Shaved bats in HS play ??

[Gone in 2.6]

How can wood bats be a "dumb" alternative since that is the initial piece of equipment used in the game? Actually, it was aluminum which is the alternative.

Aluminum is fine, but that is where all this cheating in softball started. Even the term single-wall or double-wall were debatable and complete relied upon the manufacturer's honest marking. How's that worked for the game lately?

With all of today's scientific advancements, why can there not be a composite wood bat?

If you have noticed some of the debate, many believe wood isn't good because of performance, physical capabilities and mechanics. IOW, the players are not as capable as those who played 20-30 years ago with wood bats or even the early aluminum when the average bat was 34-38 ounces. Today, many players think 30 ounce bats are sledgehammers.

There are numerous wood-bat slowpitch tournaments and leagues and believe it or not, the players have a blast! Imagine that, bringing the game back to where it belongs and having fun doing it. Who would have thunk it?

Where is the problem in players learning to play the game instead of concentrating on out-purchasing/out-cheating the opponent?

Great argument if this were a discussion about baseball. Slo pitch isn't a good example because you can load up with a 4 frame swing that wouldn't allow you to hit a good 10U pitcher in fastpitch.

Softballs fly half as far as baseballs. The game would be unwatchable in my opinion. Goodbye slap game.

[Gone in 2.6]

The game would be unwatchable in my opinion. Goodbye slap game.

Not that you have a vested interest in that

No, I'm no longer fast enough to slap.

[Tumblebug]

It's not broken. There is nothing wrong with the game as it is. Injuries are not rising, They are actually dropping. More kids than ever are playing and there are ever changing rules to curtail indefensible advancements in the game. The game is healthy. It is making healthy adjustments and evolving as it should.

BTW: harvest-able maple trees take more than 100 years. That's an even worse idea than Ash.

[Rotatorcuff]

RF ID tags built into the inner wall of the bat could be a way to prevent shaving. The technology is readily available and would allow the bats to be tested quickly and inexpensively.

[Skarp]

All that said - shaving a bat is a very bad thing. WIllful cheating at this level should be opunished extremely harshly - like a lifetime suspension. I'm not talking about the player whose bat tests at 98.2 for whatever reason. I am talking about players / teams whose bats have been altered in a machine shop.

And it DOES happen. I see / hear bats in college and high-level club play I am all but certain have been altered. That is NOT OK. But the answer is developing easy, field-based tests to remove suspect bats. And backing thoise up w/ full-on inspections in a lab when warranted, with harsh penalties for players and coaches found to be cheating. IMO, the answer is NOT to panic and making a huge change in bats which woud have profound unintended consequences.

yep.

[Sam]

I don't know how many of you were around when we had wood bats, but we didn't break them very often.....and there were not alternatives.....there were plenty of trees around....and the number of wood bats and competition drove the prices down.

REPORTED injuries may be down....solely because of the lack of knowledge on how to report an injury....or that 95% of them don't result in a trip to the hospital. It doesn't mean pitchers aren't getting pummeled....I saw another one last week....I've seen 6 pitchers hit with batted balls in an elite HS league in a total of 20 games. Three of them had to leave the game.

ASA has the power to reduce the standard down to that of a comparable wood bat. Problem solved.

[Gone in 2.6]

I don't know how many of you were around when we had wood bats, but we didn't break them very often.....and there were not alternatives.....there were plenty of trees around....and the number of wood bats and competition drove the prices down.

REPORTED injuries may be down....solely because of the lack of knowledge on how to report an injury....or that 95% of them don't result in a trip to the hospital. It doesn't mean pitchers aren't getting pummeled....I saw another one last week....I've seen 6 pitchers hit with batted balls in an elite HS league in a total of 20 games. Three of them had to leave the game.

ASA has the power to reduce the standard down to that of a comparable wood bat. Problem solved.

You played fastpitch softball with wood bats?


Heck I think I'm in favor of wood. DD's team is already basically using wood bats (Worth) anyway.

[MTR]

RF ID tags built into the inner wall of the bat could be a way to prevent shaving. The technology is readily available and would allow the bats to be tested quickly and inexpensively.

Similar technology tried and demonstrated. A bat with a minute transmitter inside. However, it was only attached and I don't think they could insure it would stay in place. Tumble is probably more up to date on that technology. And, BTW, everyone, EVERYONE but the bat manufacturers would cry up a river about the need to buy a new bat.

[MTR]

You played fastpitch softball with wood bats?

Should anyone who hasn't even be involved in this discussion?

That is back when a ball went over the fence is was all the batter, but the HR was rare.

The game required more strategy and intelligent play, something I don't think exists as much anymore.

[MTR]

It's not broken. There is nothing wrong with the game as it is. Injuries are not rising, They are actually dropping. More kids than ever are playing and there are ever changing rules to curtail indefensible advancements in the game. The game is healthy. It is making healthy adjustments and evolving as it should.

The "game" isn't broken, the approach to it is. Players and parents chasing that scholarship carrot have to get better and hotter equipment than the next girl so they can beat her out. Slowpitch players who couldn't punch their way out of a wet paper bag "have" to hit the ball 350' or it is ASA's fault the game is being ruined.

LIke it or not, these are the customers, so what do you do? Dummy the equipment down to make it safer? That would be fine IF and that is a big IF, every organization complied to the same standards. Good luck getting that to happen, for they, too, are a business looking for the most customers. Yes, even at the HS level, they are a business. If they were not, you wouldn't see participation restrictions on players in HS programs in particular areas.

BTW: harvest-able maple trees take more than 100 years. That's an even worse idea than Ash.

Yet, it is being done successfully elsewhere. But you need to get your head out of the trees. I don't know how many times I've repeated this. With today's technology, there should be a way to produce a composite wood bat.