Since the 1970s, aluminum bats have been the choice of millions of sluggers in little leagues, high schools, colleges and minor leagues. The bats are lighter and more durable than wood bats, and they go "ping" instead of "crack." But many people believe the difference between the two is much greater. Some even believe it is a matter of life and death.
Background
In July 2003, 18-year-old Brandon Patch was pitching in an American Legion game in Helena, Mont., when a ball hit with an aluminum bat ricocheted off his head. After going into convulsions on the field, Patch was dead hours later.
In March 2010, 16-year-old Gunnar Sandberg was hit by a ball batted by an aluminum bat while pitching for Marin Catholic High School in California. The impact caused swelling in his brain, and doctors placed him in a medically induced coma. In April, he was released from the hospital.
Days after Sandberg's injury, 15-year-old softball pitcher Kristi Denny was playing for El Toro High School in California when a ball from an aluminum bat hit her in the face. Even though she was wearing a face protector, she still needed six hours of surgery, which left her with a titanium forehead.
In May 2010, 13-year-old Brady Lee Frazier was pitching batting practice in St. Regis Falls, N.Y. The eighth-grader was struck in the head with a ball hit off an aluminum bat. Days later, he died in the hospital.
Reaction
In 2007, New York City and North Dakota banned aluminum bats from high school baseball. Supporters claimed the bats increased the speed of the ball, robbing pitchers and infielders of time to react .
For others, anecdotal evidence was not enough. In 2007, Little League International released a statement saying "there are no facts -- none at all" to support the belief that games would be safer with wood bats. USA Baseball agreed, saying "there is no data to indicate" pitchers could have avoided injuries if batters were using wood bats.
Regulations
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has led the way in requiring restrictions on aluminum bats and only certifies bats that pass tough inspections.
The first process was called the Ball Exit Speed Ratio, which set size restrictions on bats and also set a maximum speed for how fast the ball could be moving when it left a bat. Next came the Accelerated Break-in Procedure, which was meant to ensure bats did not change their "liveliness" over time.
Starting in 2011, the NCAA will adopt the Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution Protocol. It expands on the BESR and the ABI and is meant to further ensure that metal bats perform more like wood bats. The National Federation of State High School Associations is scheduled to follow in 2012.
Studies
While the sides have been drawn, few studies on the subject have been conducted.
In 2002, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ruled that there was insufficient evidence that aluminum bats were more dangerous or caused more severe injuries than wood bats.
A 2007 study of Illinois high school baseball games found no statistically significant evidence that non-wood bats caused more injuries or increased the number of injuries.
A three-year study focusing on injuries to pitchers from line drives was released in 2007. It concluded that injuries to pitchers in games using metal bats increased threefold, but noted that the overall rate of injury was "very low."
Other considerations
What practically everyone in the debate can agree upon is that injuries in baseball and softball will happen regardless of whether a wood bat or an aluminum bat is used. Many advise infielders and pitchers to wear helmets, face guards and mouth guards to protect them from hard-hit balls and shattered bats. Others support moving the mound back in youth leagues to give pitchers more time to react. Another idea is to adjust the amount of liveliness in the balls used in youth games based on skill level.
Member Comments