misunderestimation

May 21 2008

Are Aluminum Bats Dangerous?

Category: Health, Youth Sports — Tim @ 4:24 am

I literally cringe every time I hear one of these stories:

WAYNE, N.J. (AP) — The family of a boy who suffered brain damage after he was struck by a line drive off an aluminum baseball bat sued the bat’s maker and others on Monday, saying they should have known it was dangerous.

My kids play on baseball teams and use aluminum bats. What an awful story. A kid playing baseball and having fun one minute is forever changed the next. Baseball can be dangerous and there are risks involved in everything we do in life. But, is it the fault of the bat? The “Don’t Take My Bat Away Coalition” has a few things to say on the subject:

Like baseball itself, the debate about aluminum versus wood has many angles, but safety shouldn’t be one of them. Some players prefer wood because of tradition. Lots of children prefer aluminum because it’s easier to get a hit thanks to the bigger sweet spot found on metal bats. That’s why a ban is so harmful to baseball – it risks driving kids out of the game if it isn’t as much fun.

So, we should let them use aluminum because it is more fun to hit the ball. Yes, I agree, but is it more dangerous too? I have seen the ball jump off of aluminum bats, but I can’t say I’ve seen many wooden bats in play to gage the differences. The LA Times Booster Shot blog had this

Considering how many kids play youth baseball or softball, it’s surprising that there is a lack of agreement on whether aluminum bats are safe.

It’s also surprising there are so relatively few injuries. I can tell you one thing for certain, the kids are bigger, stronger, and better at hitting the balls today then they were even 10 years ago. In Houston, baseball is a year-round sport with incredible training locations and the latest baseball equipment everywhere. Fathers are building private batting cages in their back yards to make their son and all-star. All of this means, the kids are simply better hitters. Does the bat make a big difference? I doubt it.