The issue of bat performance has been at the heart of discussions concerning high school and college baseball safety for several years. As young players get bigger and stronger, the ferocious bat speed - and consequent ball speed - they sometimes generate can be frightening. Titanium bats were banned long ago for precisely that reason. Many high schools and teen travel leagues have adopted wood bats to ensure safer play. The Major Leagues have never seriously entertained using non-wood bats, and the number of pitchers getting smoked by line drives in any given year tells you why.
Twelve and under play had appeared to be somewhat immune from the debate. Many local Little Leagues had adopted wood bats in the last few years for Minors (9 & 10) and Majors (11 & 12), with the rationale that it allowed many of the less accomplished players more of an opportunity to play infield or pitch, as they could do so without the fear of a rifle-shot line drive taking their head off. Yet, when summer tournament play resumed, the metal and composite bats were back, yielding to the conventional wisdom that the players were more accomplished overall.
Well, it's all gonna change. Let's examine the annual Williamsport tournament for a clue why. Typically, players are introduced to the tournament as 9 or 10 year olds. Most of the pitchers throw with reasonable velocity, but there seems to be more hitting at this age group as the young batters are fairly evenly matched with their pitching counterparts who stand 46' away. Gradually, the balance of power swings overwhelmingly to the hurlers, as they grow bigger and stronger. By the time the 12 year old Little League World Series Tournament begins (what you see on TV in the summer) things are dramatically different. Many of those 12 year olds are actually 13, having a birthday that falls after the Little League May 1 deadline. The pitchers throw hard. Very hard. Many have off-speed pitches. And they are still standing 46 feet away from home plate. While hitters are also bigger and stronger, I've watched enough youth baseball to know that this matchup clearly favors the pitcher. What's a hitter to do?
Well, enter the composite bat. Technology has taken that good old piece of lumber and transformed it into a $300 wonder of modern science. weighing up to 13.5 ounces less than the length of the bat. For some perspective on that, picture the standard youth wood Louisville Slugger. A 30" model, ash bat would probably weigh between 25 and 27 ounces. Now consider the DeMarini Vexxum 30". At 16.5 ounces with a generous sweet spot it helps close the gap on those big hurlers. Make solid contact? It's gone. Defensive swing? Maybe you'll hit a flare into right field. It definitely increases the chances that a good hitter will make something happen.
Now organized youth baseball has adopted certain standards over the years. And one of these is the BESR, or "Ball Exit Speed Ratio" rating. Bat manufacturers test samples of their product, and certify that the BESR is 1.15, which is similar to that of the best wood bats. Here is where the problem begins. It is well known that composite bats have a break-in period before they reach peak performance. The composite bats tested in the laboratory - yes, the ones with the 1.15 BESR certification - have not been broken in. The latest study from U Mass-Lowell must have scared the heck out of the Little League hierarchy. The research concluded that "composite bats, while they may meet this standard when new, can exceed that standard after a break-in process".
So, on December 30, just 5 days after many young sluggers woke up to find new ComBat B3 or ExoGrid under the Christmas tree, Little League International handed down the moratorium. There's no doubt that Williamsport, PA will look like Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. over the next few months as Wilson, Rawlings, Easton, et. al. lobby hard for exceptions to the rule. Make no mistake, there is big money at stake here, which always has an impact in organized sports.
Little League International's position has been, effectively, "stay tuned". They have referred folks to their facebook page for real time updates and discussion. They have also circulated a list of approved non-wood bats which has been updated several times since the announcement.
The fallout from this decision should be apparent this summer when Williamsport Tournament play begins. Just how dominant will the pitchers be? Will we see a measurable decrease in offense? Will anyone get caught cheating? Which non-composite high tech marvel will become this year's "hot bat"? Only time will tell how much impact this decision will have on the actual state of play on the diamond.
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