Proposed bat ban has local support

Some coaches backing legislation prohibiting non-wooden material

By: Bill Greenwood
   Some South Brunswick baseball coaches are in favor of a proposal now before the Legislature that would ban the use of aluminum and composite bats in organized baseball and softball games.
   The bill, which recently was passed by the state Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee and now goes to the full Assembly, apply to teams with players 17 years old or younger.
   The proposal would affect 192,000 young boys and girls in the state in addition to those playing for 370 American Legion teams and 400 high school teams, according to news reports.
   According to news reports, the bill was prompted by an incident in a Wayne Police Athletic League game in which Steven Domalewski, 13, was hit in the chest by a ball hit with a metal bat, stopping his heart. He was revived and is now undergoing care at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside for a traumatic brain injury.
   Proponents of the bill say balls hit with metal bats move faster than those hit with wooden bats, giving players less time to react. Opponents of the measure have said bat-safety specifications are enough to protect children and there is little difference in speeds of balls hit by metal and wooden bats.
   Four local coaches and athletic officials interviewed this week said they would like to see the legislation become law because players are able to swing and pitch faster than ever and the pitcher’s mound is not sufficiently far enough from home plate. They also noted that wooden bats cost less than metal bats and children learn to hit better using wooden bats.
   The South Brunswick Athletic Association, which manages youth baseball, and South Brunswick Department of Recreation and Community Affairs, which runs youth softball, have precautions in place meant to keep the speed of batted balls to a minimum. However, officials say they still would favor the ban.
   Bob Long, a member of the school board and former president of the SBAA, said middle school and high school players’ bats must meet a minus-three Ball Exit Speed Rating, meaning the weight of the bat cannot be more than 3 ounces less than the length of the bat in inches. For example, a 32-inch bat could not weigh less than 29 ounces. There are no bat restrictions in place for younger children.
   Tom Morris, director of recreation, said bats in the township’s softball leagues must be approved by the American Softball Association’s bat certification program, which ensures that ball speed does not exceed 125 feet per second.
   However, Mr. Long said he would not be against the legislation if it passed. He said there is still a safety issue despite the restrictions because players are now able to compete year-round rather than only in the spring, giving them more experience swinging the bat.
   "As you get bigger, better, stronger at swinging the bat, you obviously are going to be able to do it better," he said. "I think that compounds the issue of the speed that the ball comes back."
   Tony Cosumano, who coaches the team sponsored by American Legion Post 401, said he would support the legislation because "athletes are just bigger and stronger than they used to be." He said pitchers were throwing the ball faster than ever and hitters were swinging the bat harder than ever. That combined with the use of aluminum and composite bats, which are lighter than wooden bats, cause balls to fly at unsafe speeds once hit, he said.
   Mr. Morris said he has experienced the same problem in the softball leagues. However, he said this is less of an issue because softball pitchers do not throw the ball as hard.
   Monty Fortune, assistant head coach of the American Legion squad in South Brunswick and owner of All Sport Academy in North Brunswick, said Babe Ruth standard fields are much too small for 12-year-old players. On these fields, the pitcher’s mound is located 45 feet from home plate.
   "12Twelve-year-old kids are way too big for that field," he said. "It’s another thing with an 8-year-old, but when you’re 12, you’re standing real close to each other."
   In the township’s softball leagues, the pitcher’s mound is located 27 feet from home plate for third- and fourth-graders, 35 feet away for fifth- and sixth-graders, and 40 feet away for players in grades seven through 12, according to Mr. Morris.
   "I think the distance we use has been pretty successful," he said.
   Mr. Fortune said he hoped the law would pass because it would require players to learn how to hit differently. He said players would need to be more selective in the pitches they swing at because a wooden bat is much less forgiving than an aluminum or composite bat, which often helps bad swings result in hits.
   "I do believe a good hitter hits the ball well with a wood bat or a metal bat," Mr. Fortune said. "They may lose a little distance or a little pop, but a good hitter’s going to hit a line drive through the gap no matter what bat he uses."
   However, he said the price of replacing broken wooden bats could have a negative impact on financially strapped teams. Though he did not expect any teams in South Brunswick to be unable to handle the cost, he said it can be real problem, as he once saw a player break four wooden bats in one at-bat three years ago.
   Mr. Long, however, said the price of wooden bats is much less than that of aluminum and composite bats, which can sell for anywhere from $200 to $450. As such, switching would even the game because "children can afford to get wood bats," he said.
   Mr. Morris agreed, saying the price of aluminum and composite bats "is absolutely through the roof." He added that he didn’t expect wooden bats’ tendency to break to cause a financial problem.
   "I just go back to our children’s safety," he said. "I’m not concerned if the bat breaks here and there."
   Opponents of the legislation also have said banning aluminum and composite bats would turn off average players from the sport because they would be unable to hit as well with a wooden bat. However, Mr. Long said coaching and field quality affect a child’s interest level than bat use. He added that even if interest in baseball and softball were to decline, it would be worth it in the long run.
   "I think safety takes precedence over any interest level," he said.