Real baseball is played with wood!

Credit to the Long Island Catholic schools for making the switch. I know there were some politicians in NYC trying to spearhead a change, but I don't know to what extent they have succeeded. We have to move forward and piggyback those who have made inroads on changing to wood. If we don't, the interest and focus will wane. I'm wondering whether we have a broad and deep enough support to start a petition.

The standard for Major League baseball is wood. As for the danger that modern composite and metal bats pose, there is no doubt that the ball jumps off these modern high tech bats faster than wood bats increasing risk. Being that said, the NCAA will be altering its standard for metal bats next season, with public high schools following in 2012. New York City Public High Schools and the Catholic Schools have already banned metal and composite bats and have returned to good old fashion baseball with the wood only rule.

While I am a kind of a purest when it comes to wood bats and think that metal and composite should go the way of the dodo bird. However, I think that sensible measures can be taken to allow metal bats to continue to be utilized in youth baseball by restricting the specs in these bats. I also am not naive, I fully understand that wood bats also create a risk when they shatter, especially maple bats. I also think that maple should be removed from the game.
Kids and parents alike utilize metal and composite bats because everyone they to see home runs and increased stats. Wood reduces batting and offensive statistics. No kid wants to feel the sting when they mishit the ball with wood. Young players can develop bad habits and a false sense of superiority when using metal or composite. Pitchers do not have enough time to react! Go to a Long Island High School game and watch a Catholic School Team play a Public School Team and tell me who hits the ball further, but then watch the Catholic Team play more fundamentally sound offensive small ball.
Another factor to consider is that today’s kids are stronger and more powerful today compared to years past due to more attention and detail given to better conditioning, weight training, and instruction. Bigger and better players produce pitchers who throw the ball harder with more velocity and hitters with greater bat speed resulting in a well hit baseball that has a lot more velocity off of the bat resulting in the increasing risk of injury.
This is an interesting debate, but my opinion is that we should return to wood only for the sake of safety!

Spanky, I believe that the PSAL has a wood only rule in effect. BTW, nice posts!

I believe that LIBA has banned full composite bats.

Catholic High Schools-Wood Only-How about everyone going to wood at High School Level-I still cant believe they use metal/composite for college ball--oh that's right dimarinni and easton give them huge amounts of $$$ to use them on national t.v.-go figure...
was at Lindy game-if kid didnt get his glove partially in the way it wouldv'e been much worse-was scary enough.

I agree with your assessment, that things could have been worse.

Are mizuno bamboo bats allowed in wood bat tournaments? Jw

Bamboo bats are not allowed in most tourneys

Yesterday I spectated a 9th grade baseball game. The buzz on one bench was that a dad bought his son a $400 bat that he was anxious to put to use. Now why would he pay $400, when he can pay $200 for a decent bat? Do you get the idea? He is paying for performance enhancement. Aside from foul balls, most balls struck into the playing field were hit with authority. Is it the players or the bats? What is the realistic lifetime use by the same player of this $400 bat?For the same money, someone can buy 8 $50 wood bats on an "as need basis" and have the opportunity to change lengths and weights if preferences change.