's what you use in professional baseball. Next thing you know, colleges were starting to hit with wood in the fall."
Wood bats lost the popular vote in the 1970s when leagues, particularly the NCAA, adopted metal bats as standard equipment.
Replacement cost of wood bats was often cited as a major reason for the switch. Coaches could buy three or four metal bats that would last a season instead of running through dozens of wood ones.
Wood bats range in price from $20-$150, metal bats from $40-$300.
But metal bats began to lose some of their luster in the 1980s.
Safety became a concern. Metal bats have been blamed for deaths, some researchers say, because the exit speed of a ball off a metal bat is often greater than off wood. Some metal bats have an exit speed close to 100 mph.
Metal bats also have been the scapegoat for high school games that last more than three hours, and college games such as the 1998 World Series final in which Southern California defeated Arizona State 21-14.
Zephyrhills Snappers pitcher Paul Cinder, who will be a junior at St. Petersburg College, echoed those thoughts.
"I'm throwing in college against a bloomin' onion," he said. "If you misplace your ball just a little bit, an aluminum bat will knock it out of the infield. It dies right off of a wood bat. (Throwing against wood) allows me to throw at the plate. If I miss my spot it won't hurt as bad."
Beyond the thrill of entertaining major-league scouts, some Snappers believe there are benefits of playing wood-bat baseball, including a shift to a more defensive game.
Designated hitter Lee Cruz, who also plays for the University of Tampa, has seen his statistics climb with a wood bat. He was batting .444 before Wednesday's doubleheader, up from his junior season at UT when he hit .326.
"I think I hit better with a wood bat," Cruz said. "That's just how I feel. I like wood a whole lot better. It makes you work more."
But teammate Orlando Rosales, another UT teammate, hasn't enjoyed the same success. Rosales led UT with a .361 batting average but is hitting just .338 for the Snappers.
His home run production also has suffered. After hitting six home runs for UT, Rosales had just one before Wednesday's games.
"Hitting with wood is a lot harder," he said.
That's what Pasco County high school coaches were thinking when they formed a wooden bat league three years ago.
Mitchell coach Phil Bell helped create a league that essentially became an extension of the high school season. He said Pasco County athletes used to play in other summer leagues that required extensive travel.
"Parents and kids wanted more baseball," Bell said. "The first two years of the Mitchell (High's) baseball program, our kids played American Legion baseball. It was a great experience, but an awful lot of travel and a lot of rainouts. At the time, we were trying to keep raising the bar within our county."
Bell said the wood bats, which players usually provide, were added as a wrinkle and had little to do with coddling fantasies of one day playing at Tropicana Field.
"We said let's take the aluminum bat out of it and find out who can really hit," Bell said. "The coaches in this county really ran with it."
Izzy Gould can be reached at 352 521-6517 or <a href="mailto:igould@sptimes.com">igould@sptimes.com</a>
Wood vs. metal bats
Aluminum bats have a number of advantages over wood bats. The balance point of a hollow metal bat is closer to the handle, meaning it can be swung faster, generating ball-exit speeds of nearly 100 mph. Metal bats have a "trampoline effect" when hitting a ball, and have a wider sweet spot than wood bats. But metal bats have been criticized for being dangerous, and some in baseball blame metal bats for inflated statistics. The biggest disadvantage for a potential pro prospect using an aluminum bat? Major-league baseball allows only wood.
© Copyright 2002-2005, St. Petersburg Times
Good article Big, TY much.
Observations on our first season with wood....
The "A" teams in our local amatuer league went wood, the "B" teams stayed aluminum. The "B's" claim it will be the downfall of the whole darn state program. "People don't come to watch a boring 2-1 game" "The younger guys won't come to play because it's too hard" etc, etc. There is still battle lines drawn.
After approx. 30 games: (sons team only)
Homeruns some down. Singles up. Low scoring games haven't changed. Historically good hitters hitting well. HIstorically poor hitters hitting poor. The hitters who fell in the middle have improved the last part of the season. Our attendance has been the same. Have broken 4 or 5 bats. The composite Baums doing well. (Son hit his longest HR ever with it last week) We've beaten teams with us using wood and them using aluminum and vise versa.
Our forth batter yesterday sent a screamer up the middle, hitting the pitcher in the shin. Haven't heard the medical report yet, but surely at least cracked (it looked really ugly) Home plate ump stated "If it had been aluminum it would have been amputated" Exagerated but you get the point.
The "A" teams in our local amatuer league went wood, the "B" teams stayed aluminum. The "B's" claim it will be the downfall of the whole darn state program. "People don't come to watch a boring 2-1 game" "The younger guys won't come to play because it's too hard" etc, etc. There is still battle lines drawn.
After approx. 30 games: (sons team only)
Homeruns some down. Singles up. Low scoring games haven't changed. Historically good hitters hitting well. HIstorically poor hitters hitting poor. The hitters who fell in the middle have improved the last part of the season. Our attendance has been the same. Have broken 4 or 5 bats. The composite Baums doing well. (Son hit his longest HR ever with it last week) We've beaten teams with us using wood and them using aluminum and vise versa.
Our forth batter yesterday sent a screamer up the middle, hitting the pitcher in the shin. Haven't heard the medical report yet, but surely at least cracked (it looked really ugly) Home plate ump stated "If it had been aluminum it would have been amputated" Exagerated but you get the point.
Cntrfieldsmom
Just curious what age group your son's league is?
Just curious what age group your son's league is?
I watched a 14 year old in a Little League state tournament last night take a line drive off the face; for those fortunate enough not to have seen such an event, it sounds like a ball hitting a melon. The ball bounced off and went all the way into centerfield on the fly. The pitcher dropped like a rock. I can't imagine anything more horrific. The boy was lucky; the squad guys told me it hit just above and outside his eye socket. He was wheeled off on a stretcher, with his head ina brace.
Every NCAA baseball person that has a vote should be made to watch video of balls hitting pitchers in the face. Then let's see how the vote goes.
Every NCAA baseball person that has a vote should be made to watch video of balls hitting pitchers in the face. Then let's see how the vote goes.
Dad,
He just played his last year of college ball so it's 18 and up.
He just played his last year of college ball so it's 18 and up.
MY son pitchs, i wish and pray that they use wood bats in high school / college's. he has pitched all his life from little league thu his junior year in high school with summer leagues also. if i was to live to 80 years old i lost 15 years due to my son pitching because of all the times he and other pitchers got hit. (THE WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD),and then i thank GOD he got up. he loves playing with wood bats but maybe only 2/3 others like to play with wood bats also of 9.
Cntrfieldsmom
Thanks. We have sort of noticed the same. The good hitters still hit. A little less distance but there are still plenty of extra base hits with 3 players batting over .400 in the league and a bunch over .300.
Thanks. We have sort of noticed the same. The good hitters still hit. A little less distance but there are still plenty of extra base hits with 3 players batting over .400 in the league and a bunch over .300.
Saturday while playing in the super 8 tournament, the starting pitcher for the Dallas Tigers who is going to TCU was hit in the face with a line shot. The pitcher hit the ground before you heard the ting of the bat. What an aweful site. Shattered cheak bone.
We need to stop this madness!
We need to stop this madness!
See page 2 of this thread for contact info on these type of injuries. If these folks get enough examples of players hurt from metal bats, they will have to sit up & take notice, sooner (hopefully) rather than later.
Mueller at North Carolina is starting a new "study" & requests the details of the injury to be reported, so here you go:
Baum Bat is also seeking evidence.
Mueller at North Carolina is starting a new "study" & requests the details of the injury to be reported, so here you go:
quote:Dr. Frederick O. Mueller
Chairman, Department of Exercise and Sport Science
204 Fetzer Gym, CB# 8700
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
email: mueller@email.unc.edu
Baum Bat is also seeking evidence.
Hokieone, forget watching, have them take the mound!
NFHS has no good excuse whatsoever to continue allowing high schools to use metal bats, period.
As long as the bat makers pay college coaches for endorsements and give the D-I teams all of the perks, I doubt the college teams will ever drop metal bats.
But if the high schools use wood and pro's use wood, wouldn't that make the colleges using metal look out of place ?
It's all on the NFHS to make the change.
CV
As long as the bat makers pay college coaches for endorsements and give the D-I teams all of the perks, I doubt the college teams will ever drop metal bats.
But if the high schools use wood and pro's use wood, wouldn't that make the colleges using metal look out of place ?
It's all on the NFHS to make the change.
CV
North Dakota HS's are set to use wood next year (or 07?) If a state low on the baseball radar can do it, maybe others will follow.
Pertaining to safety--did anyone see the shot Matt Clement, Red Sox , took last night ?
Yes that was a scary situation, really puts things into perspective when you see that type of injury.
The place went dead silent. Hope the kid recovers health wise from this and "mentally". I've held my breath many of times when those line drives came back to my boy while on the mound and wonder how he got the glove up in time.
The place went dead silent. Hope the kid recovers health wise from this and "mentally". I've held my breath many of times when those line drives came back to my boy while on the mound and wonder how he got the glove up in time.
quote:Originally posted by TRhit:
Pertaining to safety--did anyone see the shot Matt Clement, Red Sox , took last night ?
Yea. That was a scary sight. Thank God he's alright.
Observations...
- Centerfielders mom touched this but it bears expanding...no one has mentioned the gate factor.
We as purists can say that we love the sound of wood, the strategy of the wood game. That observation that there is very little difference between the two, that it shows who can really hit and who can't, That the averages are similar, that the games are just as exciting...
But I can assure you that the college sports departments clearly understand that the metal game puts non-purist, I-want-to-see-every-hitter-smack-the-ball, instant gratification buts in the seats. It's not just the economics of the bats, it is the economics of the gate.
- Centerfielders mom touched this but it bears expanding...no one has mentioned the gate factor.
We as purists can say that we love the sound of wood, the strategy of the wood game. That observation that there is very little difference between the two, that it shows who can really hit and who can't, That the averages are similar, that the games are just as exciting...
But I can assure you that the college sports departments clearly understand that the metal game puts non-purist, I-want-to-see-every-hitter-smack-the-ball, instant gratification buts in the seats. It's not just the economics of the bats, it is the economics of the gate.
We are discussing this very subject in a baseball forum on another site and I found this article. I thought that I would share it with you.
metal vs. wood
metal vs. wood