By David Kilby, Staff Writer
Little League Baseball, Inc., would like players and parents to know what models of composite bats are now allowed and qualified for use in actual game play, after implementing new regulations last fall that attempt to level the playing field.
More than a dozen different models of composite bats are on the approved list.
A composite bat is a bat that has a metal or aluminum shell and a woven composition of fibers on the inside of the barrel, explained Steve Barr, director of media relations for Little League, Inc.
”It’s basically an offshoot of the original aluminum bats,” he said.
The organization, based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has told umpires to check each bat before each game to see if the composite bats are on the approved list.
The organization sets regulations and grants charters to baseball leagues in the U.S. and around the world. Founded in Williamsport in 1938, it consisted of 7,123 leagues and 2,513,760 baseball and softball players as of 2010, according to its website www.littleleague.org.
Staff at Extra Innings Training Center on Corporate Drive in Cranbury said they can help players and parents choose a bat that is qualified.
Extra Innings, which has been in Cranbury for more than two years, is a national baseball training center and shop that provides batting tunnels, training areas, name brand baseball gear and baseball and softball clinics all year round in its indoor facility.
”People are walking in here daily asking about the bats,” said Vicky Turi, owner and operator of Extra Innings, Cranbury.
According to the Little League website, the approved composite bats are Matingly Balistk BTKYB, Combat 2011 B3 Gear GEARYB2 (2011 Retrofit), DeMarini CF4 CFL10 and CFL11.
The following Easton composite bats are also approved: Omen XL LNC1XL and 2XL, Stealth Speed – 12 LSS6XL, Stealth Speed – 11 LSS1, Stealth Speed – 9 LSS2, and Stealth Speed – 13 LSS3, Stealth IMX – 11 LCN9 and Stealth IMX – 13 LCN11, and Synergy IMX – 12 LZN1.
Other approved composite bats are the Louisville Slugger TPX Maverick AYB11M, the Nike Aero Cx2 BTO573 and the Nike Aero Cx2 BTO598.
As the organization tests more bats, other models may be approved. Each Extra Innings staff member is trained to explain the types of approved bats, Ms. Turi said.
”It’s simple for them to come in. We know the bats they can use,” she said.
”We explain to Cranbury (Little League) what the regulations are,” she said. “You’re not going to go to Dicks or Sports Authority to get a bat velocity explanation.”
Modell’s Sporting Goods, based in New York City, claims that it educates its sales associates on all new bat regulations.
”We, as a company, have training materials and have a team that goes out and educates our sales associates (on bat regulations),” said Rich Lampman, director of public relations. “We make it a point to get the information into the hands of all our associates.”
Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority corporate offices, however, could not be reached for comment before press time.
”When a composite bat gets broken in, which takes about 200 to 500 hits, you get better distance,” Ms. Turi said.
She said players are then compelled to ask themselves “Is it because I’m a great batter or is it because of the composite bat that I’m using?”
Cranbury’s Little League is sanctioned by the international organization, which holds the Little League World Series every year.
Mr. Barr said certain composite bats on the market performed above the bat performance standard the organization has in place.
The standard is 1.15, which is basically a measure of the springiness of the bat when it hits the ball, he said.
”What we were hearing was that certain composite bats, after they’re broken in, were exceeding that standard,” Mr. Barr said. “So we placed a moratorium saying until a bat is tested it cannot be used.”
Bat manufacturers sent bats they wanted to be tested and the bats are put through the test, he said. Basically, in the test, the organization hits a baseball with the bat a couple hundred times to see if the bat’s performance improves, he explained.
There are regulations for college, high school and youth baseball leagues nationwide, he said.
”If they’re a chartered Little League then they need to abide by Little League standards,” Mr. Barr said. “The bats they use in their league would have to abide by those standards.”
For anyone looking to buy a new bat, he suggested looking up the list of approved bats at the Little League’s website, www.littleleague.org.
”One of the rationales we’re using is like the standards in the newspaper business, Associated Press (AP) style is the standard,” he said. “And if you don’t write in AP style there are problems associated with that.”
”Whether the moratorium will stay in place in coming years will be evaluated somewhere down the road,” he said. “It’s been something that has been talked about for awhile.”
All umpires are told to check the bats before the games, but Mr. Barr could not say if any penalties would be given to those who use unqualified bats.
Local league officials, however, seemed to be a bit unclear about the new regulations and what they would mean to the local league.
”I thought it was all composite bats,” said Greg Schiavone, vice president of the AA & A Division of the Cranbury-Plainsboro Little League for 8- and 9-year olds.
”We were lucky enough to inform parents before Christmas so they could buy the right bat if they were buying one as a gift,” he said. “We haven’t heard any complaints.”
Whereas the regulations were put in place for mainly fairness issues, he said there were also issues of safety with composite bats.
”The ball does come off quickly from composite bats,” he said.
”When a ball comes off a composite bat it’s a lot faster,” said Tom O’Connell, who coaches and has two boys in the Monroe AAA league for 7- and 8- year olds. “The bottom line is they want to make kids safe.”
”I hope it all goes back to alloy,” Ms. Turi said. “You’re changing the game by using these (composite) bats.”
She also said she thinks that eventually all leagues will go back to using wooden bats.
Bob Bruno, president of the Cranbury-Plainsboro Little League, said his league made sure all coaches, managers, and umpires were clear on the new regulations.
”We respect the Little League’s rules,” he said. “Safety comes first before anything we do.”

