Baseball Bats
Aluminum Bats vs. Wooden Bats
Is baseball America's pastime? For the major leaguers maybe, but for college athletes it seems more like a new age video game. The introduction of high dollared aluminum bats produce football like scores, higher statistics, and a percentage of danger to each and every player on the field. The NCAA has changed the regulations of the bats so far and should look further into to making another change to wooden bats. High tech aluminum baseball bats aren't quite as new to the game as many people may think. Author, Patrick Hruby, wrote in Sports Illustrated, "introduced in the mid-1970's metal bats have become increasingly potent, forged with alloys pressurized air chambers" (Hruby 42). Over the last few decades these aluminum killer bats' have evolved to be even more potent. "Some coaches and players claim these powerful bats are ruining the integrity of the game and placing pitchers at undue risk" (42). Every college, divisions I through III, are using these bats religiously. Each year bigger and better bats are at each team's fingertips. A few of the more popular bats this year are the TPX C555 Platinum, TPX Omaha, and the EASTON Redline, just to name a few. These bats are so advanced that almost everything about them has changed, for instance, " an expanded "sweet-spot"- the area of the bat that produces maximum hitting power. While the sweet spot on a wood bat is roughly 6 to 8 inches long, aluminum sweet spots can be twice that size"(43). James Braham, a writer for Machine Design, says that the new "aluminum baseball bats have actually taken over an estimated 90 to 95% of the market, with wood bats remaining largely in the professional major and minor baseball leagues"(James 56). Another exciting characteristic of aluminum bats is the speed at which the ball leaves the bat compared to the speed that it leaves a wooden bat. A one time representative of Louisville Slugger, J.W. MacKay, says "When a ball is
Is baseball America's pastime? For the major leaguers maybe, but for college athletes it seems more like a new age video game. The introduction of high dollared aluminum bats produce football like scores, higher statistics, and a percentage of danger to each and every player on the field. The NCAA has changed the regulations of the bats so far and should look further into to making another change to wooden bats. High tech aluminum baseball bats aren't quite as new to the game as many people may think. Author, Patrick Hruby, wrote in Sports Illustrated, "introduced in the mid-1970's metal bats have become increasingly potent, forged with alloys pressurized air chambers" (Hruby 42). Over the last few decades these aluminum killer bats' have evolved to be even more potent. "Some coaches and players claim these powerful bats are ruining the integrity of the game and placing pitchers at undue risk" (42). Every college, divisions I through III, are using these bats religiously. Each year bigger and better bats are at each team's fingertips. A few of the more popular bats this year are the TPX C555 Platinum, TPX Omaha, and the EASTON Redline, just to name a few. These bats are so advanced that almost everything about them has changed, for instance, " an expanded "sweet-spot"- the area of the bat that produces maximum hitting power. While the sweet spot on a wood bat is roughly 6 to 8 inches long, aluminum sweet spots can be twice that size"(43). James Braham, a writer for Machine Design, says that the new "aluminum baseball bats have actually taken over an estimated 90 to 95% of the market, with wood bats remaining largely in the professional major and minor baseball leagues"(James 56). Another exciting characteristic of aluminum bats is the speed at which the ball leaves the bat compared to the speed that it leaves a wooden bat. A one time representative of Louisville Slugger, J.W. MacKay, says "When a ball is
Bibliography: Braham, Jones. "Keep Your Eye on the Bat." Machine Design 63.13(1997). 29 Mar. 2002 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org Hruby, Patrick. "Hitters like high-tech bats, but critics smell foul play." Insight on the News 15.27(1999). 29 Mar. 2002 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org Kennedy, Kostya. "Heavy Metal." Sports Illustrated 86.4(1997). 29 Mar. 2002 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org McCallum, Jack; O 'brien, Richard. "Statitudes." Sports Illustrated 88.18(1998). 29 Mar. 2002 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org Mravic, Mark. "Killer Bats?" Sports Illustrated 92.13(2000). 29 Mar. 2002 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org NCAA Baseball Rules Committee. "Easton Sports ' Recent Letters." National Collegiate Athletic Association. 4 Dec. 1998. 5 Apr. 2002 http://www.ncaa.org Palmer, Bob. MacKay asks government to recall metal bats. 5 Apr. 2002 http://www.eumpire.com Patterson, Matt. "Interview." 5 Apr. 2002. Seifman, David. "Pols Would Toss Metal Bats From Kid Games." New York Post.com. 28 Jun. 2001. 5 Apr. 2002 http://www.foxnews.com Weber, Ben. "For Success: Lots of Scoring." Coach & Athletic Director 1.4(2000). 29 Mar. 2002 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org