Case in point: Remember the Taylor Hooton Story? He died from steroid use, a Plano, Tx HS student. His father has single handedly changed the laws. He is responsible for drug testing in HS all across the country. He has testified before Congress, attended the MLB hearings when McGuire & Palmiero testified , etc, etc, etc. I am praying this is the beginning of a new era.
I don't want the government being instrusive in the baseball world. After a pitcher gets killed with a wood bat the governmment might mandate L screens in front of mounds or playing with rubber coated balls. Let's leave baseball to those who know the game. I would like to see the various baseball organizations make their own decision to remove metal bats via changing the rules.
* Everyone prefers to win. Do you have the passion and work ethic to do what it takes to win? *
Posts: 3703 | Location: Mid-Atlantic | Registered: October 29, 2007
Target Audiences To date, the Hoot’s Chalk Talk program has been presented directly to over 100,000 young people, coaches, parents and other adult influencers in high school gyms and auditoriums across America. We have also presented this program to the US Olympic Committee athletes and USOC board of directors, to doctors groups, nurses groups, coaches, educators, insurers and other groups of adult leaders. In partnership with Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers (PBATS), the Taylor Hooton Foundation presents to kids in all thirty MLB parks in America and Canada every summer.
I'll throw in with the vote to get rid of metal bats completely.
Baseball is a game to be played with leather gloves, a cowhide ball, and wood bats. It was so great to be at all of the wood bat tournaments this fall, and hearing the crack of the bat again.
Metal bats should go the way of Charlie Finley's orange ball, and double knit uniforms .., which were introduced about the same time. not every innovation is an improvement
Posts: 185 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: April 27, 2008
Tough question, because when son was growing up there wasn't the use of the current metal bats that prove to be more dangerous now. We live in a consumer driven competitive society, if one parent buys the latest and greatest bat, then half the team shows up with those bats because they too want their kids to hit harder and produce home runs or doubles and triples, what they really feel will determine their sons future success to receiving a good scholarship or perhaps drafted. That is where some of the problem lies. Parents wanting the latest and best product for their sons success.
Funny thing, IMO, it doesn't work that way, how many have seen your sons production drop after they move up level after level playing against better pitchers, with or without that new bat designed with the latest technology.
The pitcher is the player in the most danger, wood or metal, though we have seen that wood can do as much damage and also cause loss of lives. I can recall only two really serious accidents when son was playing over the years, and that was when the ball was thrown to the hitter, not hit back to the pitcher.
I agree that using metal takes away from the true game, the bigest reason to get rid of metal bats, but I do not agree that the government should make that decision, but rather organizations that run the game (like the NCAA). Keeping in mind that kids are much stronger, hit harder due to that, and pitchers throwing at higher speeds, should make organizations stand up and take notice if there is a danger of loss of life.
Anything can happen at anytime to anyone, in all of the years pitching son has had one injury, this year, a batted ball hit back and catching him in the calf after he turned to avoid the hit on the shin. Damage was minimal, but I would imagine metal could have done more harm. He's been lucky, we've seen pitchers get concussions, broken arms, and as justbaseball posted, serious facial injuries, all with wood. There is definetly a danger in this game, the object should be to try to keep injuries to a minimum.
Forget the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey instead...anonymous
Posts: 12759 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
My son (a pitcher) would love to see wood replace metal bats. He throws a bat busting "sanker", he's averaging almost a bat and a half per inning. To him it's better than a strike out.
There's risk of injury in almost any sport ( I'm not sure about swimming) But compared with football, baseball is pretty safe.
Posts: 214 | Location: United States | Registered: December 19, 2008
I don't want the government being instrusive in the baseball world.
You know what? We probably agree on this point as a general philosophy...but thats also an emotion speaking...remember that thing you don't wanna base any of this on?
Yes, the government oversteps their bounds all too often IMO. On the other hand, due to government regulation we have safer cars, airplanes, air conditioners, electrical gadgets......and even baby toys. And we pay for it all and don't think twice. But lots of lives saved.
Who will have a tough day if metal bats are removed from the market? Yup, the metal bat makers and that is exactly why there's a fight at all.
Posts: 4210 | Location: California | Registered: June 22, 2003
Originally posted by southpaw_dad: ...not every innovation is an improvement
I agree southpaw_dad, but every once in awhile along comes a gem...
...after you have slaked your thirst and let out a belly soothing belch you can then craft a message and put it in this plastic bottle and expect that your missive, plea, or well wish will be floating around for ever...or nearly forever.
Yes, the government oversteps their bounds all too often IMO. On the other hand, due to government regulation we have safer cars, airplanes, air conditioners, electrical gadgets......and even baby toys. And we pay for it all and don't think twice. But lots of lives saved.
Thats because there is good evidence that they needed to reulate. Not based on emotion at all.
Posts: 5703 | Location: Canada | Registered: October 13, 2005
Originally posted by justbaseball: But lots of lives saved.
Key statement. We should, but don't always, quantify the effect of a law. A law to regulate bats in baseball doesn't pass muster based on the lives saved criteria. Government has bigger fish to fry and shouldn't be involved in the minutea of everyones everyday life.
Expect that this adventure is going to be difficult. It is going to be hard. And expect to win.
Posts: 2601 | Location: il | Registered: November 15, 2006
Accidents are going to happen---a very good buddy of mine had his young son killed in a s****r game and the boy was a goalie.
All sports have inherent dangers so does walking across the street or driving a car or riding a bike--so does skiing--I want wood bats because wood bats are baseball not because of danger--there is inherent danger in wood bats--there is inherents danger in baseball
TRhit
THE KIDS TODAY DO NOT THROW ENOUGH !!!!!
Posts: 21252 | Location: Manchester, CT USA | Registered: December 26, 2002
Originally posted by TRhit: Accidents are going to happen---a very good buddy of mine had his young son killed in a s****r game and the boy was a goalie.
All sports have inherent dangers so does walking across the street or driving a car or riding a bike--so does skiing--I want wood bats because wood bats are baseball not because of danger--there is inherent danger in wood bats--there is inherents danger in baseball
That is a well stated and appropriate argument for the use of wood bats. Well done.
Expect that this adventure is going to be difficult. It is going to be hard. And expect to win.
Posts: 2601 | Location: il | Registered: November 15, 2006
Originally posted by TPM: Tough question, because when son was growing up there wasn't the use of the current metal bats that prove to be more dangerous now.
TPM, I know this wasn't the main point of your post, but I'm going to comment on it anyway, because quite a few posters here believe that metal bats are becoming more dangerous.
Metal bats generate less batted ball speed now than when you son was coming up. That's because the various regulating agencies (LL, NFHS, NCAA) have in stepwise fashion gone from no regulation of bat parameters to controlling bat length, weight (e.g. NCAA 1986), moment of inertia and ball exit speed (e.g. NCAA 1999). There is a further tightening in the works now.
So the bats which yielded ball speeds of 120mph haven't been made for a decade. But probably some of those bats were in use during your son's teenage years.
I find it ironic that during the same period of time, wooden bats have become more prone to breaking and thus more dangerous. But we'd still be better off with wood (possibly laminated construction).
Posts: 1003 | Location: Belmont, CA | Registered: April 01, 2006
3FG, Thanks, I didn't know that, most likely because we didn't spend $$ on bats. It's really funny, never really worried myself about son as a pitcher with metal, he's a bat splitter so I worry about the shattered bats I have seen headed his way in pro ball.
So why are we hearing about more kids getting seriously hurt, the internet coverage nationwide or because the kids nowadays are generating more power?
As far as more wooden bats breaking, didn't someone say that maple is more in use because it's cheaper?
Forget the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey instead...anonymous
Posts: 12759 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
, etc, etc, etc. 
