Posted by Editor | Posted in Personal Injury Legislation Watch
With Little League and Babe Ruth baseball leagues in action throughout the country, a Pennsylvania legislator would like to see a ban on the use of aluminum bats in youth and high school games. State Representative Mike Carroll has introduced legislation mandating such a ban with the goal of preventing serious injuries. Carroll said in a Pocono Record story that lightweight, aluminum bats pose greater threats than wooden bats since they cause the ball to travel faster and farther. Carroll added that severe accidents and injuries are just waiting to happen with the use of aluminum bats. Major League Baseball does not use aluminum bats for safety reasons.
With similar intentions as this Pennsylvania legislation, the New York City Council will ban the use of metal bats in high schools beginning this September. The Pocono Record story added that nearby New Jersey is considering similar legislation as in Pennsylvania while Montana’s American Legion teams have banned the use of metal bats after a pitcher was killed by a line drive off of an aluminum bat. We’ll keep you updated on this legislation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The New York City Council has banned aluminum bats. I know they have their eyes on youth baseball leagues as well. Our league here in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn is on a shoe-string budget. As it is, we struggle, and I mean STRUGGLE each year just to have enough baseball’s to use for the 350 kids. We would never ever have the money to purchase wood bats, not if, but when this law is forced upon youth baseball leagues.
Sadly the New York City Council in general is constantly finding the need to establish its personal preferences as law. Usually with some sort of trumped up safety concern as the excuse for criminalizing personal preferences that we do not agree with.
I see the problem as one of alternatives; I doubt metal bats are measurably less safe, but they are competitively less desirable. They reward the less skilled hitter. Wooden bats are better for the game overall, but they lack durability when cost is a factor, which it will be for leagues. We need a composite bat, with more of the characteristics of wood, but with the durability of metal. They can do it for tennis racquets, why not baseball bats?
Bats don’t hurt kids; baseballs do. Ban baseballs
this rule is unfair to the players it totally takes the offense out out the game and makes it much easier to pitch against…. i guaruntee you that the same types of injuries would happen off good quality wood as a metal bat
I Think You guys should not banned aluminum bats because their alot easy to use wooden bats,Wooden bats are more dangerous then aluminum bats they can snap in haif and the wood can fly every where. Does any one watch baseball any more? Serious some people can’t get baseball gloves any more so who will belive that they can get a wooden bats.It is sad that people say that they should ban aluminum bats because their dangerous, SO WHAT! who cares I only know of 2 accients happen only 2 so it souldn’t be a big deal