Judge upholds NYC ban on metal baseball bats

[Drew]

In a 39-page decision, Judge John G. Koeltl of United States District Court in Manhattan struck down arguments from opponents and said that the City Council acted within its constitutional authority in seeking to protect health and safety.

At the core of the issue was whether metal bats, which proponents of the law say have a larger “sweet spot” and propel balls at faster speeds, present a greater danger to pitchers and infielders than wooden bats.

“The judgment that high school baseball players’ safety is more important than higher batting averages and more offense is a classic legislative judgment that the City Council could constitutionally make,” he wrote.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/nyregion/29bats.html?ex=1346126400&en=1e15ccb540a8caa8&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

File this one under stupid laws and slippery slope. Presumably these kids have both their own consent to play baseball with metal bats + their parents. What's next, foam baseballs, then just not playing baseball at all? I mean after all that is the safest way to play baseball, not at all. And that's the city council's job, to keep people safe.

[Gelston]

I guess New York really cares about its citizen's welfare. ....Alot.

I didn't know that was banned. I wonder what else is banned there besides Trans Fat and Aluminum Baseball bats.

[Sean of the Thread]

Plungers

[Gan]

We talked a little about this last night at our softball game, where we all use aluminum bats...

I think the first thing the ordinance is going after is saftey for the kids. Its no secret at the ability of the larger diameter and higher technology metal bats are launching the ball at greater speeds/farther distances. And the primary rules governing base distance (and subsequent infielder position distance) from the batters box have not been allowed to adjust in proportion to the increase in ball velocity once hit.

MLB basepath distance is 90 feet. With a 60 foot distance from home plate to the pitchers mound.

HS basepath distance is 60 feet. With a 44 foot distance from home plate to the mound. Reaction time has to be fast when a heater is roaring at you from home plate. Especially if you're a pitcher.

So the delimma is hotter bats, stronger players, more refined hitting technique/training and appears that its just not the same with regards to safety as it was when wooden bats or early generation aluminum was used.

So dumb down the ball? Or dumb down the bats? Or lengthen the basepaths?

So league officials and of course legislative officials, upon review of the recent deaths that have occurred during game play from players struck by hit balls, decide to dumb down the bats.

What concerns me is that the law is effective immediately for the parochial schools (20+ catholic schools) but is waived until next season for the public schools. Why not make it effective now for all schools if the government is that concerned about safety.

My other concern is level of competition among high schools within the state if this ordinance is only effective for NY City. Will visiting teams have to have a 2nd arsenal of wood bats when playing in NYC? Will NYC teams be able to metal up if they play in a neighboring city that does not have the ordinance? And what about district, regional, and state playoffs?

[Celephais]

I don't think this is stupid at all, and normally I'm all for "if you're stupid enough to do it..." the concent to play is stupid because no parent who isn't overbearing is going to refuse to let their kids play baseball in HS if the kid LOVES baseball and it's their after school activity that's keeping them from wandering the streets of NY, the "all their friends are playing" kind of thing.

MLB doesn't use metal bats, so I don't see any reason to need them in any league (although just me and my friends playing it's nice to know we're not going to break our bat), not seeing a reason wouldn't normally mean "ban" to me, it's the sort of thing I would expect the HS league's organizers to just say "yeah we'll stick with wooden".

[Latrinsorm]

Wooden bats are significantly safer, even when metal bats are used with dead balls. It's not a question of making baseball safe, it's a question of it not being overly dangerous. It's really much more akin to the changes to football made when Teddy Roosevelt was in charge (good) than to the wussification of the NBA (bad).