Congratulations Louisville Slugger

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Congratulations on having the judge's decision upheld on appeal in the Yeaman case. While unfortunate, what happened to his face, I don't see how the jury or his attorneys could justify finding fault with Louisville slugger for that.

[metsbats]

http://www.jrn.com/kfaq/news/Okla-ballplayer-loses-case-against-bat-maker-265376741.html

Here's a link to the news on this topic.

[Wrigley2010]

Aluminum bats are dangerous and the only fix is banning them, period. Wood bats should be used from little league all the way up imho.

[cjclong]

There are inherent risks in sports and people who participate in them realize that, or should realize that. There are legitimate issues where people are injured through others negligence or intent and should recover. But when people engage in sports they assume the risk. Are we going to start suing bicycle manufactures because they would be safer if made like a tricycle with three wheels and less likely have the rider fall and break his or her neck? I agree that I think it would be better to use wooden bats (but have you seen them shatter in major league games sending jagged pieces of wood toward the fielders) but metal bats are not inherently dangerous in themselves and it is how they are used by the athletes that make them dangerous, if they are, not in the object itself.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Aluminum bats are dangerous and the only fix is banning them, period. Wood bats should be used from little league all the way up imho.

Wood bats aren't the solution. They'd cost far too much money for the average player/program to afford. I think lower BESR standards would be the way to go. Composite bats with low BESR numbers are an affordable way (for players who don't get their bats for free) to maintain a competitive environment, while decreasing risks of injury.

Another possibility would be to have composite bats with some sort of color change/tension indicator that would show players visibly when a bat should be replaced.

[Wrigley2010]

There are inherent risks in sports and people who participate in them realize that, or should realize that. There are legitimate issues where people are injured through others negligence or intent and should recover. But when people engage in sports they assume the risk. Are we going to start suing bicycle manufactures because they would be safer if made like a tricycle with three wheels and less likely have the rider fall and break his or her neck? I agree that I think it would be better to use wooden bats (but have you seen them shatter in major league games sending jagged pieces of wood toward the fielders) but metal bats are not inherently dangerous in themselves and it is how they are used by the athletes that make them dangerous, if they are, not in the object itself.

You are 100% correct that sports have inherent risks. The players who play them should and most do realize this. I understood these risks fully when I played even when I was injured I never felt blame was to be placed on anyone or anything. However, you can not argue the fact that the speed in which a ball leaves a metal bat vs wood is greater and adds to the danger. I believe a difference of around 9 MPH is what tests have proven as an average speed difference from wood to metal. I actually wrote a paper about this in college. I was for the NCAA changing their standards and adopting wooden bats which made me unpopular amongst some of my teammates ;). I mean look at the players from this years College Home Run Derby... Not exactly physical specimens like the majority of MLB players but yet they were launching 450 home runs one after the other with ease put a wooden bat in their hands and it's a completely different story.

[Wrigley2010]

but metal bats are not inherently dangerous in themselves and it is how they are used by the athletes that make them dangerous, if they are, not in the object itself.

If this were true then the NCAA would not be taking steps every year to make metal bats act more like their wood counter parts.

[cjclong]

I repeat what I said. Metal bats are not inherently dangerous in themselves, it is how they are used. If a bat is lying on the ground there is no danger unless you trip over it. If the pitcher was throwing from second base he would be unlikely to be hit by a batted ball. It's the rules of the game that make the pitcher throw from where he does. Why don't people complain about the baseball. If it was made of rubber it would be less likely to injure someone no matter how hard it was hit. The bat is not dangerous in itself and a player who knows how close he is going to be to a hitter when he throws a baseball assumes the risk. I am simply against these types of law suits. Whether it would be better to change the rules of the game and use wooden bats or other measures to make the game safer is another matter entirely. But these type of suits where people know the risk and then sue after the fact are the kinds of things that give law suits a bad name. Are people going to sue the grounds keepers if a ball hits an uneven spot in the infield and bounces up and hits a fielder in the face.

[Wrigley2010]

I repeat what I said. Metal bats are not inherently dangerous in themselves, it is how they are used. If a bat is lying on the ground there is no danger unless you trip over it. If the pitcher was throwing from second base he would be unlikely to be hit by a batted ball. It's the rules of the game that make the pitcher throw from where he does. Why don't people complain about the baseball. If it was made of rubber it would be less likely to injure someone no matter how hard it was hit. The bat is not dangerous in itself and a player who knows how close he is going to be to a hitter when he throws a baseball assumes the risk. I am simply against these types of law suits. Whether it would be better to change the rules of the game and use wooden bats or other measures to make the game safer is another matter entirely. But these type of suits where people know the risk and then sue after the fact are the kinds of things that give law suits a bad name. Are people going to sue the grounds keepers if a ball hits an uneven spot in the infield and bounces up and hits a fielder in the face.

There was really no need to repeat what you already said. No where did I say I agreed that this lawsuit was viable or warranted. In fact it's a huge issue in America when someone can spill hot coffee on themselves and become a millionaire. With that being said, why complain about the baseball when it has been left virtually unchanged for decades outside of the "deadball" or "liveball" era's?? It's essentially the same... leather wrapped around cotton thread and a cork center. Bats too have remained the same maple, ash, oak, cherry etc etc... That is until youth leagues all the way to the collegiate level adopted aluminum as a cost saving measure but at the same time making an old game more dangerous. There is no argument here just plain physics.... a baseball leaves an aluminum bat at a greater speed than it does a wooden one, period. Therefore making the game inherently MORE dangerous. The only point I'm trying to make here is that only wood bats should be used not only for purity's sake but for safety as well.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

There was really no need to repeat what you already said. No where did I say I agreed that this lawsuit was viable or warranted. In fact it's a huge issue in America when someone can spill hot coffee on themselves and become a millionaire. With that being said, why complain about the baseball when it has been left virtually unchanged for decades outside of the "deadball" or "liveball" era's?? It's essentially the same... leather wrapped around cotton thread and a cork center. Bats too have remained the same maple, ash, oak, cherry etc etc... That is until youth leagues all the way to the collegiate level adopted aluminum as a cost saving measure but at the same time making an old game more dangerous. There is no argument here just plain physics.... a baseball leaves an aluminum bat at a greater speed than it does a wooden one, period. Therefore making the game inherently MORE dangerous. The only point I'm trying to make here is that only wood bats should be used not only for purity's sake but for safety as well.

I'm sorry but cost wise this will never happen in college and big high schools because they will break far to many.

Anything smaller wouldn't want it due to the fact it would sap any power left after BBCOR went into effect. It would be singles and shallow fly balls all game.

You take on risks playing sports at any level. All of them have major dangers. I respect you a lot Wrigley, but thinking everything should be wood is extremely silly...what next? No more tackling in football? Flag football instead?

[Wrigley2010]

I'm sorry but cost wise this will never happen in college and big high schools because they will break far to many.

Anything smaller wouldn't want it due to the fact it would sap any power left after BBCOR went into effect. It would be singles and shallow fly balls all game.

You take on risks playing sports at any level. All of them have major dangers. I respect you a lot Wrigley, but thinking everything should be wood is extremely silly...what next? No more tackling in football? Flag football instead?

You are 100% correct that the cost vs safety metric here is what essentially wins out. Nothing I said or argued would fundamentally change how the game of baseball is played which your comparison to the NFL and flag football would certainly do. Keep in mind the NFL has changed rules every year to make the game safer and in turn has changed the game a lot and what for?? Safety. Which is exactly what the NCAA has been doing yearly with their new regulations on how the bats should perform. They have said many times they want an aluminum bat that acts more like "wood" and their reason? Safety.

Do I think they will make the switch? No. Do I think they should? Yes. That's the only point I'm trying to make... and you know who else would like them to switch? MLB because then they can actually scout a player and have a much better idea of what the player is capable of. I could go on for days about this subject but I will end my rant here :D